We got some rain here in San Antonio. Found these texas blind snake bois under rocks. Sorry for bad quality
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I did a ābigā (5 splattered frogs and a few non-splattered salamanders) night last night! See my recent observations for the photos if you want, since Iām too lazy to post links now.
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I like threadsnakes although I rarely encounter them. Hereās one I photoād using a sheet of sandpaper as a neutral background.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/579762
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Nice photo! I usually find blind snakes under rocks after rain. While uncommon, they are there. Also try old ant nests
Going to Phoenix, Arizona in early June! Any tips to find more herps? It wonāt be a monsoon but Iām still hoping I can find a few cool herps.
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Never herped there, but I have been to the area so I do know just a little bit about it. I would suggest cruising backroads and hiking higher elevation sky islands. The best herping is farther south imo, between Phoenix and the border. Sedona is farther north and a bit less herpy, but the scenery is absolutely breathtaking. Good luck!
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Hello, Iām Lawrence. Mostly into birding, but Iām getting into reptiles and mammals and other things since I donāt see new birds too often anymore. Looked through some of my photos from New Mexico the other day and I realized I had a third Whiptail species I didnāt notice before. Honestly there are other lizards around me locally, but I canāt seem to find anything other than a Western Fence Lizard unless Iām traveling. Same with snakes, although I donāt even see snakes when I travel. Anyway, if anyone has any herpetology advice, that would be great.
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I agree jnstuart, flipping rocks and logs as well as old sheets of corrugated iron, can provide a rich source of reptilian observations. I must however, plead guilty to an alternative approach with regard to this observation, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/252369429. This is the iconic frill-necked lizard, (or frilled dragon in iNat parlance). This lizard was featured on the now defunct Australian 2c coin. It was also appeared in Jurassic Park 1 movie as the inspiration for a minor, (and non-existent) dinosaur species.
In spite of spending most of my working life traipsing around the Australian bush, this is only about the third time I have seen one of these, and it was on my own land. Immediately after I spotted it the lizard it fled to the top of a thin 15m (45 foot) tree. I just had to get a photograph, so in spite of my fine reputation for the ethical treatment of animals (up to this point), I shook the tree vigorously until the lizard dislodged and plopped to the ground. Hopefully, by the speed it ran away I am thinking it did not suffer any internal injury. It bolted into a hollowed out termite mound. (Probably the work of an echidna). I was able to stick my iPhone into the cavity and get some shots. Sadly it does not show the frill in itās threat display position but I think the expression on the lizardās face does express what is going through itās mind. I believe it is thinking āwhat a jerkā.
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If youāre in New Mexico or California driving backroads on warm nights should be good for snakes, and hiking high elevation (flip rocks as you go - but please put them back!) should also get you more herps (and Iād imagine hiking mountain ranges would also get you some cool bird species). Good luck!
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Accidentally roadcruised a rat snake yesterday on our way to eat. Funny thing was that we were talking about accidentally roadcruising snakes right as we found it.
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Super annoyed rn lol bc I was supposed to go road cruising last night, wasnāt able to, and then someone posts a Brooks king on iNat road cruised last night!
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Thatās brutal
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Noooooooo!
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Just took a trip to the southern Appalachians and found a bunch of cool salamanders! Had my lifer Spring Salamander get away unphotographed tho :(
Posting a link to the rest so as not to take up too much space
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I took a little side trip to Great Smoky Mountains Natāl Park when I was in Mississippi for a temporary assignment. I was kind of disappointed. Itās advertised as the salamander Capital of the world, but I think I only managed to find a handful of duskies. I found a turtle that scared the crap out of me though. Rustled in the leaves and I immediately thought it was a rattlesnake.
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The Smokies in two trips have turned out to be the least salamandery place in the Southern Appalachians for me lol. I only got a few duskies as well this trip, and nothing last trip. Probably just a combination of finicky weather, not as much rocks as would be ideal in the places I went to, and bad luck, but still pretty annoying lol (especially given how many cool species are apparently abundant on iNat)
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The āsalamanderiestā place Iāve ever been to is Bankhead NF in Alabama. Found 8 species there in 1 day, never seen that many in any other individual place
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Great place, I did herp surveys in and around Bankhead many years ago. Reminded me of where I grew up at the opposite (north) end of the Appalachians. Lots of āspring lizards.ā
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I hear shining rocks at night is a good way to find stuff. Never been so not too sure
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I would rage quit life. RIP
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