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Date / Conditions
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Summary
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March 01, 2007
Scattered Clouds
68°
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I decided to make my first herp
trip of the year. The off season was long, so I was ready to get out
and cure my cabin fever. I was hoping to photograph some frogs and
salamanders. While in route to my location in St. Charles County Missouri,
the temperature was warmer than I had thought, so I decided to check
some snake dens that I know of. It didn’t take long to find a few
snakes. I found three eastern garter snakes and one black rat snake
in about fifteen minutes of looking. The rat snake was in a crevice.
Later in the day, I found northern spring peepers, a bull frog, and a spotted
salamander. This was a great way to kick off the new year.
A total of 4 snakes. |
March 09, 2007
Mostly
Cloudy 70°
|
The
weather was great, so my sister Melissa and I decided to get out and find
a snake or two in St. Charles County Missouri. I was hoping the nice
weather would trigger some mating activity. I wouldn’t be disappointed.
On the way there we saw a DOR eastern garter snake. This was a good
sign that the snakes were active. The day started with a snake here
and a snake there. Then I came up to a couple of mating pairs.
The day kept getting better. The highlight occurred around 2:00 PM,
when I saw 5 snakes coiled together near a mating pair. When the day
was over my sister and I had tallied 21 live eastern garter snakes and
one DOR. A total of 22 snakes.
|
March 11, 2007
Mostly
Cloudy 70°
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My
dad and I decided to take advantage of the warm weather and head out to my
spot in St. Charles County Missouri. The day started out somewhat slow,
but the number of sitings became more frequent. While looking near
a rock outcropping, I hear my dad say, “There are a couple of garter snakes
here. Upon closer inspection, I noticed there wasn’t two, but seven
garter snakes in a mating ball. We also saw a pair of ribbon snakes
mating. The totals include 7 eastern garter snakes, 3 black rat snakes,
2 western ribbon snakes, 1 eastern yellow-bellied racer, and 1 prairie ring-necked
snake. Also seen were 3 spotted salamanders and several wood frogs.
A total of 14 snakes.
|
March 23, 2007
Mostly
Cloudy 71°
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My
dad, Kyle, Melissa and I decided to take an early trip down to LaRue in Union
county Illinois to see what was moving. We didn’t get down there till
late so no snakes were seen. I was able to photograph American toads,
spring peepers, leopard frogs, and zig zag salamanders. A total of 0 snakes.
|
March 24, 2007
Mostly
Sunny 79°
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We
started the day early at LaRue. We immediately started finding cottonmouths
migrating across the road. The diversity increased as the day went
along. The first find that got me really excited was a big girthy
black kingsnake found coiled up at the base of the bluff. The snake
was obviously right out of hibernation. After getting photos that
weren’t that great because of the snake’s uncooperative nature, I released
it. A couple hours later, I heard some guys yelling in excitement.
I figured some guy had seen his first cottonmouth. I didn’t think
much of it. I then heard a guy talking about a rattlesnake. I
asked the guy why he had mentioned a rattlesnake. He said, someone
had just released a timber rattlesnake off the road. I went down to
the release point and luck was on my side. I found the big 4 foot plus
timber crawling over a log. The snake coiled and I photographed it
quickly. The snake was then sent on his way. Later, I peered
into a crevice and found two more timber rattlesnakes. I was able to
get one out quickly without hurting it. The snake was near the entrance,
so I was able to get it to crawl out on its own power. This was a great
spring day. I have seen 8 timber rattlesnakes at LaRue, 7 of them were
found in March. The totals include 22 western cottonmouths, 9 western
ribbon snakes, 7 black rat snakes, 6 yellow-bellied water snakes, 6 Mississippi
ring-necked snakes, 3 timber rattlesnakes, 1 eastern garter snake, 1 rough
green snake, and 1 black kingsnake. A total
of 56 snakes.
|
March 25, 2007
Mostly
Cloudy 86°
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My
dad and I were too tired to stay at LaRue so we came home early. After
a good night of rest, we decided to visit my spot in St. Charles County Missouri.
The first snake was an adult speckled kingsnake out basking. Later
on, we found two copperheads soaking up some sun. We found 4 black
rat snakes, 2 eastern yellow-bellied racers, 2 osage copperheads, 1 prairie
ring-necked snake, and 1 speckled kingsnake today. A total of 10 snakes. |
March 28, 2007
Mostly Cloudy
76°
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Mike
Cravens and I wanted to find a massasauga today, so we headed over to a
spot in Clinton County Illinois. Before heading into Illinois we saw
three dead lined snakes in St. Louis. When we got to Illinois, it
was cloudy so things weren’t looking good. The first snake was a rattlesnake
coiled on top of a clump of grass. That would be the last of the rattlesnakes
today. It rained sending many of the snakes back underground.
We saw 3 eastern garter snakes, 3 dead lined snakes and 1 eastern massasauga
rattlesnake. A total of 7 snakes.
|
April 02-03, 2007
Partly
Cloudy 83°
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Mike
Cravens and I have wanted to find a plains spadefoot for a long time.
Mike called me up and said lets take a chance and look for them today.
I agreed after he pursuaded me. When I arrived at Mike’s apartment,
he told me where I could find a lined snake. True to his word there
it was along with a second one. After the photo session, we were off
to St. Charles County Missouri to look for the toad. We got there
and heard what we thought were the calls of many spadefoots. We pin
pointed the location of the calls in a flooded field a half mile from our
location. At least that is what we thought. When we got out there,
there were no calls being heard. Spring peepers, chorus frogs, gray
treefrogs, leopard frogs, cricket frogs, fowlers toads, and American toads
were calling like crazy, but not a single spadefoot. We walked back
to the car disapointed. We decided to listen again. The chorus
was heard again. They had to be spadefoots, but why couldn’t we find
them? After carefully listening, we concluded that the calling was
coming from a different location up the road. We finally found where
they were calling from and a short time later the lifer in which the night
was dedicated to. We ended the night finding several spadefoots and
getting pictures of many different species of frogs and toads. This
will be a night to remember. A total
of 2 snakes.
|
April 08, 2007
Mostly
Cloudy 48°
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I was
excited about the prospects of visiting my grandparents in Warren County
Missouri today. However, a trip out there isn’t complete without doing
some herping. It wasn’t a spectacular day, but it temporarilly took
care of my craving. I found 12 prairie ring-necked snakes, and 2 northern
water snakes. A total of 14 snakes.
|
April 15, 2007
Scattered
Clouds 59°
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My
dad and I wanted another shot at some rattlesnakes so we headed over to
Clinton County Illinois for some herping. We started off finding our
goal snake, but that would be the highlight of the day. It was a little
disappointing, but it was still a fun outing. We saw 3 eastern garter
snakes and an eastern massasauge rattlesnake. A total of 4 snakes.
|
April 21, 2007
Clear 72°
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Brian
Stertz, my dad, and I were driving all night long trying to get to the Texas
panhandle so that we were in position to chase the storms during the afternoon.
By time we got to our destination, I was too tired to sleep (if that makes
sense) so we decided to roadcruise for herps between 4:00 - 6:00 in the morning.
We had a good time and I got two lifelisters too. We saw 2 plains spadefoots,
2 great plains toads, and a red spotted toad. The heartbreaker was
a beautiful DOR prairie rattlesnake. A total of 1 snake.
|
April 22, 2007
Scattered
Clouds 74°
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We
were still in the Texas panhandle waiting for the next day’s events.
This was an oppurtunity to herp the whole day. I was able to get a
few lifelisters as well as a couple of snakes. I was hoping to find
a rattlesnake of some sort, but that wasn’t to be. My dad did manage
to find my first ground snake. It was a beautiful individual too.
The next find goes to Brian. He spotted a nice big blotched water snake
near a swollen creek. I finally got to see this species. I have
been within range numerous times without ever encountering this animal.
I was due. We ended the day seeing a DOR desert kingsnake. A total of 3 snakes.
|
April 28, 2007
Partly
Cloudy 78°
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Finally
I get to get out and herp one of my spots. I have been so busy chasing
storms or doing school work that I have had no time to herp. Jim Scharoash
decided to meet up with me and try his luck at a crayfish snake. Luckily
for us, we found a couple of examples. The one we got to photograph
was badly opaque and not the best example to photograph, but it was still
a great find. We later headed over to a spot in Jersey County Illinois.
We flipped tin after tin for about 40 minutes without luck. The very
last sheet of tin produced a nice red milk snake. It was a great day.
Thanks Jim! It was nice herping with you. We saw 3 northern ring-necked
snakes, 3 diamond-backed water snakes, 3 northern water snakes, 3 eastern
garter snakes, 2 graham’s crayfish snakes, 1 midwest worm snake, and
1 red milk snake. A total of 16 snakes.
|
May 04, 2007
Light Rain
68°
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My
friend Sarah and I decided to see what snakes we could find in the pouring
rain. We decided to hit my spot in Jersey County Illinois. All
we found were 3 ring-necked snakes. That was ok because Sarah thought
they were neat animals. I also have to say that I saw a ring-necked
snake do something that I have never seen before. The snake bit me
and drew blood. A total of 3 snakes. |
May 05, 2007
Scattered
Clouds 78°
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While
chasing in Kansas we saw many DOR snakes. They were everywhere.
I only identified 3 bull snakes and one prairie kingsnake. The only
live snake was a bull snake. Shortly after the bull snake sighting
we were witnessing a night time tornado. A total of 4 snakes.
|
May 06, 2007
Overcast
71°
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While
in route to northwest Texas we stopped for a DOR bullsnake. Later I
flipped a nice prairie ring-necked snake in Oklahoma. We saw many DOR
/ AOR snakes but we were unable to stop for identification. A total of 2 snakes. |
May 09, 2007
Mostly
Cloudy 85°
|
Mike
Cravens and I decided to do some herping in St. Francois County Missouri.
It was a great day. We started the day flipping trash and finding my
first Missouri collard lizards at a state park. Later in the day,
we hit a tin site. Under a piece of tin we saw a beautiful great plains
rat snake in the process of heading underneath the tin. We also collected
about 100 ticks a piece. While in route to our next spot, we found
a rough green snake and an eastern yellow-bellied racer crossing the road.
Our last stop of the day took us into the mountains. Our first find
was a nice red milk snake. While shooting the milk, we decided to flip
the rock we were photographing the snake on. Underneath was another
red milk snake. This one was opaque and difficult to photograph.
Our last find was the best red milk snake of the day. It was a little
agressive but it was beautiful. We saw 4 red milk snakes, 2 eastern
yellow-bellied racers, 2 prairie ring-necked snakes, 2 western worm snakes,
2 flat-headed snakes, 1 rough green snake, 1 great plains rat snake.
We also saw 2 DOR eastern yellow-bellied racers, 2 DOR osage copperheads,
and a DOR black rat snake. A total of 19
snakes.
|
May 11, 2007
Mostly
Cloudy 82°
|
My
family went to see the flooded river in St. Charles County Missouri.
While we were there, we saw 4 northern water snakes and an eastern garter
snake. A total of 5 snakes. |
May 12, 2007
Partly
Cloudy 82°
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While
at my grandparent’s property in Warren County Missouri, I spent a good part
of the day herping. I found 12 prairie ring-necked snakes and 2 water
snakes. A total of 14 snakes.
|
May 13, 2007
Mostly
Cloudy 78°
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My
dad and I decided to scope out new herping areas in St. Charles and St.
Louis Counties Missouri. No live snakes were seen. We did see
a DOR black rat snake and a DOR eastern yellow-bellied racer. A total of 2 snakes. |
May 16, 2007
Partly
Cloudy 72°
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I decided to take advantage
of a beautiful day and herp a spot in Jefferson County Missouri. I
started the day by running into Bill Rudden. It was good seeing you
again Bill! After herping with him for a few minutes we parted ways
because he had to go home. It was a good day. I started by finding
ring-necked snakes and racers. Then I flipped a nice neonate red milk
snake. After a difficult photo session I continued. A couple rocks
later I uncovered a goergous copperhead. I finished the day by finding
a nice speckled kingsnake. I saw 3 prarie ring-necked snakes, 2 eastern
yellow-bellied racers, 1 lined snake, 1 red milk snake, 1 speckled kingsnake
and 1 osage copperhead. A total of 9 snakes.
|
May 17, 2007
Scattered
Clouds 65°
|
Brian Willy and I decided
to do some herping in Washington and Jefferson Counties in Missouri.
We started the day finding two rough earth snakes. However, we spent
majority of the rest of the day finding just one more rough earth snake.
However, we did find several collard lizards. We then decided to hit
one last spot on the way home. Things were still slow but we found
an eastern yellow-bellied racer, a DOR black rat snake, and I flipped a nice
speckled kingsnake. A total of 6 snakes.
|
May 18, 2007
Clear 69°
|
While
helping my grandpa with work in Warren County Missouri I saw a prarie ring-necked
snake and a northern water snake. A total
of 2 snakes |
May 19, 2007
Clear 77°
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While
at my grandparent’s property in Warren County Missouri I found a prairie
ring-necked snake and a midland brown snake. A total of 2 snakes.
|
May 23, 2007
Mostly
Cloudy 87°
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After my job interview with the Missouri Department of Conservation,
I stopped off at one of my spots in St. Charles County Missouri. Not
much to report other than a couple of prairie ring-necked snakes and an eastern
yellow-bellied racer. It was a nice day nonetheless. I even got
the job working for the fisheries department. A total of 3 snakes.
|
May 26, 2007
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While
at my grandparent’s house, I flipped two prairie ring-necked snakes under
a board. A total of 2 snakes.
|
May 28, 2007
|
My dad,
sister, and I decided to visit a spot in St. Louis County Missouri.
The first few finds of the day proved to be the highlights. While walking
on top of a bluff I spied two adult timber rattlesnakes coiled together in
the grass. They were both opaque, which made it easier to photograph.
They didn’t seem bothered by our presence. After the photo session,
I was climbing back up the bluff when I saw another familiar, but very welcome
snake. A three foot speckled kingsnake was stretched out at the base
of the bluff. It didn’t take long to realize that this was the prettiest
speckled king I have ever seen in my life. The snake also proved to
be the most aggressive king I have ever run across. The rest of the
day would hand out 5 prairie ring-necked snakes and a northern water snake.
A total of 9 snakes.
|
June 01, 2007
|
On my
first day of work, I discovered a nice adult female eastern spiny softshell
turtle laying eggs on the side of the road. This was a nice way to start
my summer with the Missouri Department of Conservation.
A total of 0 snakes.
|
June 03, 2007
|
While
at my grandparent’s property, I turned up 4 prairie ring-necked snakes and
a northern water snake. A total of 5 snakes.
|
June 07, 2007
Clear
xx°
|
While
chasing a storm in northern Oklahoma my party stopped to photograph a nice
prairie kingsnake that was making its way across the road. We also saw
a DOR black rat snake. A total of 2 snakes.
|
June 08, 2007
Clear
xx°
|
Thanks
to Chad, my dad, Brian, and I had a location to herp in Johnson County Kansas
to kill an afternoon. The first find was a prairie ring-necked snake,
followed closely by only my second great plains toad ever. The day ended
with a large red-sided garter snake. It was a good day and thanks again
to Chad for the help. A total of 2 snakes. |
June 09, 2007
Scattered
Clouds xx°
|
My dad,
Brian, and I decided to hit a location in Holt County Missouri. While
we were there we found 7 northern water snakes, 1 prairie ring-necked snake,
1 western ribbon snake, and 1 red-sided garter snake. A total of 10 snakes.
|
June 22, 2007
Scattered
Clouds 92°
|
My mom,
Melissa, Kyle, and I decided it would be a good night to road cruise in Monroe
County Illinois. The night was pretty slow. We found a diamond-backed
water snake, and a black rat snake that went from alive to DOR in the time
it took us to turn around. A total of 2 snakes.
|
June 23, 2007
Mostly
Cloudy 88°
|
Matt
and I hit one of my spot in St. Charles County Missouri. It was hot
and our luck was low. We saw one northern water snake. A total of 1 snake.
|
June 24, 2007
|
At my
grandparent’s property in Warren County Missouri, I found a prairie ring-necked
snake and an eastern garter snake. A total
of 2 snakes.
|
June 25, 2007
|
While
at work in Jefferson County Missouri, I saw another female eastern spiny softshell
laying eggs on the sand bar. Minutes later, I saw a juvenile spiny
swimming in a creek I also spotted a northern water snake later in
the day. A total of 1 snake.
|
June 30, 2007
Overcast
76°
|
I was
at my grandparents’ again today. While flipping rocks, Kyle and I found
3 prairie ring-necked snakes and a very gravid and pink midland brown snake.
A total
of 4 snakes.
|
July 01, 2007
Overcast
80°
|
Matt,
his brother, and I decided to herp a spot in St. Louis County Missouri.
The goal was to find a timber rattlesnake or two. We first checked the
spot that I had seen two basking earlier in the year. As luck would
have it there was still one there. After the photo session, we continued
on. The next hour or so was spent finding four prairie ring-necked snakes
and a nice midland brown snake. Before we left we wanted to check a
new spot for timbers. We started the hike and soon found some good
looking habitat. The rocky escarpments looked great for timbers.
We looked the whole area over with no luck. However, for what ever reason
I rechecked one spot on the escarpment. Matt was in front as he checked
the ledge. I was behind him checking the base of the ledge. I
was about to step my foot down into some thick grass when something moved.
I looked down to see a large timber rattlesnake coiling into a defense posture.
Matt had walked within a foot of it and I nearly stepped on it. It is
kind of scary when you think about it. After the photo session we went
home. A total of 7 snakes.
|
July 14, 2007
Scattered
Clouds 91°
|
My cousin
Jessica and I had decided to look for timbers in Montgomery County Missouri.
While on my way to pick her up in Warren County Missouri, I spotted a rough
green snake scooting across the road. We arrived at our destination
at around 11:00 AM. The day started out slow and very hot. We
got to an area that looked good for vipers. There were flat rocks and
nice rock crevices everywhere. In one of the rock crevices, I spotted
two nice osage copperheads. Photos were obtained and we moved on.
Later, I spotted another copperhead under an outcropping. It was only
a few seconds later that I noticed a second one in the next crevice over.
Again pictures were taken and we moved on. No more snakes would present
themselves. However, we went home very satisfied. A total of 5 snakes.
|
July 16, 2007
|
At work
I saw a live northern water snake in one of the many lakes in the area.
Later, I came upon a DOA. Obviously someone had killed it. After
work, I was scheduled to help one of the biologists track timber rattlesnakes
by radio telemetry. The first area we went two had two known individuals
inhabiting the area. It didn’t take long to find them. One was
coiled underneath a large rock. The other was in a crevice high on a
bluff. After that I showed everyone the timber that I had seen twice
before. It was still there. We all eventually parted ways, but
I wasn’t quite ready to go home. I checked a spot littered with rocks.
I would turn up 3 prairie ring-necked snakes and an eastern garter snake stretched
across the trail. it was a good day. A total of 9 snakes.
|
July 17, 2007
|
This
day would be spent working out of town for a couple of days. At the
end of the day we found ourselves spending the night at a cabin in Crawford
County Missouri. The cabin was surrounded by woodlands. Naturally
I had to spend the evening herping. As soon as we pulled into the driveway,
I spotted a nice black rat snake. A prairie ring-necked snake followed
shortly. I then headed up a hill and came to a power line cut.
The cut had several crevices which looked good for vipers. I spotted
a small shed skin from a speckled kingsnake and as I bent down to look at
it i spotted an osage copperhead tucked in a crevice. Upon closer inspection,
I realized there were two of them. I moved on and found one more copperhead
on the power line cut. It was a great evening. A total of 5 snakes.
|
July 18, 2007
Mostly
Cloudy 96°
|
While
driving to our job site in Crawford County Missouri, I saw a large osage copperhead
snaking its way across the road. Later, I saw a small northern water
snake. A total of 2 snakes.
|
July 21, 2007
Mostly
Cloudy 80°
|
Saw a
prairie ring-necked snake at my grandparent’s property in Warren County Missouri. A total of 1 snake.
|
July 28, 2007
Mostly
Cloudy 88°
|
My dad,
Kyle, and i decided to try a new spot in St.
Louis County Missouri. We got to our location and soon set out.
It didn’t take long to find our purpose for searching. Tucked under
the edge of a large rock was not one but two timber rattlesnakes. The
smaller one ducked under the rock, but the larger one slowly crawled around
the edge of the rock. This is when I realized the size of this animal.
The snake measured at least five feet in length and the girth was undescribable.
This mammoth rattlesnake had dwarfed any I had seen up to that point.
I was nervous. I got my pictures while giving the snake some considerable
distance. We let the snake on its way and went home very happy. A total of 2 snakes.
|
August 04, 2007
Clear,
Hazy 95°
|
I headed
out solo to a spot in St. Louis County Missouri. I wanted to search
for timber rattlesnake habitat. I found three prairie ring-necked snakes
early on. The rest of the day was slow. I checked a spot I saw
a rattlesnake last time to see if it was still there. The snake was
indeed still there. It was nice to search the area and find good habitat. A total of 4 snakes.
|
August 18, 2007
|
While
flipping boards at my grandparents’ in Warren
County Missouri, I found a prairie ring-necked snake and a midland brown snake.
A total
of 2 snakes.
|
August 19, 2007
Overcast
93°
|
Matt,
my sister, and I decided to herp at one of my spots in Jersey County Illinois.
Not a lot of herps were seen but the ones we saw were well welcomed.
Matt started by flipping a juvenile blue racer under some tin. Soon
after that, I found a large northern copperhead coiled on an old house foundation.
It was a nice short outing. A total of 2 snakes.
|
August 26, 2007
|
My dad
and I headed back to the spot that I had found the mammoth rattlesnake a few
weeks prior. The day was very hot and humid and to make the uncomfortable
day worse, there were no snakes. I found one rattlesnake shed skin,
but that was it. On the way out I got a glimmer of luck and flipped
a small eastern yellow-bellied racer. A total of 1 snake.
|
September 01, 2007
Clear
86°
|
At my
grandparents’ again to herp. The day started out slow. I had only
seen a lonely prairie ring-necked snake up to this point. As I was
sitting down to eat dinner, I hear my sister shout that there was a milk snake
crossing the trail. I ran out to pick up one of the most beautiful red
milk snake I have ever seen. After countless photos were taken I released
the animal. I would end the night by finding 2 more prairie ring-necked
snakes and a juvenile western ribbon snake. A total of 5 snakes.
|
September 02, 2007
Clear
91°
|
My dad
and I headed to a spot in Jefferson County Missouri. We arrived at the
location in the afternoon. We were immediately greeted with a surprise.
Under a large rock I saw an adult timber rattlesnake. It took a few
seconds to realize just exactly what I was looking at. With the adult
were two newborn timbers. Apparently the adult was a new mother.
This day has already cashed in more than what I was expecting. However,
the evening was just beginning. Further along I spotted another adult
timber rattlesnake at the edge of a large rock. This time there were
at least 6 newborn timber rattlesnakes balled around the adult. I have
never seen anything like this before. Before the day was over, I spotted
two more newborn timber rattlesnakes back in a crevice. This was a day
I will not forget for as long as I live. This may have been a once in
a lifetime experience. A total of 12 snakes.
|
September 07, 2007
|
The day
started out with me herping my grandparent’s property in Warren County Missouri.
I found 2 prairie ring-necked snakes. Later in the day, my dad, sister
and I hit one of my spots in St. Charles County Missouri. We ended
up finding 7 northern water snakes, 1 diamond-backed water snakes, and we
ended the night by road cruising an eastern garter snake. A total of 11 snakes.
|
September 09, 2007
Overcast
87°
|
Matt
and I decided to start our herp trip in Jefferson County Missouri.
We were skunked on snakes so we moved on to a new location in Jefferson County.
Here we found a lined snake and a western worm snake. A total of 2 snakes.
|
September 13, 2007
|
After
school, my friend Nathan who was on leave from the military and I decided
to spend the evening looking for snakes. We went to one of my spots
in Jersey County Illinois. It didn’t take long to find the first snake.
I flipped a piece of tin and noticed a small northern ring-necked snake darting
away. I was trying to grab it when I noticed that I put my hand within
inches of a small northern copperhead. I was so focused on the ring-necked
snake that I didn’t see the little viper under the tin. After that close
call, we moved on to another nearby location. Here we found 2 juvenile
blue racers and a small smooth earth snake. A total of 5 snakes.
|
September 14, 2007
|
Found
2 prairie ring-necked snakes at my grandparent’s house in Warren County Missouri. A total of 2 snakes.
|
September 15, 2007
|
My dad
and I decided to spend the afternoon herping in Jefferson County Missouri.
The morning started out cold and slow. I eventually caught a glimpse
of an eastern yellow-bellied racer. The occasional snake made
its appearance. While lifting a rock something happened to me that has
never happened to me before. A yellow-bellied racer bit me from behind
while I was lifting. We left this location to catch the balloon race
in St. Louis. In St. Louis County i flipped a rock and found a lined
snake. The day ended with 2 eastern yellow-bellied racers, 2 lined
snakes, 2 prairie ring-necked snakes, and 2 rough earth snakes. A total of 8 snakes.
|
September 16, 2007
|
Mike
and I decided to head south to Reynolds County Missouri. The weather
was not cooperating. It was cold, windy, and cloudy. It was great
habitat. However, we were lucky to get an eastern yellow-bellied racer.
We also got a juvenile collard lizard. A total of 1 snake.
|
September 21, 2007
|
Matt
and I went road cruising for snakes in Monroe County Illinois.
It was a slow night. We did find a black rat snake though. A total of 1 snake.
|
September 22, 2007
|
I was
herping at my grandparents' house today. I started the day by finding
a prairie ring-necked snake. I then decided to look in the dry creek
bed for water snakes. There is normally water in the creek but it has
been so dry this summer that the creek has dried up. Anyway, I was flipping
good looking rocks with no luck. I thin spied a nice flat rock.
I screamed water snake. Upon lifting it, I saw a flash of red.
I was thinking that those are not water snake colors. I then realized
that I was looking at my second red milk snake here this month. Even
more exciting was the fact that the snake was under a rock in the creek bed.
No doubt that the snake was seeking out moisture. The snake was one
of the better looking ones that I have seen. I eventually let the snake
go. It was a good day. A total of 2 snakes.
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September 27, 2007
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Jessica,
my sister, and I headed to a spot in Warren County Missouri to look for salamanders.
We stopped near a pond to roll logs. Under one of the logs was a nice
spotted salamander. After the photo session we moved on. Later,
we rolled a log and found 3 newly metamorphed spotted salamanders. A total of 0 snakes. |
September 28, 2007
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At my
grandparent’s house in Warren County Missouri, I found 3 prairie ring-necked
snakes. A total of 3 snakes.
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September 29, 2007
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My dad
and I decided to hit Snake Road today. We arrived at about 9:30 AM. It took a while but we
finally saw a cottonmouth hanging on the bluff. We looked into a crevice
and saw a few more. A few ribbon snakes soon started to make an appearance
along the base of the bluff. My dad then spotted a small rough green
snake making its way across the road. Shortly after that, I stumbled
around the corner of the bluff and saw two copperheads coiled on top of each
other. One looked like a classic dark northern copperhead, and the other
one looked like a classic southern copperhead. They were beautiful snakes.
After pictures we moved on. We saw several more cottonmouths and yellow-bellied
water snakes. It was a great day of herping. The totals are 16
western cottonmouths, 5 yellow-bellied water snakes, 3 western ribbon snakes,
3 rough green snakes, 2 mississippi green water snake, 1 northern ring-necked
snakes. A total of 30 snakes.
|
October 05, 2007
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Saw a
prairie ring-necked snake at my grandparent’s property. A total of 1 snake. |
October 13, 2007
Overcast
85°
|
My dad,
sister, and I headed back Down to LaRue Road again for this weekend.
The day again started out slowly, but a few cottonmouth soon made their appearance.
Followed by some yellow-bellied water snakes. The best find was perhaps
a mississippi green water snake basking in some thick vegetation. The
numbers and diversity weren’t as up to par as I am used to, but any day at
LaRue is a good day. The totals are 14 western cottonmouths, 5 yellow-bellied
water snakes, 2 western ribbon snakes, 1 rough green snake, and 1 mississippi
green water snake. A total of 23 snakes.
|
October 20, 2007
Clear
83°
|
My dad
and I headed over to one of my spots in St. Charles County Missouri.
It was a good day. We finished with 3 prairie ring-necked snakes, 1
black rat snake, 1 eastern yellow-bellied racer, and 1 midland brown snake. A total of 6 snakes. |
October 28, 2007
Variabe
Clouds 59°
|
My dad,
sister, and I wanted to make a bid for both salamanders and snakes today,
so we headed over to a spot in Madison County Illinois. To make a long
story short, the only herp seen was a small american toad. A total of 0 snakes.
|
November 19, 2007
Partly
Cloudy 75°
|
Matt
and I wanted to get out, so we headed to my spot in St. Charles County Missouri.
the started quick when we spotted an eastern yellow-bellied racer poking his
head out of a hole in the ground. He disappeared quickly without a
pic. We moved on and spied a black rat snake deep in a rock crevice.
Again, no picture could be had so we moved on. A few more minutes passed
when we spotted a large eastern yellow-bellied racer coiled high on a bluff
ledge. Pictures were hard to get so we moved on after we realized a
good picture just wasn’t meant to be. As we were headed to my car,
I spotted a juvenile black rat snake climbing vertically up a concrete wall.
I was able to get great shots of this snake to end the day. A total of 4 snakes.
|
November 20, 2007
|
Mike,
Brian, and I had planned a salamander trip to Mingo today. Little did
we know the temperature was suppose to be near 75. We stopped at our
first location and quickly found 3 small-mouth salamanders under logs.
The log next the third small-mouth log hid a nice midland brown snake.
After moving on we found a nice spotted salamander, my first Missouri marbled
salamander and mole salamander, and a yellow-bellied water snake also taking
refuge under a log. At the next location we found a red-backed salamander
and a screamer of a marbled salamander. The last stop proved to
be the craziest of the day. We stopped by a bluff to see if there were
any snakes out basking. We weren’t sure if there would be an out.
We stepped on the lookout and quickly realized we didn’t have a problem.
Within a few seconds we had spied three western cottonmouths. As we
continued we found several cottonmouths. It was rare to stand in a spot
and not be able to see at least one snake. We eventually caught a glimpse
of a broad-banded water snake. sticking out of a hole. In just under
an hour we had seen 21 western cottonmouths and 5 broad-banded water snakes.
The sun had gone down and we headed home. We saw everything that we
had wanted to see and then some. We even got Brian his first Missouri
cottonmouth. A total of 28 snakes.
|
December 26, 2007
Overcast
50°
|
Brian
and I wanted to look for tiger salamanders and small mouth salamanders.
I had also gotten a new Digital Rebel XTI that I wanted to try out.
It was really cold to start out with. I didn’t expect to find anything.
I thought I was going to be correct on that, but about an hour into the search
I rolled a southern leopard frog under a log. Shortly after that, i
rolled the first salamander of the day. The small-mouth salamander appeared
to be a good sized male. After photographs we moved on. After
a while of nothing but deer, we rolled another small mouth salamander.
We moved on after pictures. We ended the day by Brian rolling a duo
of small mouth salamanders. It certainly was a lovely post Christmas
herp outing. A total of 0 snakes.
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