cirrigera vs. bislineata

The variable life of Eurycea.......

vs.

Thamnophis sirtalis

I believe no one argues that the Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) is the most common snake in West Virginia. At least if they do, I've got a post for them. These all are from 2009.

Mountain Top One:


Mountain Range Two:


Mountain Range Three:

(in-situ)

Mountain Range Four:


Mountain Range Five (my favorite specimen, only one captured at this location.)


Bonus: Individual from OH, just over the river from WV.


Though the most common snake in WV, this species is quite variable. From range to range and individual to individual variation is high.

Blue Ridge Caudata Post

Recently posted a long overdue quick overview of my trip last (2008) September to the mountains of North Carolina. Goals were Plethodon jordani and P. yonahlossee and we were successful in that pursuit. Hands-down the best find of the trip was a Pseudotriton montanus from Avery Co., the second specimen found within that county and an attractive specimen. Enjoy, link to post below.

http://fieldherpforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=28269

Overview

2-3 Rana palustris (AOR)
1 Thamnophis sirtalis (habitat)
TMTC Desmognathus monticola (habitat)
several big D. quadramaculatus (habitat all at night)
several D. "ochrophaeus" (habitat)
1 Eurycea wilderae (habitat)
3-4 Plethodon cinereus (AOR, habitat)
1 P. richmondi (habitat) - lifer...no photographs
12+ P. cylindraceus (habitat)
40+ P. jordani (AOR, DOR, habitat) - lifer
25-35 P. yonahlossee (habitat) - lifer
1 Pseudotriton montanus (AOR) - lifer
2 P. ruber (AOR)

Plethodon yonahlossee

Desmognathus "ochrophaeus"

Pseudrotriton montanus

The Last Great Stand

The fate of the long leaf has been a well documented decline. It symbolizes the wild south, while highlighting the state of our natural planet. Wilderness forests across America have perished due to our destructive ways, only patches or stands of properly managed forest exist. In the south, we have seen the eradication of the great long leaf forest, replaced with residential areas, roads, canals, shopping centers, churches, wal-marts, and ever expanding cities. Our wilderness expanses have been expended. Fire management is often suppressed for safety concerns, altering the state of these 'wild lands'. But alas, there are a few small parcels of land that resemble their wild cousins, long leaf still lives. These are the last great stands. And in North Carolina, the last great stand of long leaf...burns on...

"for every creature, balance is found between grass and fire"

Fall Festivities

The word was out, simus are on the move! I cleared my schedule, jumped in the car with field hook and camera in hand and headed south. The goal was to spend Friday and Saturday snake hunting the sandhills and then move up north to Granville county to poke around for horridus Sunday morning.

Kevin and I arrived in the sandhills around midnight Thursday night and quickly set-up our campsite, complete with two sleeping bags laid out on a sandy bank overlooking a borrow pit where Hyla andersonii can be heard calling at the right time of the year, not the fall however. Sleep quickly found us and we awoke promptly at 9:00am to find our patner in crime Ross had just started getting ready to head down to meet us, about an hour drive for him.

The day started out slow, cruising a few roads on our way north to meet with Ross, finding nothing out and about. We checked a couple tin spots here and there with little success, not even skinks were seen under pieces. After meeting up with Ross, our success went from nothing to the holy grail of sandhills herping.

While taking a random road to short cut between two highways and eventually over to a suitable habitat for our target, I drove down a neighborhood road with a significant about of traffic.....

Pituophis melanoleucus

The day continued with varied success, where herps were absent, good times were still had. I had not seen or talked to Ross since early June, before he departed once again to the mecca of herps, Ecuador. As we cruised around on both paved and sand roads, we got caught up on life and how our respective summers have been.

Coluber constrictor (juvenile)

Heterodon platyrhinos (2009 hatchling)

Differences between (Right) Heterodon platyrhinos and (Left) Heterodon simus

Heterodon simus (2009 hatchling)

Heterodon simus (2009 hatchling)

The temperature started to cool and we found ourselves giving up cruising and opting for some mexican food. After dinner each of us (Kevin, Ross and I) grabbed a six pack and headed for Wade's. We tried each other's beer as Wade entertained us with images from this many trips out west. Images of corals, pink atrox, klaubs, and humor danced in front of us.

We awoke to the sound of rain, the had temperature dropped along side. Our morning was slow and we spent some time hanging out with Wade around his house before setting out. After a quick stop at pizza hut for some lunch, we made our way back north to the sandhills with 'watered' down hopes of more snakes warming in the road, but to no avial. Tin produced little...

Eumeces inexpectatus

Scincella lateralis

At our last tin site, Kevin flipped a pair of copperheads under a single sheet of tin, in the same area as a pair were flipped last year with the same coloration and markings....hmmm. The more attractive and smaller of which is pictured below.

Agkistrodon contortrix

After a photo session with the many critters we had stumbled upon we said farewell to the sandhills and started our trek north, up to Raleigh. Sunday morning Kevin and I made our way up to check out a spot I found a horridus shed at a couple weeks before, but it was too much to ask for. On the way out and towards the highway we managed to cruise an AOR box turtle, a DOR Rough Green snake, and seconds after I said, "Man, I have never seen a snake on this road", Kevin points out a snake I failed to see. After a little concern, we had a quick photo session. Seven hours of driving north lay in front us of, but behind, was a weekend well spent.

Opheodrys aestivus

Opheodrys aestivus

We made our way back up with a photo card full of photos each, more fond memories, and smiles on our faces! It was great to back in the south again! Till the next time...

Heterodon simus -- Peering from beneath, in search of spadefoots and other micro-adventures.

A fieldherpforum.com post review

In order of date posted

A quick update from high -- As of late, I've moved to WV to start graduate school in the fall. I the mean time, I'm spending my summer doing field work. I love the fact my entire day is spent outside in the woodland flipping cover and walking night transects. A few lifers have been picked up here and there; Rana sylvatica, Gyrinophilus porphyriticus, Plethodon nettingi, Plethodon wehrlei, Plethodon glutinosus, and the one I've been searching for, Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum.

Good bye 2008, hello 2009 -- A post about the top three lifers (from the states) of 2008; Bog Turtle, Pine snake, and Southern Hognose. Hello 2009 - outline of my first herping trip to the sandhills of 2009. We skunked out on a Tiger salamander, however, found my first January snake ever, first snake of 2009 - Dekay snake. Also, we found A. mabeei, and many N. punctatus with Adrian and Matt by my side.

POST/PART 1: ECUADOR 2008 - WEEK 1 - Amazonia -- The account of my first week in the Ecuador. Located in the Napo Province, this post follows Ross and I day by day in an account of our adventures while in the Amazon. Highlights include - Bolitoglossa perviana, Bolitoglossa ecuatoriana, Oreobates quixensis, Drepanoides anomalus, Imantodes cenchoa, Imantodes lentiferus, and Micrurus leminiscatus helleri.

Carolina Update -- A very short post only containing two photographs - my first Pituophis melanoleucus, and a fuzzy out of focus but neat shot of a Sistrusus m. miliarius strike.

Most Carolina Movement!!!! Spring has ... sorta sprung! -- Was a very broad post reviewing the first quarter of 2008 (Jan, Feb, and March). Highlights include finding Tiger Salamanders, Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes, Okeetee Corn snake, herping around Raleigh, first mud snake of the year, lots of spring stump hunting, and a little piedmont and sandhills NC movement.

A 2007 year end review of the carolinas -- My first primary post on fieldherpforum.com, a long winded tribute to herping the carolinas in 2007. My first Tantilla, 81 inch Coachwhip, first mudsnakes, pigmys, scarlets, scarlet kings, canebrakes, first redbelly water, eastern kings, red pygmys, NC mudsnake, onslow county pygmy, and some simus. -- Plus many, many other things, too many to list.

New Addition: Porthidium lansbergi hutmanni

On the way back for a recent trip to Arizona, I picked up something new along the way. I've been wanting to start up my own Porthidium collection for some time and never thought I'd have the chance to get an Isle Margarita specimen! Well, its a hell of a way to start my Porthidium collection. I picked the little guy up in Houston, Texas as we were on our final days of traveling.

The individual now lives in a small sweater box that has locking clamps on either side ($1.99 at Target, I love these small things). I'm keeping him on a mix of cypress mulch and orchard moss (avaible at Lowe's Hardware for about $4 a small bag). Along with the substrate he is has two small shallow water dishes and is misted once daily. Usually on days when I fed I mist him about 30 minutes before feeding and heavier than on other days, seems to put him into a feeding mode. He quickly goes into a feeding response when food is offered, striking rapidly. It takes a few hits until he finally holds onto the prey. As of now he is eating pinky parts (mainly snouts).

Porthidium lansbergi hutmanni

Isla Margarita Hognosed Viper. CB 2009.

A quick trip down south

Recently I joined Kevin Messenger on a quick trip down to some old familiar stomping grounds down in South Carolina. Quick into our trip Kevin and I stumbled Cottonmouth crossing a dirt stretch of road near Kevins old study site. After a few photographs, the snake was saftely moved off the road. Sunset soon found us and the game began. The moon was not in our favor of producing a high quantity of snakes this night, but fate was not far away. Within an hour of sunset we drove right up on a Carolina Pigmy, soaking up warmth on a quite paved patch of road winding through some of the best long leaf sandhills habitat left in the state. It was a rather contrastly individual for this locale, but nothing phemnomenal, except it was the first pigmy of the year for both of us.

Further down the road we met up with Matt Nordgren who had just seen a scarlet snake, which he bagged for us to photograph. A little while later after unsuccessfully finding anything else we met up with Matt to photograph the scarlet snake and found he we had seen a garter also. Though the night was less than ideal for productivity we were contident with our pigmy find. For us it was a nice piece of the annual herping pie, one that this year we almost missed entirely out on.

"...some of the best long leaf sandhills habitat left in the state."

My Hogg Island Boa litter is here...

I awoke late on the morning of June 27th, 2009 to the sight of 14 live young healthy boas. A total litter of 17, with 1 stillborn and two slugs. Average weight was 52.31 grams. Not too bad of a first liter for the nearly 8 year old girl. Anyway, they are now for sale. $100 each (male or female) and $170 a pair. As of August 8th six have eaten.

$100 each (male or female) and $170 a pair.

POST/PART 1: ECUADOR 2008 – WEEK 1 – Amazonia

I've been working on this off and on...as of late (the past couple of nights), I've been sending a lot of time editing photos and getting this ready. This is to be the first in a segment of six total posts outlining my visit to Ecuador this past summer. It only took me 7 months to get this first post done...next up post 2.....

http://fieldherpforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=24040

This posts takes you day by day for the first week while I was down in the Amazon. Enjoy...

Frogs: The Thin Green Line

Check it out PBS is showing a Documentary calling, "Frogs: The Thin Green Line", 8:00pm EST Sunday, April 5th. See the website and preview video...

Website - Preview

Behind the scenes

Agriculture's Effect on Frogs

Its been a busy month...

Let me start with saying I have loads of photos to edit and upload, loads! I'm seriously backlogged now. I can't even keep up with 2009 alone... So far 2009 has kicked 2008s ass! Anyways, in addition to more photos I've got coming, I've got several articles/essays I've been writing recently. I'm going to start writing a few things for the NC Herp Society's newsletter, both as the husbandry chair (articles relevant to husbandry) and as a naturalist. Anyway, blog I haven't forgotten about you...

My female Hogg Island Boa looks to be cooking some young ones, hopefully. And I think my cal kings are in copulation as I write this...

Here is to 2009!

Cover Shot

A relatively exciting thing occurred in the past week. Penn State Outreach magazine contacted me about using one of my Bog Turtle images in their magazine. Of course I gave them permission and sent them a high res version. Low and behold, I did not know until they sent me this, that my image as going to be used as their cover. I thought that was pretty cool. They are giving credit inside and next to my name is a link to my flickr and all my photos and a link to the NC Herpetological Society's Project Bog Turtle website. Hopefully, they will use more photos of mine in the future.

South Florida Winter Trip 2008 Post

Kevin and I just posted our 2008 south florida winter trip on fieldherpforum. Kevin posted a nice trip wrap up with some photos and nice cometary, I added a few more of my photos to the mix.

Link below...enjoy.

http://fieldherpforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=22955

To view the rest of my photographs...

http://flickr.com/photos/nathanphotography/

Largest snake 'as long as a bus'

Similar in habitat and habits to an Anaconda this ancestor to the Boa constrictor could achieve a total length of nearly 45 feet, thus being the biggest and longest snake to ever exist on earth.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7868588.stm

I must confess my love for Pilsener!

Upon my leaving Ecuador in July of 2008, I packed in my check bag two six packs of Pilsener. I had to share the love that is Pilsener with friends back home, as well as, reminisce on all those fine nights snake hunting down in Ecuador.


-- A Pilsener sponsered football game in Guayaquil. Though this image sums up the popularity of this beer in Ecuador.






Pilsener is one of those unique beers, where you need to drink and experience it in Ecuador before you love it. At a cheap price of $1 for 24oz, it is easliy the cheapest beer I've ever had. At bars and resaturants I would pay as much as 1.50 for a 24oz, you just can not beat that anywhere else. Even in Namibia drinking beers we'd pay more per oz.

As I was browsing for the companies website, to see mainly, if you can infact import this beer in to the states, I found out that only one bar in the states serves this wonderful beer. A bar in New York City charges 4.25 for a 12oz bottle...not nearly as cheap as it was in Ecudor, but nonetheless, if I'm in New York I might pop in for a little reminiscing. In my search, I also uncovered a couple Pilsener advertisments on youtube.





I enjoyed the second advertisement more. Anyway, as I drink my Pilsener I will reflect on how awesome Ecuador was...and probably still is...

Annual South Florida Winter Trip Photos Up!

Check em' out. I've got 98% of the 2008 Winter Trip photos online. Only a few more to upload. The trip post will be up sometime this weekend on fieldherpforum.com, as well as my 'so far 2009' post. Check em' out.

http://flickr.com/photos/nathanphotography/

Raise them high, this is to 2008!

As we all pass over to 2009 I wanted to take a literal minute to thank 2008 for being all it was. I obtained many life goals and experienced things I had only dreamed of. Not only was my adventure in Ecuador with Ross amazing but also, my field season here in NC has been very refreshing. I had a great season last year and I don't believe I'll have a better one for sometime, if ever again. I hit what I call a grand-slam last year in NC...here is what I mean.

My first Northern Pine snake

My first Bog Turtle
















My first Southern Hognose
















All in one season nonetheless! Thanks to everyone that made 2008 what it was possible, that includes Jeff Beane, Ross Maynard, Kevin Messenger, Adrain Yirka, Greg Vigil, Mike Martin, Joe Flowers, Wade Kalinowsky, Jayme Waldron, Dave Cooper, Phil Bradley, Peyton Hale, Zach Barfield, and many, many others. See you sometime in 2009.