Field Herper.com

Field notes and photography by Bryan D. Hughes
Apr
28th
2009

Quality, Not Quantity (Part 5, the Rattlesnakes)

Continued from part 1, part 2, part 3 and part 4

After finding nothing else enjoying the morning sun, we started hiking an open, rocky wash I had spotted the day before as a possible place to find our target for the trip and my favorite of the rattlesnakes I’ve encountered so far, Crotalus molossus, the Black-Tailed Rattlesnake.

Within 50 yards from our point of entry, one of my herping partners saw a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) hiding in a rodent activity area under a large rock. Finally the first rattlesnake of the trip!

Crotalus atrox, in situ
Crotalus atrox, in situ
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

Continuing up the wash, well’camoflauged canyon treefrogs (Hyla arenicolor) were everywhere in various forms.

Hyla arenicolor
Hyla arenicolor
Canyon Treefrog
Canyon Treefrog

Canyon treefrogs display some amazing camouflage. There are 2 hiding in this crack doing their best rock impression.

Canyon Treefrogs
Canyon Treefrogs

The stream still had some moving water, in which each puddle was home to a good number of these lowland leopard frogs (Rana yavapaiensis).

Rana yavapaiensis
Rana yavapaiensis

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