Fieldherper.com

American Bullfrog

Bryan — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 08:15:18 +0000

Lithobates catesbeianus

Arizona Tree Frog (my first)

Bryan — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 08:00:36 +0000

This little Arizona Tree Frog (Hyla wrightorum) was spotted by Floyd on a recent trip down South.

Hyla wrightorum

Eye for an Eye

Bryan — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 05:28:44 +0000

Kris gets revenge on a neonate Whipsnake.

uhhh

Supertrail + Megahike + Ultrapost

Bryan — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 05:07:05 +0000

Here’s from a trip way back in May, where Kris and I struck out on snakes, but not for lack of effort. We hiked so hard I seriously had trouble walking the next day, and it takes quite a bit to do that to me.

We got up before the sun and headed South to take the long way in hopes of seeing some snakes warming themselves in the early sunlight. No such luck. That set the tone for what was a pretty herp-free trip. Here’s some pictures from the first day.

Bullfrog

Whiptail

Fur Bug

We camped at the base of the mountain and got up before sunup once again to see what we could find. We ended up hiking to the top of the mountain before noon, climbing a full mile up over 5.2 miles of trail. What to do when you get up there? Hurry your ass back down before dark!

First, however, you have to wake up and find the will to put on your boots.

The filthy underbelly of herping

Lots of nice scenery, which you can’t look at much without ending up part of it.

Supertrail

This is why you don’t want to get struck by lightning. Someone should have told this tree.

Lightning-gutted tree

No snakes, but we saw lots of lizards who didn’t seem to mind people very much.

Yarrow\'s Spiny Lizard

When snakes are hiding, expect to see plenty of tree pictures.

Skull Valley, Arizona

Bryan — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 03:18:14 +0000

… a couple pictures from a recent trip that failed to produce my target species, but provided some nice practice with my HDR technique.

hdr-prescott-forest

hdr-skull-valley-1

Gophersnakes in Central Utah

Bryan — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 04:00:31 +0000

During the early summer I went to Idaho to visit some friends, and took the opportunity to route a ‘herpable’ route back home. I did what I could, and managed to turn up a few Great Basin Gophersnakes (Pituophis catenifer deserticola) along the way.

An antelope running from me:

antelope

Great Basin Gophersnake

Banded Rock Rattlesnakes

Bryan — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 02:30:00 +0000

Here are a couple more Banded Rock Rattlesnakes (Crotalus lepidus kauberi) found while searching for willardi this year.

Here is an adult male of average size, and probably the prettiest I’ve seen of this species in my limited experience.

Crotalus lepidus klauberi

… and another young male out and about in the night.

Crotalus lepidus klauberi

3 “Lifers” in a Day

Bryan — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 02:09:29 +0000

For the non-herpers: A ‘lifer’ is the first encounter with an animal. What could be considered a first encounter differs from person to person. Mine is a satisfactory experience where I am able to photograph it and basically be in a situation where I can stare at it until I’m done. I saw my first Black-Tailed rattlesnake, for example, mid-exchange between two hot keepers in a Burgerking parking lot in Casa Grande, Arizona a few years ago, and that was not considered a life-list experience. My second was crossign the road in front of me on a one-lane and curvy, high-traffic mountain road in the middle of a thunderous hail storm. I decided it was too dangerous to leave the car parked in the middle of the road, so I watched it crawl off the side and disappear; also not a ‘lifer’. The third seen was resting at the base of a rock outcropping in the superstition mountains. I took a lot of pictures of it, and we parted on my terms. THAT one was counted.

Sometimes its better than others, but it’s always a premier find when you can knock something you’ve only seen in books and on the internet off the list, and say you’ve seen it. Some, like these three, were found while looking for a different target. For this one, the target was the Arizona Ridge-Nosed Rattlesnake (Crotalus willardi), which is a protected, endangered species and maybe the most highly-prized field herping find in the U.S. I am sure lots of herpers would have something to say to that statement, but there’s a reason herpers flock to S.E. AZ every monsoon season, and it has a lot to do with willardi.

These are 3 lucky lifers found on the search for willardi this year.

An Eastern Patch-Nosed Snake; my first.

Salvadora grahamiae

A Mexican Spadefoot Toad (Spea multiplicata); also my first one of these.

Spea multiplicata

… and a Chihuahuan Black-Headed Snake (Tantilla wilcoxi); my first, and probably my last for a very long time, if ever again.

Tantilla wilcoxi

4 life-listers in one trip is a good weekend in any herpers book. What’s the 4th? Crotalus willardi, the Arizona Ridge-Nosed Rattlesnake. I’ll post that one in a few days.

Field Herping Byproducts

Bryan — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:54:03 +0000

Being out in the wildnerness looking for snakes puts a person in a lot of attractive surrounding, and every trip comes with a story. Here are a few HDR (and non HDR) pictures taken in-between snakes.

HDR Picture in S.E. Arizona

HDR Picture of Santa Cruz County

HDR Picture in Arizona

Praying Mantis

This one is (we believe) an impromptu grave. It was found just 3 or 4 miles North of the Mexican border in a very high-activity area. Someone not making the trip is something that happens from time to time. The picture does not show it well, but it’s a rectangular pile about 6 feet long and 3 feet across, and the only pile of rocks in the area.

grave

Sonoran Whipsnake (Coluber bilineatus)

Bryan — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 23:52:55 +0000

Here’s a neonate we found out and about in South Eastern Arizona. Pissy little guy with a bright red nose. Maybe that’s why he was so upset.

c-bilineatus-080908

Banded Rock Rattlesnake (Crotalus lepidus klauberi)

Bryan — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:08:11 +0000

With the rain come the animals, and then me out after them. Trips have been productive, and I’m proud to say I’ve knocked several species off my life list.

Rather than post a bunch of mega-threads, I’ll just throw out my 2008 monsoon season one animal at a time. It seems easier on my seldom-seen free time that way as well.

So here’s the first … a morning Banded Rock Rattlesnake (Crotalus lepidus klauberi) from the Santa Rita Mountains.

Banded Rock Rattlesnake from the Santa Rita Mountains