So.... Last Night I Became a Hooker!

Seriously I hooked my first snake hehe....

I picked up my friend yesterday and took her roadcruising with me and the kids.. We where out for 5 1/2 hours.. It was the best field herping trip so far, we had so much fun..

First thing we saw was this guy... A Long Nosed snake (Rhinocheilus lecontei)
We picked him up then realised he had tissue or some other internal part of his body coming out through its cloaca.. But he was moving fine and everything so we released him under a creosote and hoped for the best for him..


Further on down the road we see this little guy running across the road with its tail up in the air, so cute... Western Banded Gecko (Coleonyx variegatus)




Then we came across a DOR Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum) but I wont post his pics here as he was pretty messed up.

And not to far away from that guy was this little DOR Salvadora hexalepis, Patch Nosed Snake... I haven't seen any of these alive yet..


And finally we come across our first Crotalus.. The guys I have seen down here so far seem darker than the other mitchelli I have seen up on the main road, are they different?


So my friend Stef also became a hooker last night..

I like the pic of the gekko.
Nice looking snake too!
Where's a pic of you hooking?

I'm trying to think of what you would say to a hooker and I'm coming up short. Getting old I guess. Good job Steph.

Do all girls in Nevada have hair in their face and go by Steph?

Yay, hookers!

Right on !!!


His colors and pattern just look different to me..


This is the creosote bush he ended up hiding in and this is where the story gets really cool..


So, right before we saw this guy we had seen a dead kangaroo rat on the road. Talise wanted to go look at it, so we did.. Then we got the brilliant idea of trying to feed the rat to the rattlesnake.. Luckily Stef had her hemostats.. We put the rat in the bush right next to the snakes head and watch for a second as he just sat there. We decided to leave because we didnt think it would eat with us there watching it anyway..

So we head back up the road and onto the main road again... And saw this guy...
See how much different they look..


hehe

So after that we drove all the way to Echo Bay, seeing nothing but a bit of trash and a few sticks. As we where leaving Echo bay I decided to turn into the campground at the last second and walking right in front of us as we turned in was a beautiful coyote.. The moment was over too fast and I didnt get any pics but was happy we drove that far just to see that guy

Heading back, I knew I had seen something in the road.. And upon closer inspection was another little Banded Gecko laying all flat in the road, I thought it was dead. But it wasnt


Look at his cute little feet holding on


So we decide, lets go back down the Calville bay road and see if the snake ate its food... Sure enough, both the snake and the rat where gone.. Holy crap, we just fed a wild rattlesnake.. How freaking cool that was

The last half an hour of this trip was spent talking to the park rangers after being pulled over for going 35 in a 50mph zone because they thought I might be drunk.. But I was actually happy I got pulled over cause I had a good conversation with them. They even let me know that I could get a permit to collect a certain amount of snakes when I go out.. Even the Crotalus.. Yeah, he probably shouldnt of told me that

Oh, sorry! I was impatient.
You look a little bit happy there.

wade said:

I'm trying to think of what you would say to a hooker and I'm coming up short. Getting old I guess. Good job Steph.

Do all girls in Nevada have hair in their face and go by Steph?

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LOL I can't believe you cannot think of anything to say lol...

And yep we are all Stefs out here.. LOL... No, its funny at the shop they would call her little Stef and me big Steph.. Shes shorter than me..

alan said:

Oh, sorry! I was impatient.
You look a little bit happy there.

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OMg I was as giddy and excited as I was the very first time I even saw a rattlesnake
I almost wanna become a park ranger just so I have the opportunity everynight to see and move snakes..

"So.... Last Night I Became a Hooker!"

Well....you do live in Nevada....:duck:

Awesome pics as usual Steph. Those gecko's are so adorable. Wish we had those around here.


Scott

I love the geckos! I thought you'd seen sidewinders, or something, before. That was your first rattler, ever??

Awesome pictures!!! Looks like you guys had a great time..and it's pretty cool ya got to feed a wild rattler..lol

Nanci said:

I love the geckos! I thought you'd seen sidewinders, or something, before. That was your first rattler, ever??

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I think she was saying "excited AS the first time I saw..." but I could be wrong. Either way, I'm glad Wade posted before me.

Yeah I meant I was as excited AS the first time I ever saw one..
Thanks guys..

Those Geckos are so cute. I wish I could get some of those for my Gecko Collection. I been wanting to add NA banded for some time now. Very nice... Did you keep them or just release them?

Hate to sound like a knuckle head.. But post that rattler to the FHF .. I don't think thats a side winder.. The horns above his eyes look rather shallow for the side winder and that tail banding is not something I see on side winders, you may have found yourself a speckled.. I could very well be wrong, but I can't see your side winders being much different than mine here..


Regards.. Tim of T and J

tricksterpup said:

Those Geckos are so cute. I wish I could get some of those for my Gecko Collection. I been wanting to add NA banded for some time now. Very nice... Did you keep them or just release them?

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A lot of people breed them you should check out gecko ranch owned by julie bergman!

Congrats on the fantastic roadcruise results my dear! Those are some awesome finds

TandJ said:

Hate to sound like a knuckle head.. But post that rattler to the FHF .. I don't think thats a side winder.. The horns above his eyes look rather shallow for the side winder and that tail banding is not something I see on side winders, you may have found yourself a speckled.. I could very well be wrong, but I can't see your side winders being much different than mine here..


Regards.. Tim of T and J

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No they arent sidewinders, I think they are speckled rattlesnakes, but the 2 look so different, you know..

tricksterpup said:

Those Geckos are so cute. I wish I could get some of those for my Gecko Collection. I been wanting to add NA banded for some time now. Very nice... Did you keep them or just release them?

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We just release them.. I did have one for awhile though..