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5000th post--Great night of herping!

desertanimal

desertanimal

2003 UB313
I have been waiting all week to make my 5000th post, because I wanted it to be a good one and I knew I was going herping tonight. I rarely road cruise because it uses gas, and I don't really even go herping that often. But, my in-laws now like to go (and will pay for gas :)), so we made a date and went way out east of Phoenix tonight. They picked me up at 5pm and I got back at midnight. But it was worth the time. I got to see 4 snakes I've never seen before. They're nothing special, really, but like I said, I don't go herping much, so it was neat for me.

First find, Crotalus atrox (WDB). Little 'un. A little testy, too, and didn't want to ride the hook, so I just got pics where I found him. Nothing too pretty, but the snake itself is!

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Next, we came across a Cali king, Lampropeltis getula. Finding a live one was actually a lifer for me. I really, really like these guys and I think they'll be my next CB snake purchase. This one was totally chill. I picked him up and kept him while continuing our cruising, and then took him back on the way out for photos. He was unperturbed. Last two pics are of him apparently hunting right after I put him down. He was smelling, smelling, and then cruising. Smelling, smelling, looking in a hole, cruising. No worse for wear from the car ride, that's for sure!

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Oh! What's in here, I wonder?
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Ah. Nothing was in there. Keep on keeping on . . .
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Next I found another lifer. This didn't even look like a snake in the road to me, since it was all the wrong shape. I'm used to looking for long things. But when a 'winder is moving across your field of vision, it doesn't look like a snake at all until you get close to it. This was a lifer that I was pretty excited about. They feel completely different when you're manipulating them with the hook than the straight-ahead movers do. At least I thought so.

Crotalus cerastes
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Solifugid. No gushing with these. They still look remarkably like muppets to me ever single time I see them. Fearsome, bitey muppet arachnids.

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Glossy snake. Arizona elegans. Lifer as well. We found one DOR before this one, so it was nice to find a live one. These guys are very nice. Zero testy-factor. Although I guess it musked me, because my hands didn't smell so good after catching it. But it was a very low-key musk. No thrashing silliness and it hardly smelled. Nothing like a garter snake or ringneck. Best musking I've ever suffered.

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Then a desert nightsake. Hypsighlena chlorphaea. A tiny one. Maybe 12 inches. Lifer for me, and very scary with the head-flattening. It appeared to have suffered some insult and had a small bit of innards protruding from the vent (dried), but it was spunky and getting around just fine, so I helped it off the road and decided to let nature take its course, whatever it may be. I couldn't bring myself to intervene.

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Next I found a small and very handsome gopher snake, Pituophis catenifer. I just love how vibrant these guys' markings are when they're young. I have met some huffy gophers in my time, and some bitey ones, too, but they seem to be pretty relaxed when they're young.

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And last, but not least, the (legally collected) new beaux for my lady gecko. He is big, he is fat, he is handsome, he is strangely un-shy, he isn't even very sensitive to light, and he has his full original tail as a full-grown male! I'm very happy I didn't hit him with my tire. I am smitten with him already. I hope he loves roaches as much as his betrothed.

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That marks the end of a very good night! Goodnight!
 
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Wow... some great pics of some REALLY great finds.
All of what you found were my favorites to find in SoCal. You brought back some good memories for me. :)
Thanks for sharing!
 
Great finds and great pics. I am hoping to do some AZ herping in July and hope I have as good luck.
 
Just awesome finds! I've been fortunate to come across all of them except for the glossy snake and the sidewinder... THAT is something I'm still waiting on.

I really love the Cal Kings too... Just awesome snakes. The Desert Night Snakes I've caught here are even smaller... A friend brought one by just yesterday wondering if it were "dangerous". I told him to just put it back where he found it and it wouldn't cause him any problems. :)

Congrats on the finds and KUDOS for such great shots!
 
Great finds! I love that Cal king. The gecko is really cool looking, hope he gets along with your little lady
 
How lucky are you? lol In-laws that not only like herping but will finance it too! That was one fantastic night of finds. Thanks for sharing.


Terri
 
Thanks all! I know, my in-laws are wacky and sometimes a challenge, but overall they are great. Somehow, we get along really well despite the fact that none of us would probably ever be friends if we weren't family. It's nice. Turning around and seeing my parents-in-law perched on the edge of their seats, straining to see out the windshield last night was pretty adorable. At one point it was very quiet in the car, and we'd been out for 4 hours or so, so I asked if they were bored, and to a person they said, quietly and with concentration, "No, I'm looking for snakes." LOL! They're not too good at finding them, to be honest, so they have to look pretty hard. :D

Jeff--don't be a stranger if you're in the PHX area! I bet Bill will be all settled in by then and would be up for going out, too.

The boy gecko is so cute! He reminds me more of a leo than any Western banded I've seen, because he looks at me. So adorable.
 
desertanimal said:
Jeff--don't be a stranger if you're in the PHX area! I bet Bill will be all settled in by then and would be up for going out, too.
Click to expand...
Yeah, in March I mentioned it and he was game. If my plans work out (i.e. can move our remaining live critters), I will be PHX bound and would love to do some herping. It'll be July and not quite the best time but it will be the only time I have.
 
It's stuff like this that is really making me consider a move to AZ after I graduate if I can get a job there. Great pics!
 
I thoroughly enjoyed every single photo. Except that bug. OMD, it's ugly and scary looking! LOL! I found the sidewinder fascinating, the king and gopher snakes incredibly beautiful, and that little leo is just adorable :).
 
Stormy, Louisiana has a lot of good herping too.

Desertanimal, Those are some amazing animals you found, and your new gecko is really cool!
 
They do, not from here though and no clue where to go or how to get there. Long story that im not going to muddle the thread with.
 
Wow, four lifers in one road cruise night? Good timing on your in-laws' part, that was a great opportunity.
I like your viper close-ups, that diamond back is a nice looking snake.
Thanks for carrying a camera. These road cruise threads are great....some day...some day I'll go to a place where there are snakes on the streets.
 
What beautiful creatures. That Leo is fantastic looking! I am still terrified of rattles with heads on them like that! Anything that can kill me I doubt I would even get close enough for a decent picture. More power to you though!
 
I will probably never own hots in the near or far future, but ive always found them facinating and as a young kid we used to catch them and keep them (kept a water moccassin for two years until my family had to move and then gave her to the conservation dept. for educational purposes).

Anyway, your Crotalus cerastes reminds me of the time my family was on a country drive (just driving backroads randomly), and he thought he drove over a large branch in the road.
Turned out to be a western diamond back rattler.
Thing was probably 6-7 feet long and just... beautiful in the dangerous sense.
First rattler I ever saw up close.

Those things are scary and beautiful!
 
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