Field Herping New York ....

[Rick3521]

Hey everyone, I was just wondering if there was anyone IN the lower westchester , new york area that does any field herping ... I moved here from north carolina about 2 years ago and Im feeling the withdrawls of not being able to get out and look for snakes .... Last summer i was only able to find some little brown snakes ... If anyone in the area can tell me where to go that would be great ... Im willing to drive an hour or two so thats no problem ... Thanks

Rick

 

[jenneses]

I am in CT, so I only really know places in my area. But I bet the little brown snakes you found were DeKay snakes, which are VERY common in this area. In fact, I only ever find Dekays and Garters (some salamanders, too).

 

[Chip]

I'd wager the same technique we use in NC would prove effective there: laying out tin. Before I ever even heard of flipping tin (let alone planting it!), I remember as a small child turning it over where old structures once stood and there always being snakes. Habitat is everything, and it's really easy to provide a nice warm shelter. The longer it sits, the more seem to find it, too! Happy herping.

 

[Rick3521]

Ive got a cousin in Bridgeport CT who tells me he sees garters all the time ... I also met a guy at a reptile show last summer who showed me pics of some copper heads that he took in nothern new york but i can remember where ... I sure do miss living in the south out there it was field herping every day after work and on the weekend and road cruising anytime i Went anywhere ....

Rick

 

[Rick3521]

I'd wager the same technique we use in NC would prove effective there: laying out tin. Before I ever even heard of flipping tin (let alone planting it!), I remember as a small child turning it over where old structures once stood and there always being snakes. Habitat is everything, and it's really easy to provide a nice warm shelter. The longer it sits, the more seem to find it, too! Happy herping.

I lived in Jacksonville NC ... I was stationed on Camp Lejeune we also had tins layed out in certain spots ... they would let us herp there all we wanted as long as ther were no field activities going on ... We also had the crotan national forest there ... I usually stayed to the coast and nevery really herped inland like asheville.....

Rick

 

[jenneses]

Ive got a cousin in Bridgeport CT who tells me he sees garters all the time ... I also met a guy at a reptile show last summer who showed me pics of some copper heads that he took in nothern new york but i can remember where ... I sure do miss living in the south out there it was field herping every day after work and on the weekend and road cruising anytime i Went anywhere ....

Rick

I'm about 10 minutes from Bridgeport. I've never seen a copperhead in CT though I've heard they are, but I have seen them in West Virginia when I was a kid. When I was younger, I used to field herp a lot. There was this abandoned manufacturing plant with a large yard that was a gold mine for finding snakes. They had tin, plastic sheets, a "swamp" with tons of turtles, tadpoles and frogs. Lots of salamanders as well.

We used to bring home tons of these creatures and freak out my mom. Once my brother (we are all blonde) put a garter in an old hamster cage which of course escaped and ended up in my mom's closet. I can still hear her scream. Ah, the good old times.