Some new herp pics

[SkyChimp]

I spent the morning and early afternoon on Virginia's Eastern Shore. Not herping, but did run into a couple of things by accident.

BTW, I'd appreciate everyone's opinion on what species of water snake that is. Its markings may be obscured by mud, or it may not have any. It was in a ditch I didn't feel like jumping into in good clothes, so the closest I got was what you see.

 

[SkyChimp]

Here's a few frogs from later this afternoon.

The last picture is of a Shad. Around here, we have Shad runs in the spring that are akin to Salmon runs in the Pacific Northwest. These runs are about over now. But this Shad must not have gotten the word. I watched him for about 20 minutes. He was at the head of a tidal creek. In fact, the pond in which that snapping turtle is swimming spills over into this creek. There is a man-made fall there where the pond spills over into the creek. That Shad tried and tried to get up that fall and never made it. It would jump, push itself over rocks, become stuck, flip out, then try it over again. All by itself. No other fish around. It was at it when I got there, and it was at it when I left. There was no way it was going to make. I'm sure it will, or has, died there - never having spawned.

 

[Piper]

Great photos!!

 

[Jay@PJCReptiles]

Great shots! I love it when you go places and have the need to take pictures of the local fauna. Sometimes the herp trips not planned turn out to be the best ones. :cheers:
Jay

 

[SkyChimp]

Here's some more shad pics. I'm not sure why, but I found its struggle very fascinting.