Getting tired of KS herps yet??? DUW!

[KUJordan]

So I went to a spot this afternoon and spent about an hour rummaging around a bit. It turned out to be a very colorful trip with a lot of diversity in herps, but the fact that I had found so many copperheads the last month or so really bummed me out when I was copper-skunked this trip.

Here's the first snake of the trip- the largest Carphophis vermis, western wormy squirmy snake, I've ever seen!:

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t15/phaeogaster/20070418_1246.jpg

Next came this skinny but very green Coluber constrictor, racer under a rock (in situ):

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t15/phaeogaster/20070418_1248.jpg

I left it be and the next find was this pretty little G. Plains narrowmouth toad, which are always nice to see:

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t15/phaeogaster/20070418_1262.jpg

After the toad came this very pretty and cool (literally it was in the shade and very cold) baby C. constrictor:

In situ:
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t15/phaeogaster/20070418_1249.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t15/phaeogaster/20070418_1250.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t15/phaeogaster/20070418_1251.jpg

Next come the milks. I found two of them today and they were both monsters!

Here's the first, possibly the most unattractive L. t. syspila I've ever seen as it was hard into opaqueness:

in situ:
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t15/phaeogaster/20070418_1252.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t15/phaeogaster/20070418_1255.jpg

Here's the second milk, which was even bigger than the first. But unlike the first one it was a beauty.

in situ:
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t15/phaeogaster/20070418_1263.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t15/phaeogaster/20070418_1265.jpg

anyway, it was a short yet very fun outing. oh,............................................... .................................................. .................................................. ...................
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about that copperhead- I lied. I found a gorgeous little bugger:

just after me flipping him:
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t15/phaeogaster/20070418_1257.jpg

after playing with him for a little while:
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t15/phaeogaster/20070418_1261.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t15/phaeogaster/20070418_1258.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t15/phaeogaster/20070418_1259.jpg

[tacomadiver]

I'm jealous that you get to see all that good stuff there!

[buthus]

Wow! I love that first snake ...Carphophis vermis! I've heard the term "worm snakes" , but I dont think I've paid any attention.
Have you tried keeping any? Big time burrowers I suppose.

[ShadowBlade]

Oooh, thats a beautiful copperhead! That's awesome looking.
I can find babies any day of the week up here in West Virginia. But adults like that are a rare beauty!

-Sean

[KUJordan]

Oooh, thats a beautiful copperhead! That's awesome looking.
I can find babies any day of the week up here in West Virginia. But adults like that are a rare beauty!

-Sean


believe it or not, that snake was only about 15" long! it was still very young, probably only a year or two- nowhere near adulthood yet. i agree though that is a looker. it was actually smaller than the rest of the copperheads i've posted in the last two weeks on here.

do you have A. contortrix mokasen in WVA? or A. contortrix contortrix?

[ShadowBlade]

believe it or not, that snake was only about 15" long! it was still very young, probably only a year or two- nowhere near adulthood yet. i agree though that is a looker. it was actually smaller than the rest of the copperheads i've posted in the last two weeks on here.

do you have A. contortrix mokasen in WVA? or A. contortrix contortrix?

You're right. It is smaller then I thought, didn't look very close. Still gorgeous.

I've only seen A.c. mokasen here. I don't think A.c. contortix makes it this far up.

-Sean

[P. Novak]

All of those snakes are gorgeous. I need to go out herping one of these days and see what I find. I still can't get over at how beautiful those coppers are, how many have you already seen this year?

[KUJordan]

Novak-

I've seen 9 copperheads already this year, which is WAY above my average! I've only been out herping 5 times this year where I actually found snakes. Amazingly copperheads have been the most abundant snake for me so far this year...well, second behind ringnecks which I don't even photograph because I find thousands every day.

Even though they are all the same subspecies, osages, I still love seeing the variation in their colors, shades, and banding patterns. Also, their temperments are vastly different from snake to snake- some are happy as a clam to be moved and photographed while others don't like the idea of even being noticed and they'll flatten out, strike and flap around like mad!

[gunslinger]

Got any reliable sites on Nerodia sipedon or Storeria dekayi out your way Jordan?

[KUJordan]

Got any reliable sites on Nerodia sipedon or Storeria dekayi out your way Jordan?

I have a spot where you can see 30-40 N. sipedon in one place and they are there day in and day out. They are always fun to go hang out with and watch them all. They are not very shy at this place either, so you get a lot of man-snake interaction...

[gunslinger]

Awesome, we are always looking for more good sites on Nerodia sipedon. I'll have to check and see how much data we have from your area.