October 24 2010 Crevice Spiny Lizards

This is a late post but here it goes.

I have been keeping track of a colony of Crevice Spiny Lizards (Sceloporus poinsettii) that live in a canyon near my house. The 6 individuals I monitor live on a section of wall about 50ft long. There are 3 females and 3 males.

They each have their own individual crevices which they quickly duck into when I get near.

There are also a few Sagebrush Lizards (Sceloporus graciosus) which inhabit the same area.

It is very cool to see two different species inhabit not just the same area, but also the same hides.

Well I went herping this weekend with Connor and we found some cool stuff. Including 2 types of rare salamanders. And I now have a new slimy salamander spot.

Sorry for bad pics but I only had my phone with me.

Checkered Garter snake

[IMG]http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr251/amphibiandude/Herping/IMG_1100.jpg[/img]

Slimy salamanders. We found 7

1

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2

[IMG]http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr251/amphibiandude/Herping/IMG_1082.jpg[/img]

3

[IMG]http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr251/amphibiandude/Herping/IMG_1081.jpg[/img]

4

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5

[IMG]http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr251/amphibiandude/Herping/IMG_1075.jpg[/img]

6

[IMG]http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr251/amphibiandude/Herping/IMG_1070.jpg[/img]

7

[IMG]http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr251/amphibiandude/Herping/IMG_1063.jpg[/img]

Cool colored chirping frog

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Gulf coast toad.

[IMG]http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr251/amphibiandude/Herping/IMG_1068.jpg[/img]

We also found some Texas Salamanders which are an all aquatic species but they are almost impossible to catch without hurting them if you don't have a net so sorry but no pics. Maybe next time.

The best find of the year though happened this morning though

My first Texas Alligator lizard!

A lifer.

Very calm and cool lizard.

[IMG]http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr251/amphibiandude/Herping/IMG_1098.jpg[/img]

[IMG]http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr251/amphibiandude/Herping/IMG_1096.jpg[/img]

[IMG]http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr251/amphibiandude/Herping/IMG_1093.jpg[/img]

[IMG]http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr251/amphibiandude/Herping/IMG_1092.jpg[/img]

[IMG]http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr251/amphibiandude/Herping/IMG_1086.jpg[/img]

[IMG]http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr251/amphibiandude/Herping/IMG_1084.jpg[/img]

And also I wanted to enter it into NAHERP.com and so I could accurately record the size I did the only logical thing I could.

I put him on my arm with his tail at the end of my fingertips and jabbed a cactus needle in my arm there his nose reached to.

We then released the lizard and I walked back with a cactus spine in my arm.

He measured 14 1/2 inches.

Yay.

[IMG]http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr251/amphibiandude/Herping/IMG_1099.jpg[/img]

Once again sorry for bad pics.

I'll bring my camera next time.

Colorado Trip

Well the past week I have been in CO. While there I did a good amount of herping. On the second day I found the coolest looking Bullsnake I have ever seen on the slopes of Mt. Princeton. Later in the week I went to the plains east of Colorado Springs and in those two days found another bullsnake, 5 plains gartersnakes, 2 western terrestrial gatersnakes, a baby horned lizard, 5 many lined skinks and three plains toads.

Central Texas Whipsnake

Well this past Friday on the way to a small local cave I saw a large snake in the road. Upon approaching the snake I realized it was a very large central Texas whipsnake. Knowing what it was I knew that I would have to be very fast in order to catch and photograph it. As we slowed down I jumped out of the still moving car and ran towards the snake. Being a close relative of the coachwhip it was very fast and as soon as it saw me it darted off into the bushes. As soon as it hit the trees it immediately headed up into the large Juniper trees. As I tried to follow it through the tree tops it easily outran me. After numerous attempts to catch up with it in the treetops I finally grabbed it from underneath and climbed down the tree. After a few photographs it was released unharmed.

An interesting feature of this snake is that based on it's length compared to my height is that I believe this to be the new record for this species. I am about 6ft tall and this snake was about 5 or 6 inches longer than I am tall.

June 6 night cruise

Tonight in a random decision I decided to go night cruising. After a few minutes I saw a DOR Texas rat snake. This was one of the prettiest specimens I have ever seen, to bad it was killed. Later on I found a young Crotaus Atrox or western diamond back rattlesnake. Those were my only two finds but it was still a successful night.

Blotched water snake

As I walk over to the dock with fishing pole in hand and tackle box over my shoulder I notice something on the dock, it looks like a large stick but as I move closer i hear that well known sound to my ears, a plop of a large snake escaping my grasp. I walk to the end of the small wooden structure just in time to watch the reptile slowly swim away almost mocking me. I would usually jump in but this pond is strictly no swimming and I sure as heck don't want to get kicked out. "Crap!" I think to myself, "you could have easily gotten him, you're losing your touch Saunders." As I set up my gear and cast out and nonchalantly real in yet another sunfish I watch as the snake surfaces and dives agin in his search for food. After a few minutes and a few fish a few younger family friends about 12 and 6 walk over and join me. Later on I hear the young point out a snake in the water, but this time its about 20 feet out and headed for the shore to the right of me. As it enters the weeds I decide to go try my luck at this particular serpent. I crouch tho the ground and crawl under the limbs of the surrounding cypress and cedar trees. As I get closer I watch him from the reeds surrounding the pond. As I watch him the takes a turn and heads back out again and again from the weeds, taunting me by never getting within 10 feet of me. I know he sees me and he know I see him and now it's a game of chicken for him probably thinking "I'm gonna see how close I can get to this dumb mammal, he aint gonna jump in after me." Too bad for him he is wrong. He enters the weeds and alge just to my left, and from my vantage point I watch as he enters about 3 feet into the weeds just 12 feet from me. I decide that it's time to commit to catching this snake and begin to move forward. As I creep forward I'm careful to make no noise lest he be spooked. And close to 8 feet away I stop, any further forward and he is out of here for sure. I sit and wait for him to get used to my presence. The quiet of the Texas summer afternoon is broken by the chorus of cricket frogs and a lone male bullfrog persistently calling for a mate that isn't there. A minute goes by ad I don't dare move, not even to rid myself of the mosquitos that think of my arms as their buffet. Sitting there focusing on his every twitch I know he must be doing the same as me. Suddenly the moment comes when he for a split second looks away at something I cannot see. Muscles tensing, legs springing I take the leap into the water and weeds. As my feet slam against the rocky bottom a jolt of unforseen pain races through my body but I hold through. My hand darts into the place in the weeds where he just disappeared I feel something in my hand. I pull it out quickly and... nothing. Only a stick from a cypress tree. As I sit there thinking crap to myself again I watch as he surfaces about 30 feet away and swims into a maze of cattails. Going back to fishing with a small cut on my foot and my legs covered in pond crap I pack up and go to dinner leaving my gear there, including my stringer of bluegill in the water.
As I return, my stomach full or burger and chips I check on my stringer of fish and to my surprise right there is the watersnake, trying to steal my fish obviously feeling good about himself for eluding capture. Laughing at my good fortune I grab the snake and coax it to release the still alive fish who's head is down his gullet. Realizing that I don't have a camera with me I decide to walk up to the cabin and grab it. After getting many strange looks from people obviously thinking to themselves "that kid is insane! He got himself a water moccasin in his hands!" After a few pics I release him, without getting bit.

4/16/10 Salamander hunting

Contrary to common belief, we actually do have more than two species of salamander here in the Texas hill country. We have three. Most people know of the Texas blind salamander found in caves, and those who live in Boerne usually know of the rare cascade caverns salamander. The lesser known of our three salamanders is the western slimy salamander. One of the lung less salamanders common to the American Midwest it can be found under moist logs in places outside of civilization. I had not found one of these animals in a long while so finding one was a treat, even if it was a few weeks back. I found it in a canyon which is only filled with water after a few days of heavy rain. On this particular day I went down to search at an interval between two large rainstorms. During this time the sun had come out and it was close to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The salamander was underneath a small log near the edge of a woodpile so I am glad that he didn't sprint to the woodpile and I would not be able to catch him.

Definitely my favorite salamander found in Texas.