Post by Nathan Hutcherson on Aug 5, 2014 5:49:33 GMT
I am finally getting around to posting some herping photos from this year! Although I didn't get to road cruise as much as I would've liked this past spring, we still had a really good year with a lot of great finds and there is still a bit of summer road cruising to be done if I can get time off during the right conditions. So here are some of our outings to the desert, mostly in April and May. I recently got out and hit the mountains after the rains and found some awesome toad species, but those pics will have to wait. Here you will see some typical herps that represent what we usually see in the deserts of Southern California. Our Lord has given us some amazing creatures to see and experience. ENJOY!
Okay so they're not herps, but I'm setting the mood.
We saw these 17 turkeys one evening on the way to take the kids for a nightdrive in the desert.
Here my son and daughter are checking out one of the Desert Banded Geckos (Coleonyx variegatus variegatus) that are usually pretty plentiful in our local deserts.
Here is a little better look at one of the Banded Gecks
And here is the much lesser known Peninsular Leaf-toed Gecko (Phyllodactylus nocticolus). These gecks have a much smaller range in the united states and can be a bit difficult to spot at times.
My son with a Colorado Desert Shovel-nosed Snake (Chionactis occipitalis annulata) that he caught
A closer look at the Shovel-nosed Snake
Me with a typical Desert Glossy Snake (Arizona elegans eburnata)
And here is another one. I am attempting to depict the length of the snake, because this is a fairly large one.
At first glance you might mistake this for a young glossy snake. This is the Northern Desert Nightsnake (Hypsiglena chlorophaea deserticola)
Here is a young and curious, and mildly venomous California Lyresnake (Trimorphodon lyrophanes).
The Lyresnake is one of my favorite snakes to encounter on the roads at night.
Another commonly encountered snake is the San Diego Gophersnake (Pituophis catenifer annectens)
Here Rob Black has an unusually dark one, possibly lacking yellow pigment that we found out on the crawl at night.
We also find quite a few of these snakes, the Long-nosed Snake (Rhinocheilus lecontei). They can be quite colorful with shades of orange and red.
Or the Long-nosed Snake may lack orange and red entirely as this one almost does.
Not to be confused with the California Kingsnake (Lampropeltis californiae). I have only seen a 5 or 6 kings on the roads at night this year including DOR's (Dead On Road)
However I have had a really good year for Rosy Boas (or Northern Three-lined Boas) including 4 in one night this spring.
But be careful out there, there are plenty of Crotes to go around. Here is a large adult Red Diamond Rattlesnake (Crotalus ruber)
And before I get into some amphibians in the next post, I thought I would end this one with some non-herp creatures that keep the desert drives interesting.
I hope this inspires Nathan E and Rob Black to get some shots posted
Until next time,happy herping and TO GOD BE THE GLORY FOREVER, AMEN!
Okay so they're not herps, but I'm setting the mood.
We saw these 17 turkeys one evening on the way to take the kids for a nightdrive in the desert. Here my son and daughter are checking out one of the Desert Banded Geckos (Coleonyx variegatus variegatus) that are usually pretty plentiful in our local deserts.
Here is a little better look at one of the Banded Gecks
And here is the much lesser known Peninsular Leaf-toed Gecko (Phyllodactylus nocticolus). These gecks have a much smaller range in the united states and can be a bit difficult to spot at times.
My son with a Colorado Desert Shovel-nosed Snake (Chionactis occipitalis annulata) that he caught
A closer look at the Shovel-nosed Snake
Me with a typical Desert Glossy Snake (Arizona elegans eburnata)
And here is another one. I am attempting to depict the length of the snake, because this is a fairly large one.
At first glance you might mistake this for a young glossy snake. This is the Northern Desert Nightsnake (Hypsiglena chlorophaea deserticola)
Here is a young and curious, and mildly venomous California Lyresnake (Trimorphodon lyrophanes).
The Lyresnake is one of my favorite snakes to encounter on the roads at night.
Another commonly encountered snake is the San Diego Gophersnake (Pituophis catenifer annectens)
Here Rob Black has an unusually dark one, possibly lacking yellow pigment that we found out on the crawl at night.
We also find quite a few of these snakes, the Long-nosed Snake (Rhinocheilus lecontei). They can be quite colorful with shades of orange and red.
Or the Long-nosed Snake may lack orange and red entirely as this one almost does.
Not to be confused with the California Kingsnake (Lampropeltis californiae). I have only seen a 5 or 6 kings on the roads at night this year including DOR's (Dead On Road)
However I have had a really good year for Rosy Boas (or Northern Three-lined Boas) including 4 in one night this spring.
But be careful out there, there are plenty of Crotes to go around. Here is a large adult Red Diamond Rattlesnake (Crotalus ruber)
And before I get into some amphibians in the next post, I thought I would end this one with some non-herp creatures that keep the desert drives interesting.
I hope this inspires Nathan E and Rob Black to get some shots posted
Until next time,happy herping and TO GOD BE THE GLORY FOREVER, AMEN!