# You'll never guess what I found in KS...



## KUJordan (Apr 29, 2007)

Even more osage copperheads!!!  Yipeee!!!!!

I used to not appreciate diversity and all I wanted to see were vipers.  Now it seems like every other snake is a copperhead or a red milk.  I went out for about an hour this morning and all I saw were ringnecks, a milk, and a bunch (6) of coppers.  

Here is the FIRST rock I came to and decided to flip this morning.  Monte knows now, firsthand, that I know a copperhead rock when I see one:







And upon flipping this rock, upon what do my eyes appear?: A double!  







Those were two of the nicest looking osages I've ever seen here.  They were like bro' and sis'.  They weren't too happy to seem me either, as you can tell by my lack of a better pic of the two of them.

Ok, moving along...next I came to what has really been pissing me off a lot lately.  I don't claim certain spots to be "mine" or under the ownership of any herper.  But I do very much feel violated when I come across habitat like Monte and I saw yesterday that has been raped and pillaged and altered (not destroyed) so that it is impossible for future herpers to have the ease in finding these amazing critters.  

But what I really HATE is when I see broken rocks and intentionally smashed herps under them.  The feelings I get when I witness the aftermath of someone intentionally killing herps with rocks are the type of feelings that get me thinking that a 'right to carry' might not be such a good idea afterall.  Anyway, so that's what I found next, a smashed rock that was holding under one of its bulges a small red milk:







Notice the end of its tail that was smashed under the rock and it couldn't get free.  It would have died if I hadn't flipped the rock and gotten it out.  Though it may pass anyway...







Anyway, on a brighter note, I got chased by this big girl I flipped at one of my secret spots.  She's the biggest copper I've come across this spring.  She decided that I was scrawny enough to actively pursue and chase away- she was absolutely right.  







She came after me pretty hard core so I kept backing up but left my camera case on the ground.  She then decided to attack it as well.  You can use my camera case (8"x4"x3") as a reference for her size:







The last copper I have a picture of was this little feller.  I only took this pic so you could see it, Richard.  I found two more coppers this AM, but they were no different in size or appearance than any of these other guys:







So anyway, hope you all enjoyed another Agkistrodon filled post.  Happy herping to you all, but remember to respect the habitat, the animals, and your fellow passionate enthusiasts!


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## padkison (Apr 29, 2007)

Neat!  Maybe I'll go flip some rocks...  Then again maybe not, I'm pretty scrawny too.  



> Anyway, on a brighter note, I got chased by this big girl I flipped at one of my secret spots.  She's the biggest copper I've come across this spring.  She decided that I was scrawny enough to actively pursue and chase away- she was absolutely right.


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## P. Novak (Apr 29, 2007)

For the billionth time, those snakes are gorgeous! I really like the first two copperheads, those have some stunning color. So do the others, but those just stick out. How'd you end up getting your camera case back? With a stick?


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