# from Phoenix to San Diego



## desertanimal (May 31, 2011)

Took a little trip to pick up a new (to me) car.  Found a few verts and inverts over the weekend.  

I moved this large guy just before a rig passed that spot, put him down on the shoulder, and he proceeded to rear and repeatedly strike at my legs (missing every time) as I backed away trying to get a photo.  It was hilarious, but I wasn't able to get a photo.  It was the most impressive bluffery I've ever seen from a gopher--including from the ones who turned out not to be bluffing!







Little cerastes from a very sandy microhabitat.







Little cerastes from a slightly more gravelly microhabitat.







And another.













Chionactis occipitalis!  Western shovel-nosed snakes!  A first for me!  I was surprised how strong these were for their size, but I guess that makes sense with the burrowing.  And so, so cute.































---------- Post added at 06:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:33 PM ----------

Phyllorhynchus decurtatus.  Spotted leaf-nosed snake.  Another first for me!  



















Cutest K-rat ever.  Note: If you catch a baby K-rat by the tail and he jumps to get away, as he will be wont to do, it turns out you might break the tail.  If you break the tail, he will squeak like it hurts, and you will feel awful.  Or you will if you're like me, anyway.  







Poor little thing.






Desert hairy scorpion.






Now walking tall (and defensive).













Finally got a picture of a jackrabbit.  They do not like to stay around to have their photos taken.







---------- Post added at 06:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:33 PM ----------

Tiny frog.  Haven't the slightest idea what kind.







Skink.  Five-lined?  







And lastly, a Jerusalem cricket.  







I sure enjoyed the trip!

---------- Post added at 06:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:34 PM ----------

I always forget to put the Coleonyx in.  But I certainly did see them, as well!


----------



## nics (Jun 1, 2011)

nice find! where did you exactly find these guys?


----------



## desertanimal (Jun 1, 2011)

Down in the desert valley--before (east of where) you go up the mountains at Jacumba.  (I realize there's a looooot of desert east of Jacumba.)  Except for the frog, skink, and cricket--those were from SD.


----------



## zonbonzovi (Jun 1, 2011)

Nice pics, I wasn't even aware of a couple of those snakes' existence.


----------



## desertanimal (Jun 1, 2011)

Thanks!  They are cute, those little snakes, aren't they?  :clap:


----------



## JC50 (Jun 1, 2011)

Nice pictures and a couple of cool snakes that i have never seen before.Thanks for sharing the pictures.


----------



## desertanimal (Jun 2, 2011)

My pleasure!


----------



## Kathy (Jun 3, 2011)

desertanimal, I wasn't sure by your post - did you just take their pictures, or did you remove all of them from their habitat and bring them home?  Nice photos, I just hoped you left them where they were.


----------



## desertanimal (Jun 3, 2011)

Kathy said:


> desertanimal, I wasn't sure by your post - did you just take their pictures, or did you remove all of them from their habitat and bring them home?  Nice photos, I just hoped you left them where they were.


Just pictures.  For one thing, I don't have a California hunting license so it would be highly illegal for me to collect there (maybe not a k-rat--k-rats are non-game animals here so they might be non-game there as well, who knows).  For another, the only thing I've ever collected is my four _Coleonyx variegatus_.  I do have an Arizona hunting license and have had for both the years over which I collected those four.  The bag limit on those is 20.  I've been told you could legally collect 20, feed them all off to other animals, and go collect 20 more the next night, and repeat.  I don't know if that's true but in either case my collecting is far under the legal limit for that species.  I've probably killed more than that accidentally with my tires.  They're really hard to see on the roads unless you're going very slowly, I find. 

I didn't leave them all where they were, though.  I moved them all off the roads to the shoulders.    I did so for the DORs, too, to keep the scavenging foxes just a little safer from traffic.


----------



## spydrhunter1 (Jun 3, 2011)

Nice pics...can't wait to see what I'll find when I move to Kansas next week.


----------



## nics (Jun 4, 2011)

desertanimal said:


> Thanks!  They are cute, those little snakes, aren't they?  :clap:


yeah they look striking awesome :worship:

wanted those snakes for myself

---------- Post added at 09:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:12 PM ----------




desertanimal said:


> Just pictures.  For one thing, I don't have a California hunting license so it would be highly illegal for me to collect there (maybe not a k-rat--k-rats are non-game animals here so they might be non-game there as well, who knows).  For another, the only thing I've ever collected is my four _Coleonyx variegatus_.  I do have an Arizona hunting license and have had for both the years over which I collected those four.  The bag limit on those is 20.  I've been told you could legally collect 20, feed them all off to other animals, and go collect 20 more the next night, and repeat.  I don't know if that's true but in either case my collecting is far under the legal limit for that species.  I've probably killed more than that accidentally with my tires.  They're really hard to see on the roads unless you're going very slowly, I find.
> 
> I didn't leave them all where they were, though.  I moved them all off the roads to the shoulders.    I did so for the DORs, too, to keep the scavenging foxes just a little safer from traffic.


i thought the hunting license are for birds and mammals only??


----------



## desertanimal (Jun 4, 2011)

nics said:


> i thought the hunting license are for birds and mammals only??


I guess it probably depends on your state, but I bet reptiles and amphibs are considered game animals in most.  In AZ you definitely must have a license to legally collect reptiles and amphibians.  You're really supposed to have one even if you just want to wrangle them for photos but not collect them.  That's why I have one.  I didn't want to get a ticket for moving a rattler off the road to a more scenic spot for a photo.  Some species are completely protected and you're not even allowed to "molest" them.  As in, you're not allowed to move it or even prevent it from moving so you can catch a photo (e.g. Gila monsters).  There are a couple of species that have unlimited bag limits, but I think those are mainly the invasive species (like non-native leopard frogs).   

http://www.azgfd.gov/inside_azgfd/pdfs/43reptiles.pdf

It is also unlawful to sell legally obtained animals or the CB offspring of legally obtained animals.  That last part is really stupid, but it is what it is.  

Just like probably everywhere, there aren't any rules at all for inverts.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Kathy (Jun 4, 2011)

desertanimal, it's really kind of you to take the time to move them out of harm's way.    Thank you for clarifying.


----------



## desertanimal (Jun 4, 2011)

Kathy said:


> desertanimal, it's really kind of you to take the time to move them out of harm's way.    Thank you for clarifying.


Not kind at all!  Makes for nicer photos!  A win-win, if you will.


----------



## loxoscelesfear (Jun 13, 2011)

Skink.  Five-lined?  







maybe a western skink?  _Eumeces skiltonianus_  any ID on the frog yet?  looks like a little tree frog but i don't know squat about western herps.


----------



## compnerd7 (Jun 15, 2011)

desertanimal said:


> Down in the desert valley--before (east of where) you go up the mountains at Jacumba.  (I realize there's a looooot of desert east of Jacumba.)  Except for the frog, skink, and cricket--those were from SD.


all that desert east is where I go herping all the time, find those guys all time, still nice finds! you can find some really gnarly things in Jacumba


----------



## Sunset (Jul 6, 2011)

not sure if anyone told you what kind of frog that was but its a pacific tree frog.


----------

