Went "Herpin'" Yesterday

[pitbulllady]

and came back with five new snakes!

Found this girl underneath a sheet of tin:

She's about four feet long, typical mellow Eastern Chain King disposition, but kinda on the skinny side. After I got her home, I realized that she has a healing injury, which must have been severe when fresh, consisting of two large round holes, one on each side of her spine. The holes could have resulting from large predator canine teeth...or a "through-and-through" from a bullet. I caught a Rat Snake once, with a similar injury, and my vet dug a .22 slug out of that one. The snake healed up just fine. It never ceases to amaze me how trusting they can be even after being subjected to abuse that would land a person in jail if they did that to just about any other animal.

Here's a pic of the injury:

About 100 feet away from where I found the first King, I found this guy inside a hollowed-out space at the base of a big Tulip Poplar:

Even though this was in Chester County, upstate SC, this snake looks more like one of the "St. Helena" Kings from the Low Country, around Charleston and Beaufort. He's about three feet long, and flawless. I can't find even a nick on that lovely skin, and he has that same disposition as the female, and 99% of the other Eastern Kings I've had or encountered.

Found these guys, which all appear to be males, along the Catawba River:
First up, a juvie hypo Midlands Water Snake(Nerodia sipedon pleuralis), which should make a good future mate for my big female!

This is a somewhat-larger Midlands, which also appears sort of "hypo-ish", though he's more of a "caramel" or amber color, unlike most of the hypos I've seen, which are more red and orange:

Also found this little guy, a typical Brown Water Snake(Nerodia taxispilota), an Anaconda wannabe, lol! He's a sweetheart, as are both Midlands:

So far, only the Brown Water Snake has not eaten for me, but he's in shed, so that could explain it. Both Midlands have eaten frozen/thawed mice, either "fuzzies" or "hoppers", depending on size. This species is not picky, and will eat just about anything, with gills or without. Both Kings have eaten 3-4 adult f/t mice; hopefully the larger female will put on some weight, if she doesn't have complications from her injury. She deposited a large pile inside the snake bag on the way home, so I know she's able to digest food.

pitbulllady

 

[crpy]

Beautiful, I will be interested to see how the taxispilota does, keep us posted.

It is amazing how resilient they can be, snakes in general that is.

 

[Strix]

Awesome finds. Usually when I go out the most I can find are musquitoes :wall:

I live down in florida. Mind if I ask for any Herp hunting tips?

 

[crpy]

Awesome finds. Usually when I go out the most I can find are musquitoes :wall:

I live down in florida. Mind if I ask for any Herp hunting tips?

Where do you live north, south or central.

 

[Strix]

Where do you live north, south or central.

South. Pasco county to be specific. When I was younger I used to see cottonmouths in my backyard and pygmy rattlesnakes in my neighbors.

 

[xBurntBytheSunx]

how come you can find snakes wandering around that are friendlier than the one i bought at a repitle show =P

 

[crpy]

how come you can find snakes wandering around that are friendlier than the one i bought at a repitle show =P

I dont beleve its common just to pick up a Nerodia and not have it tag you, PBL is sort of a Grace Wiley type I think

 

[J.huff23]

Awesome! I wish there were king snakes around here... They say there are but im not sure. Nice snakes though.

By the way, when is herping season typically done?

 

[crpy]

Depends where you live here its best may to sept, especially after a rain at night. But pretty much anytime, look under boards other debris. Ratsnakes are relatively easy to find at night. At night you listen for frogs screaming as they are getting eaten, by day blue jays let you know where they are by chattering.

 

[bigdog999]

I like those Midlands, they remind me on Corns. very similar colors and patterns

 

[pitbulllady]

I dont beleve its common just to pick up a Nerodia and not have it tag you, PBL is sort of a Grace Wiley type I think

I don't know about that, lol! I get "tagged" a lot...by Corns, Ball Pythons, Garter Snakes...you know, the ones that aren't SUPPOSED to bite, just like the only tarantula I've been tagged by was a G. rosea! I've handled my big female Pterinocilus chordatus, and have yet to even see a threat display from her. I've only been bitten by one Nerodia, a juvie Northern, but then, I'd just handled a large Eastern King, too, so that could have sparked a panic in the little guy. I've caught more Nerodia than I can possibly count, and that's the only one that has bitten me. They'll thrash around and musk like nobody's business, but I've never had one bite, other than that youngster. Even the musking stops after a couple of days, though. They just become lazy, laid-back tv-watching companions that like to eat a lot...sorta like most human tv-watching companions.

All three of these Water Snakes were found at the water's edge, while both Kings were found either under something or in a hollow at the base of a tree. I tend to find Kings and Copperheads underneath tin, old plyboard sheets or old carpet, between a field and the woods. I find most Corns crossing the road at night, where their bright orange coloration shows up like neon. As for Rat Snakes, Blue Jays are a snake catcher's version of a pack of "bay dogs"; they will raise Cain if they catch sight of a snake, and if you listen enough, you'll see that they have a distinctive call to indicate a snake, from their "owl" call, or "cat" call, since those are two other animals that send Blue Jays into hysterics. After a rain is a good time to go "road cruising" at night on county roads to find snakes crossing the road, but with gas prices, I haven't done that in a long time. Here in South Carolina, we're blessed with lots of warm weather during which reptiles are active, but during really hot weather they will "estivate' to escape the heat. Late spring and early fall are the best times to find snakes, since the temperatures are more moderate during those times. Spring is breeding season, so snakes are more careless(having other things on their minds), and during this time of year, they're trying to bulk up for winter hibernation, so this is the best time to find snakes.


pitbulllady

 

[hardlucktattoo]

Very cool I went herping today but I got skunked......No not sprayed that would have been much worse I found a couple leopard frogs and a green tree frog and some type of lizard it reminded me of a grass lizard but I dont know THat wasnt in the wild thought that was in the lawn and garden section of loews i tried to catch it but it was way to quick