Memorial Day Radix...

Went on a little trip with my family in tow to some of my usual haunts. Didn't see much but was able to photograph this one gravid female ready to shed. Here are the pics...

Omaha Field Trip

I got a call from one of my friends who is a much more avid herper than I. He wanted to know if I would join him going over to Omaha to look for Plains Garter Snakes. There are some varieties in patterns over there that can only be found there. I really don't normally go looking just for Garter Snakes but I thought it was a neat opportunity. We actually went looking in a neighborhood development. That was another oddity for me. But Garter Snakes are highly adaptable species (kind of like the Cockroach). They can adapt to and capitalize upon almost any environment.

Before we went on our hunt we stopped by a friend of my friend who has a real love for Plains Garter Snakes. He has a basement set up that is pretty incredible, honestly. But most striking to me was his pet snapping turtle named, "Tank." Tank has free roam of their home and he is the most docile snapping turtle you will ever come across. He loves to have his neck scratched and his front paws rubbed. His owner even gives him kisses on his beak. I was astounded.

We ended up with 82 captured snakes and we saw a total of 91 snakes. It was really incredible. I was beat by the end of the day but it was a real blast. Here are all the pics...

This was one of the prizes that we came for. It is the black and white variation that you can only find in this area of the United States. We found two females with the same pattern.

Fox Snake!

Went out to Banner on this beautiful evening (which was supposed to be the end of the world as we know it) to look for some snakes. It is getting pretty heavy in poison ivy now. But I have this one spot I always check, an old piece of carpet along the bike trail that has yielded a number of snakes over the years. This year it has only yielded a little Northern Water Snake and today's juvenile Fox Snake. He was a fiesty little fellow but he managed to let me get a few good shots in. Here they are...

This is the carpet I was telling you about. I always check this thing...most of the time there's nothing there, but you just never know! Today was a prime example of that.

A couple frogs...

The other day was absolutely gorgeous so I left the office and went to a nearby wooded area for a stroll to see if I could spot any herps. I came across a couple different kinds of frogs. A Northern Leopard Frog and a Cricket Frog. The Cricket Frog is very small but it is adult size. Here are some of the pics...

A large Eastern Garter Snake...

Went out on this fine May day and went to a couple of our normal haunts with my son Jacob. After flipping a piece of plywood, we found this 35 inch Eastern Garter Snake. He was really beautiful. My son is the one who grabbed him, and this Garter musked him big time. It was a little humorous, honestly. We walked a fence row and didn't find any thing else, but did see a bunch of milipedes under a log that were very interesting. Here are the pics...

Short trip out today...

I went out on a short trip today to see if I could see anything. Only came across a couple of creatures of note...a small Northern Leopard Frog and an Eastern Garter Snake. Here are a few shots from the day...

Water Snake on a cool day!

Before heading home today I stopped by Fort Des Moines County Park and took a quick stroll by the pond. Sometimes on cooler days like these the water snakes will sun themselves in the taller grass right along the water's edge so they can make a quick dive into the water if needed. That is exactly where I found this beautiful 37 inch Northern Water Snake. Here are some of the best pics...

Bull!

Took my son out to Jordan Creek and on our way back I spotted this snake coming out into the road. I had to go down to the next exit and swing back to get him. He was a beautiful Bull Snake. 62 inches long. I don't normally move snakes from their habitat but he in in the middle of a major thoroughfare and would have most likely been run over. So I took him to a beautiful spot not too terribly far from where we got him that is far from roadways and it is just the kind of habitat he will love...sandy prairie! Here are the pics: