Buckeye Herps

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Kentucky

August, 2006

I took a long week off to get my life in order and prepare for a tough test. As soon as it was over, I had to get outdoors and enjoy the nice weather. Although things have been pretty good around here in Ohio lately, Terry Cox made me an offer I could not refuse. I had seen Terry earlier this year, but it was only a short visit, and I was happy for the opportunity to catch up. He was going to be speaking for the Kentucky Herp Society this month about the herps of nothern Michigan, and offered to let me crash in his hotel for the weekend if I met him down there. This was really a no brainer. I booked it out to my car after the test and started the relatively short drive down to Louisville, looking forward to the time outside, some conversation with old friends, and hearing Terry's presentation.

On Saturday, one of the KHS members, Brian, offered to take Terry and out in the field to some of the sites near his home. He mentioned one of his targets for the year was Kentucky timber rattlesnake. After years of strike outs, I have been blessed with some rattlesnake luck as of late, and it happened to show up on this day. One of the first sites we checked out yielded this fat female under a large piece of tin. It was a fascinating find for me because her refuge was next to a barn, but smack dab in the middle of an active farm, a few hundred yards from the closest forested area. It was not the type of habitat I have had any luck searching in southern Ohio.

 

She had some cobwebs on her face, and Terry wouldn't pick em off!

 

We hit quite a few other sites as the day started to warm up. We really weren't seeing too much, despite truckloads prime looking tin. I was really hoping to see a prairie kingsnake, really my only goal for the trip. Brian showed us plenty of sites where calligaster have turned up but it didn't seem like today was my day. Finally, under a large sheet of tin, partly buried under long grass, Brian pulled out a nice healthy male prairie kingsnake.

 

Many thanks to Brian for an amazing day! Sunday we met up with the rest of the members of the KHS to tag along as they conducted a monthly herp survey at a local park. It was an great time and we saw a ton more stuff. I love copperheads and they were plentiful, so here are a few of them!

 

 

This one seems to have bitten himself...

 

The tin was scattered around a number of productive looking sites. These guys must have spent some serious man hours laying it all out. I am very greatful for all of their hard work, and hope the survey is a great success. Here are some of the other that turned up.

 

 

Thanks to all the members of the KHS for kindly inviting me into the fold. I hope someday I can return the favor.