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I just returned from my south east trip. All in all everything
went well and I had a great time. I spent one morning in South Carolina, quite a few days in Georgia, and a few in the Florida panhandle. I had more cloudy rainy weather than sunny so I had to
work a lot harder for the herps than what I had hoped for. I still walked away with thirty-five species and subspecies, twenty-two
of which were lifers, so I have no complaints.
The ever present Southern Black Racer was the first snake of the trip.
The one morning I spent in Jasper County, South Carolina produced this Southern Copperhead that was found warming up
under some tin.
This Large opaque Eastern Hog was found out sunning in situ at a Georgia tin site.
This "Yellow" Rat Snake was calling a Georgia trash dump home.
I spent about four days hunting Eastern Indigo habitat in Georgia but all that was found (other than racers) was a Eastern
Hog-nosed Snake.
I thought a rainy day spent in a Georgia motel would become my only no herp day of the trip; lucky for me all the rain
enticed a few Anuras to emerge for some love.
Heading south thru Georgia on my way to Florida I stopped at a dilapidated old barn and found this nice Canebrake Rattlesnake
under some tin. This being the last of the three horridus variations I've seen in the wild made this
a memorable find.
Driving thru north Florida now, I managed to find this Central Florida Crown Snake under some tin near an abandoned home.
My first morning in Apalachicola National Forest found me this nice little Corn Snake.
Soon after finding the Corn I came across this big Gulf Coast Box Turtle crossing the road.
One of my target species, this Scarlet Kingsnake was found under the peeling bark of a standing dead pine.
The end of my first day in Apalachicola produced my most exciting find, a gorgeous adult Eastern Diamond-backed Rattlesnake!
After finding two dead, killed by shotgun and with their rattles plucked from their tails, It's needless to say I was
very happy to find this one alive and well crossing a sand road.
The next day started with another beautiful Scarlet Kingsnake.
This Peninsula Ribbon Snake was an unexpected bonus found crossing the road in a swampy area.
This pretty Corn Snake was busy exploring the loose bark of a dead Pine Tree when I came across it.
My last day in Apalachicola and the last day of my trip had me searching stump holes feverishly in hopes of catching
a glimpse of my first Dusky Pigmy Rattlesnake (the snake that brought me to Florida). Getting late in the evening I
decided to give up and head back to Missouri. But as I was pulling out onto the highway I thought, what the hell I'll
drive around thru the habitat one more time. Just a couple minutes later I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw the
tiny rattlesnake stretched out in the middle of the road.
I owe a big thanks to Eitan Grundwald and Mike Pingleton, without their help my trip would not have been as near of a
success.
Total species and subspecies are listed below:
South
Carolina Slimy Salamander – many (lifer)
Southeastern Slimy Salamander – 2 (lifer)
Dwarf Salamander – 1 (lifer)
Southern Toad – tntc
Eastern Spadefoot Toad – 2 (lifer)
Southern Cricket
Frog – tntc (lifer)
Florida Cricket Frog – tntc (lifer)
Little Grass Frog – many (lifer)
Southern
Spring Peeper – tntc (lifer)
Pig Frog – 1 (lifer)
Pine Woods Tree Frog – 3 (lifer)
American Alligator – 3
Eastern Mud Turtle – 1
Yellow-bellied Slider – 1
Gulf Coast Box Turtle
– 2 (lifer)
Gopher Tortoise – 2 (lifer)
Green Anole – many
Ground Skink – many
South Eastern Five-lined Skink
– 4+ (lifer)
Southern Fence Lizard – many (lifer)
Five-lined Skink – 2+
Brown-chinned Racer – 6 (lifer)
Southern Black Racer – 10
Peninsula Ribbon
Snake – 1 (lifer)
Midland Brown Snake – 1
Southern Ring-necked Snake – 1 (lifer)
Eastern Hog-nosed
Snake – 2
Central Florida Crowned Snake – 1 (lifer)
Yellow Rat Snake – 1 (lifer)
Corn Snake
– 3
Scarlet Kingsnake – 2 (lifer)
Southern Copperhead – 1
Eastern Diamond-backed Rattlesnake
– 1 (lifer)
Dusky Pigmy Rattlesnake – 1 (lifer)
Canebrake Rattlesnake – 1
DOR Florida Pine Snake
– 1
DOR Banded Water Snake – 2
DOR Eastern Mud Snake – 1
DOR Eastern Diamond-backed Rattlesnake
– 2
DOR Eastern Glass Lizard – 1
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