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Our luck is holding out, two more Timbers and an Osage

I went herping with Ryan again yesterday even though I had a lot of other things I needed to do.  With the luck we had been having lately I just couldn’t pass up a trip.  We headed to a Conservation Area in Montgomery Co, MO hoping to find a Great Plains Rat or a Timber Rattlesnake.  After a few hours of rock flipping with nothing to show for our effort we finally spotted a small Eastern Garter that was too quick for us to grab.  It was getting late and we were both thinking to ourselves that this was going to be the end of our lucky streak.  We trudged on regardless of our low spirits.  While herping our way back to the car I ended up walking through a rock outcropping of sorts situated in the middle of a large brushy glade.  The next thing I know I’m staring at a good size rattle, attached to a velvety black tail, sticking out from under a large rock.  I yelled to Ryan, rattlesnake!  Then I looked under the rock and had to change that to, two rattlesnakes!  Both of the snakes looked to be possibly gravid and one was a shining example of what a large healthy horridus should look like, just beautiful.  We took a few photos and left them be.  It was getting late by this time and Ryan expressed some interest in finding an Osage Copperhead.  Since it was starting to get dark I suggested we should get back to the car and do some road cruising.  About thirty minutes later we spotted our Osage in the headlights.  We had to quickly get him off the road to due to oncoming traffic.  Ryan took a few photos and we headed home.   

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Photo by Ryan Thies

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