Feeling useless at Cutler 7-5-2012

After the exciting herping trip in Connecticut and my embarrassing bouts with old-age induced illness, I was slow on getting back to the trails. We took Wednesday off, then tried to hit Cutler on Thursday AM, before it got too hot. I still had some lingering stomach wooziness, too. Plus, we only had the cheapo new camera and the weak snake stick. Things just didn't feel right.

Walking along, a Garter Snake slid across the path. I missed it.

We got to Racer alley and sure enough... a large Racer coil was just inside the brush. I alerted Andrea who saw it slide off. Of course, my pursuit was fruitless.

Things just didn't feel right. I didn't seem to be able to catch snakes anymore!

But of course, since we'd seen two snakes in such a short time, there would be more... right? Not many.

Eventually, we got a shot on our crappy camera... a small Green Frog in a puddle.


Andrea found a nice American Toad, too.


Things got a bit more interesting when we found our first ever Cutler Red Eft!


We peeked under a makeshift bike ramp made by boards in a field. There was a mashed Garter mummy there. Another place that needs a sign... LOOK UNDER BOARDS BEFORE CROSSING!!!! Things live in there, dammit! Like, the next layer down... This Ringneck Snake!


He was a fast one and he showed his gratitude (for us removing him from a sure future squishing death) by biting!! I have never seen a Ringneck attempt to bite before!


I took him and he tried to bite me, too!

We released him and wondered if we'd ever see a Ringneck get nippy again.

On the way back, we saw that little Green Frog (above) again; he jumped into the puddle and out hopped a large Green Frog! I figured we must have discovered the opposite of the Fountain of Youth... the Puddle of Age! I carefully stepped around it...

Not much else to report... another American Toad that we tried to create a faux-nature shot for... unsuccessfully.


So, yeah... I remained out of sorts and kinda cranky for much of the walk. But we got out and found a few cute things and that's what it's all about!