February 9th, 2013... Blizzard Herping!

Well, with weather reports of snow not bothering us in the least, we decided to try out a new place in Suffolk County MA... a place by the name of Dillage Vale.

We got there at about noon...


We immediately started flipping, not really expecting anything, but we hoped to be surprised.



We took a promising-looking trail and found a  discarded rug. Thinking about our success with such AC (artificial cover) at Boyden in the past, we decided to flip...


Andrea yelled "snake" and I got this quick in-situ shot...


Luckily, her quick reflexes responded and she nabbed it...


Was this our long sought after Hognose? The field guides to the herps of Massachusetts that we'd brought  along didn't help our IDing any!



So, we're calling it an Eastern Garter, because they can be so variable... if anyone can ID it any better, then you're a better herper than I!

Spurred on by our luck, we decided to ascend a mountainous trail that leads to potential good habitat.


This vernal pond had dried up, though I'd heard about a Red-Eared Slider sighting here in the past...


Andrea, always keen on finding venomous snakes, tried her luck in some good looking Timber habitat... but there was nothing...


I found a cave and explored it, but there were no herps... just some scat, probably mammal.


On the way down the mountain, we took a side-trail and I made a very exciting find... a lizard!


Now, there aren't supposed to be any lizards in Massachusetts, but here was one!!! 5-Lined Skinks have been found in Connecticut, however, and with this global warming upon us... we're pretty sure that's what we have right here!!


So, not bad for February!! 2 herps, one new to Mass!!! This will look good on the database!

COME ON, SPRING!!! HOW MUCH MORE OF THIS SHIT DO WE HAVE TO TAKE????