Saturday, February 9, 2013

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...
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We immediately started flipping, not really expecting anything, but we hoped to be surprised.
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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...
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Andrea yelled "snake" and I got this quick in-situ shot...
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Luckily, her quick reflexes responded and she nabbed it...
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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!
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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.
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This vernal pond had dried up, though I'd heard about a Red-Eared Slider sighting here in the past...
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Andrea, always keen on finding venomous snakes, tried her luck in some good looking Timber habitat... but there was nothing...
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I found a cave and explored it, but there were no herps... just some scat, probably mammal.
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On the way down the mountain, we took a side-trail and I made a very exciting find... a lizard!
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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!!
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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????
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14 comments:

  1. You know that last picture? Meet my new computer desktop.

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  2. I love you guys! I also love your cinder block.

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  3. There isn't enough hot chocolate in my house to tide me over.

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  4. ¡Qué linda bebé encontraron!!!!!jaja!!!Son lindos Andrea y vos.Un besox2 Martha

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  5. Got such a great chuckle from this one. Brilliant photos and writing :)

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  6. You guys are hilarious! This was quite refreshing compared to everything else I have seen lately. Very Portlandia!

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  7. You guys are hilarious!

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  8. you blinded me with science.

    SCIENCE!

    - Eric C. H.

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  9. sorry to laugh, but this is still funny.... ( and it's what now? 5 years?)
    although i didn't see it when it was fresh, it's held up well
    hahahahahahaha

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  10. You do, of course, know that both of you are so VERY sick!!!!
    dick&patti

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