M-M-My Ambystoma! 10-12-2013

After a few decent days during the week, we were again slapped in the kisser by the weekend weather forecast. This particular Saturday wasn't expected to get above 60°F and believe me... it didn't. We waited until near noon for the drizzle to let up. We hoped for sun, but it never came. I was angry about the weather, but I (stupidly) said to Andrea "I promise at least one snake"! Things get desperate at the end of snake season.

So, where did we go on this dismal day? To our go-to place in Norfolk County, part of the Blue Hills! We arrived and hit the trails and sure enough, it was very cool (mid-50s) and I'll be damned if it wasn't super windy too!

It wasn't long before we flipped this... oh, my little spotted one. My spotted one. When ya gonna give me my Ambystoma!


We chased him with three nice Redbacks!




Then we flipped another Spotted... a tubby Orca-looking fella!


OK, it would at least be a good Salamander day! Another!! My-y-y-y-y wooo!


Maybe I should start singing a Redback song, too!


This was all in the first leg of the hike, so obviously it was not a herp-trip in vain! We were near the water and I was hoping to flip a neonate water Snake who hadn't had the sense to go into hibernation yet. Much to my surprise, I flipped a decent sized Garter Snake under a deep stone!

It was the flick of a switch... he woke up and started going all Hognose-display on us!


He finally calmed down and posed nicely before slithering back into his hiding spot under the rock.


Yay!! I didn't break my promise!! Could this striking (literally) snake be our last of 2013?

Right nearby... I always get up for the sight of the Spotted kind! Fourth Spottie!


The damp woods revealed more Caudata lovelies... like Redbacks...



and...
Come a little closer, uh... a-closer uh. Close enough to look at my Ambystoma!

This guy had a serious chip on his shoulder.

I got back down near some water and finally found a frog! A young Green Frog!


We went on a bit without seeing much. We had put a moratorium on Redbacks again. But before too long, Andrea flipped a log and yelled "holy shit"! She had flipped our first Marbled in this county since 2008!



(hey, how did that Redback get there to photobomb?!)


Well, that was pretty awesome!

We got down to a spot that is good for Two-Lined Salamanders and we started flipping. I had two Pickerel Frogs and two Two-lineds hand me my ass while Andrea missed a Two-lined as well. Finally, we got our shit together. Andrea got this lovely Pickerel shot!


I finally caught a Two-Lined larvae and got this photo...


This is my pathetic attempt at Pickerel redemption!

"Kiss my spotted butt, Howlett!"

Here's a nice bright Redback!


I finally caught a good sized Pickerel and got this photo.

Pay no attention to the outstretched left leg that somebody might be holding on to.

Do we have time for one more? Is it just destiny? Destiny? I knew we would flip another Ambystoma!


Lead and Red.


It never hit 60°. It stayed grey and gloomy for the whole 4 hours we were there. Beautiful in a subdued way, but this just wasn't reptile weather!



But it was just fine for 'phibs! Like this last Spotted! We just had a Knack for finding them this day!


We got our revenge on adult Two-Lined Salamanders on the way out. Andrea struck first when she flipped this beauty!


Up a bit, we both found (and missed) many, but here are photographs of five more! (If those aren't eggs in the tummy of the first one, I'll eat my hat!)






A cold day in October... seven species (one a threatened species- the Marbled Sal- Ambtstoma opacum!). We were quite pleased with ourselves! A snake (our last of 2013?)! Six Spotted Salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum)! Not bad for a couple of folks who hate the cold!

It's not over yet!