CreekCrawler Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 I've always liked the rear-fanged North American snakes. I tried for YEARS to find a live example of the Texas Lyre Snake out in the Big Bend area without success. I did find one DOR (Dead On Road) at the top of the 'big hill' on the River Road for those of you familiar with the area. I also really like the Night Snakes (Hypsiglena) which are also rear-fanged and common as dirt in southwestern Texas. -Joe Hi Joe, I also love the Lyre snakes and would love to keep and breed them. Unfortunately Tx law forbids that!We also saw two Big Bend gecko's at the same spot.They are listed as threatened,so another animal not to be handled or disturbed I have seen two DOR Lyres out on hwy 118 just North of Study Butte and one live one from there that was photographed quickly as cars were coming on that night. I have the pictures of the live one on another CPU of mine that has some hiccups, shall we say. When I get the CPU fixed I'll send you the pic. Northern Cat Eyed snakes of South Tx are another favorite of mine,but again they are protected. Ahhh, memories of the Trans Peco's.... A magical place for shure!!!! Speaking of the Big Hill on RR.. We were pulled over by the game wardens out there one starry night and had very pleasant conversations with two of them. They were very nice and were checking hunting licenses. As the wardens were leaving heading toward Presidio they t-boned a beautiful adult silver phase Subocularis "Trans Pecos Rat Snake" To this day I'm convinced they ran the snake over on purpose as it was in the middle of the lane and it would have been hard to miss seeing such a large snake. Particularly the silver phase.Back to the East on RR around Peppers Hill there is a population of Blonde Suboc's that are very pretty. Did you know that there is a tick that occurs only on Suboc's out there.Pretty weird !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreekCrawler Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 I could go on and on about snakes. Another passion of mine, but I don't breed them. I have a poss. het whiteside Pituophis, he's my buddy! Fostering an anery Kenyan Sand Boa for my niece. I'll post pics in the 'pets' thread soon. Are you thinking about getting a mate for your Pit ??? What percentage is your current pit ??? The whiteside pits are beautiful,IMHO I think I mentioned this before, but I kept and bred Northern Pines and had the pleasure of keeping some Cape Baja Gophers."Vertabralis" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fruitbat Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Creekcrawler... I was part of the crowd that haunted the Big Bend/Langtry area in the early 1970s...in the days before there was any protection in place at all. Of course...almost everybody (and they came from all around the country) was out there looking for Lampropeltis mexicana. I have seen those ticks feeding on the tails of Elaphe (now Bogertophis) subocularis to the point where the entire end of the tail was lost. Funny you should mention Coleonyx reticulatus. My first published paper was a descriptions of the hatchlings of the Reticulated Gecko since a friend and I were the first to successfully hatch the eggs in captivity. Those were the GOOD old days! -Joe Illigitimati non carborundum Fruitbat's PDF Library Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullsnake Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 (edited) Are you thinking about getting a mate for your Pit ??? What percentage is your current pit ??? The whiteside pits are beautiful,IMHO I think I mentioned this before, but I kept and bred Northern Pines and had the pleasure of keeping some Cape Baja Gophers."Vertabralis" I remember that from my introduction awhile back. I just can't get into the breeding aspect at this point. I've considered maybe working something out with a breeder for a baby or something. I have no idea the %, I bought him at a herp show as 'Possible het whiteside'. The breeder is in Sallina, KS, so I could probably find out. I was really intrigued by the WS morphs, but they have gotten so extreme I've found myself preferring the normal patterns. However, I had a chance to get 2 GORGEOUS albinos, but passed it up. It was a deal I couldn't refuse, but did anyway 'cause my girlfriend wanted a Chris Allen beardie. He's not posing for me too well, and a bit dull: about due for a shed. Edited May 6, 2011 by Bullsnake Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreekCrawler Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Creekcrawler... I was part of the crowd that haunted the Big Bend/Langtry area in the early 1970s...in the days before there was any protection in place at all. Of course...almost everybody (and they came from all around the country) was out there looking for Lampropeltis mexicana. I have seen those ticks feeding on the tails of Elaphe (now Bogertophis) subocularis to the point where the entire end of the tail was lost. Funny you should mention Coleonyx reticulatus. My first published paper was a descriptions of the hatchlings of the Reticulated Gecko since a friend and I were the first to successfully hatch the eggs in captivity. Those were the GOOD old days! -Joe Joe, do the names.. Rick Blair,Ray Queen,Bill Lamroux,Buzz Ross,John Hollister,Jerry Salmon ,Terry Vandeventor, or Terry Hibbits ring a bell. Being a small world and all ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Dang, Barry! Awesome pics. Larsa, large groups are fun, but I prefer small groups for serious hunting. That way I find more fossils! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fruitbat Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 (edited) Creekcrawler... I recognize pretty much ALL of those names. Toss in Dennie Miller, Ken Smith, Keith Reese, Joe Kennedy and Skip Chamberlain and you're putting together a heck of a rogues gallery! I actually did my first year of undergraduate work at Sul Ross State in Alpine and I used to live directly across the street from Bill Lamoreaux when he worked at the Dallas Zoo. It IS a small world! Let's hear it for the Study Butte Motel and Baker's Crossing on the Devil's River! -Joe Edited May 6, 2011 by Fruitbat Illigitimati non carborundum Fruitbat's PDF Library Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barefootgirl Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Saw a big fat cotton mouth sitting up on the bank today at the sulphur, I made sure I stayed on the other side of the bank. I unearthed some other kind of snake out their digging in the side of the bank but it wasn't poisonous. It reminded me of a gopher snake. In formal logic, a contradiction is the signal of defeat: but in the evolution of real knowledge, it marks the first step in progress toward victory. Alfred North Whithead 'Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia!' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreekCrawler Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Saw a big fat cotton mouth sitting up on the bank today at the sulphur, I made sure I stayed on the other side of the bank. I unearthed some other kind of snake out their digging in the side of the bank but it wasn't poisonous. It reminded me of a gopher snake. Poison is ingested, Venom is injected.... Was the snake you saw that you unearthed smallish ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Eaton Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 Regarding field trips, POC and NSR are very good ones to go with the DPS. We found more teeth last week with the DPS than with other trips by ourselves in part due to access to different parking, and there are experts to ask if you have questions. For the NSR, DPS knows a lot of good places, some of them by permission. For the NSR, if you see the water go up even the slightest bit get out immediately! Once it gets going the water will rise as quickly as you can climb, provided you don't slip off the bank in which case at best you'll be in for a rough swim... and don't make my mistake and delay others in getting out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevenplyler Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 I would love to go sometime to this river. I have 4 kayaks that I can take if anyone has a second truck to park at two different bridges so we can drop off and pick up. My gf and I would love a tour guide for the trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barefootgirl Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 I would love to go sometime to this river. I have 4 kayaks that I can take if anyone has a second truck to park at two different bridges so we can drop off and pick up. My gf and I would love a tour guide for the trip. The wonderful thing about the sulphur is that you don't need kayaks. Only some stretches are actually navigable by them anyway, usually the farther east you go the more water you will find. The best thing to do is buy a pair of insulated waders and just hoof it. In formal logic, a contradiction is the signal of defeat: but in the evolution of real knowledge, it marks the first step in progress toward victory. Alfred North Whithead 'Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia!' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taxman56 Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 I love how this search for fossils on the North Sulphur River turned into a snake lovers forum. No mention of rattlesnakes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobWill Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 I love how this search for fossils on the North Sulphur River turned into a snake lovers forum. No mention of rattlesnakes? THe rattlers in this part of Texas like an environment with more rock for places to hole up in. I was reading through this thread and couldn't understand why Tracer said the snakes were out this time of year until I notice the date on that post was back in the summer:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boneman007 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 (edited) Hog nosed snakes are NOT venemous to humans. I put a 6 footer in bed with Shawn Hamm when we were in Western kansas one year.... It's a great story...and He deserved it! And Ms. Larsa, You'll want to stay the heck out of western Kansas. I've had my face a foot from a huge rattlesnake on more than one occasion. It pays to make a lot of noise. Edited January 31, 2012 by Boneman007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boneman007 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Hognose snakes (Heterodon) are rear-fanged and technically not venomous -internet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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