trempie4 Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 (edited) I had a chance to spend a bit of time collecting the Walnut formation NW of San Antonio over the weekend of 3.16 / 3.17. A gifted site so I can't disclose location. Below are a few pics of my finds. Primarily heart urchins, 2 very swanky Hedenaster texanus, a few internal shell molds and a few broken ammonites. I think I scored about 60-70 of the heart urchins! A big shout out to my site dealer! Tons of fun and as usual I had as much fun with the local fauna as I did the fossils..... Fauna...... Western Hog Nose..... for a second I thought I had run across a cobra! He finally decided I wasn't giving up until he did........ Edited March 28, 2012 by trempie4 Joe... (evolution ROCKS....) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erose Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Love the critters. Those snakes are a hoot. You can see why some folks call them Puff Adders. I like the scorpion photo with the light shinning thru. The urchins are sweet. Photos 5 & 6 are Salenia and seem large for the Walnut. Looks like you had fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xonenine Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 terrific trip and photos, made me grin, glad you had a good time!!! "Your serpent of Egypt is bred now of your mud by the operation of your sun; so is your crocodile." Lepidus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkfoam Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Those Hog Nose snakes were my kids favorites when they were growing up. What a hoot they are. They only act agressive, they spread their neck, act like they are striking but never bite, then if they havent scared you away they roll over and play dead. In a minute or two they will roll their head around and look for you. If they see you they immediately go back to the death posture. Then after several minutes they will roll upright and slither away. They will only do this death act a time or two. They made great pets for my sons. They kept them busy and out from under foot looking for toad frogs to feed them. Yep, Hog Nose snakes and box turtles were my sons favorites. Jim The Eocene is my favorite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeymig Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 I like the critter photos 2. I cant resist when Im fossil collecting catching and releasing the animals I come across. I havent seen a hognose in some time but I do catch a lot of water snakes and this past fall I caught a ringneck snake (Diadophis punctatus). I always thought heart urchins were neat. They remind me of a friend I have. Many times I've wondered how much there is to know. led zeppelin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trempie4 Posted March 28, 2012 Author Share Posted March 28, 2012 I'm so snake friendly, love them all. I remember running across an eastern hog nose in NC at a girl firends house decades ago. Played with him a bit, he had obviously just eaten, he regurgitated the toad, rolled over played dead for a few minutes. I picked up the slimy toad, swung it in front of his face for a few seconds and he was back on it swallowing him down again...... Such fun. Joe... (evolution ROCKS....) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kehbe Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Nice urchins! Glad to hear you are still out and about! Give a call when you are going to be in town again and we'll see if a few of the other locals want to get together for a hunt! It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change. Charles Darwin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trempie4 Posted March 28, 2012 Author Share Posted March 28, 2012 I'm on it brother. SHould be back again in a few months, Time is precious...... Joe... (evolution ROCKS....) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hit The Deck Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 That snake is so cool! Looking at the pix I thought you killed it and I was like WTH. I had no idea they had that defense mechanism. As a kid growing up in the Bay area (CA) I would make my pocket change catching and selling local snakes and lizards to highest bidding pet shops. There are so many different species here in Texas it’s like being a Kid again when I see something I’m not familiar with. Those pix are great and so are the fossils. Sure wish I knew what street corner your site dealer hung out at! Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 (edited) joe between this and your other post, i see you have a penchant for "taking up serpents"...hehehe ech prep is easy with water and a thin gage steel welding flux brush available at home depot et al....start with a rough ech, scrub it hard after a soak, then inspect closely for scratches in the test when dry. if lightly scratched work the others with a brass brush...softer, not as aggressive, slower process, leaves a brass sheen that can be removed with soapy water and a plastic brush or a quick baking soda blast if you are so equipped. Edited March 28, 2012 by danwoehr Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullsnake Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Fossils, herps, and arachnids . I'm glad there's someone who can relate! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trempie4 Posted March 30, 2012 Author Share Posted March 30, 2012 My last two outings have really been COMPLETE adventures in every aspect. Joe... (evolution ROCKS....) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fruitbat Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Fortunately...Texas scorpions (that one is Centruroides vittatus) are relatively harmless. The sting HURTS but it isn't usually life-threatening unless you happen to be allergic to scorpion venom. You don't want to try picking one up by the tail if you're in Arizona or parts of California. Centruroides sculpturatus has been known to deliver a lethal sting to people who are vulnerable (kids and people in poor health, primarily). -Joe Illigitimati non carborundum Fruitbat's PDF Library Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faus78 Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Watch out for the yellow scorpions found around Del Rio. Those equal doctor visit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missourian Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Urchins, scorpions and snakes oh my.... All of 'em have pointy things that hurt. Context is critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evans Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Urchins, scorpions and snakes oh my... All part of a typical day of fossil hunting in central/south Texas..... Brian Brian Evans For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boneman007 Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 I remember putting a 7 ft. hog nose in bed with Shawn Hamm at the hotel room, when we were hunting western Kansas. A good time was had by all. (Well, maybe not Shawn) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfergirlatx Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 Well winter is over and spring is here, which means we have to be on the look out for snakes now.....not my favorite part of fossil hunting! Great finds!!! Thanks for posting! "The road to success is always under construction." Author Unknown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lloyd Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 My first encounter with a Hognose was at Sandy Hook in New Jersey. There I was, walking along when I noticed my wife - ahead of me - almost stepping on this snake... it flattened out his hood, rose up and I was sure I had happened on someones escaped Cobra. Well... I left it alone and, later that day, asked a Ranger about it, he just laughed and said "It's a Hognose, pretty harmless... did it roll over and play dead for you?" So, yeah, the next one I saw I played with until I could see it's possum act. Anyway, nice day in the field. Great fossils, an interesting snake and a scorpion... hardly gets any better then that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Siphuncle Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 tis the season...so i invested $100 in a pair of good snake boots this spring... now watch me get bitten on the hand while flipping a rock! very comfy boots, but HOT!...almost hot enough to dissuade me from donning them in summer. maybe i'll just wear them in the more dangerous areas... Grüße, Daniel A. Wöhr aus Südtexas "To the motivated go the spoils." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trempie4 Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 Wear the boots Dan. When I lived in RI i was clearing 6 80 foot oaks off of my back lawn. I invested in eye wear, chaps, the whole deal. By the time I was onto the last one I was taking them down in flip flops, shorts, shirtless, and sunglasses. Of course that was the day the chain snapped and kicked back across my shin. What should have been a trip to the ER was resolved with beer, an ace bandage and a few strong prescription pills. Great story, hideous scar. Rattlers are probably less forgiving for adopting a false sense of security. Joe... (evolution ROCKS....) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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