Work weekend, turned into a work morning with the rest of my two days spent, well… herping of course.
All the usual boring stuff… Garters, Ringnecks, Smooth Green Snakes and Northern Redbellied Snakes…
Which come in all sorts of flavors.
Gray with cranberry stripes…
Two toned chocolate.
Plain brown
The pretty blueish gray kind
Extreme curling, though blurry.
A two toned striper
They vary so much, but most have this in common…
Eastern Smooth Green Snakes-- most were going through a shed, like this big adult.
This one was vivid…. I just had no patience for a decent shot.
And another…
Plentiful Northern Ringnecks
Little ones…
And a few large ones….
This one topped out at 18 inches.
Eastern Garters- not to be taken for granted.
Most in this area exhibit some sort of reddish/rusty tinge.
Blue Nape
But under the same rock as the one above, was this little guy. Pale, with a Blue Nape.
Kinda cool.
Couple of amphibians were observed…
Eastern newts…
American Toads
Mountain Dusky Salamander
Evilness
Cruising one evening saw this 62 inch Eastern Black Ratsnake about to temp fate on a busy road.
As I slowed to make a u-turn, one of the locals going the opposite way saw it and stopped.
I thought for sure the snake was done for. But, the guy would have only killed it if it were a rattler.
He proceeded to help me me get some measurements and we turned it loose….
But not before it put a hex on me… pure Evilness
Morning Wood
The early the next morning, I was heading for anothern new spot when this was spotted about to cross the road…
This Wood Turtle had just emerged from the nearby creek and had passed though a back yard on her was to lay eggs… I surmised.
Very nice weekend here in the east…
Oh, here is the View, as advertised.
Happy Memorial Day!
