SWCHR DISCUSSION FORUMS - Couple shots from last week SWCHR DISCUSSION FORUMS

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Sep 6^th, 2010, 6:27pm

SWCHR DISCUSSION FORUMS › SWCHR GENERAL FORUMS - GUESTS MAY VIEW THIS SECTION - POSTING REQUIRES FREE REGISTRATION OR FULL MEMBERSHIP › FIELD HERPING AND FIELD STUDIES FORUM
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Couple shots from last week (Read 183 times)

Tom Lott

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the American
Southwest

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Couple shots from last week
May 2^nd, 2010, 6:34pm

Given the discussion we have had recently about the apparent decline in abundance of the Texas Patch-nosed Snake, I thought I would post these shots I took of an extremely cooperative individual last week in the Texas Hill Country (Edwards Plateau). The area where I found this specimen is currently in the process of recovering from a five-year drought (they failed to benefit from the 2007 precipitation bonanza that fell on the eastern portion of the Plateau).

Texas Patch-nosed Snake (Salvadora g. lineata) - Bandera Co., TX

Everyone knows of the exceptional ability of Urosaurus types to blend in with tree bark, but here is an example of one who also managed to virtually disappear (from a distance) into the surface of a weathered limestone boulder.

Eastern Tree Lizard (Urosaurus o. ornatus) - Bandera Co., TX

Thornscrub
Herp Conservation Unlimited

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JWilliams

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Herping the American
Southwest

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Re: Couple shots from last week
Reply #1 - May 3^rd, 2010, 8:19am

Nice shots Tom; I think we all know what frustrating subjects Salvadora can be. I don’t think Urosaurus get enough credit for their camo. Regarding your other comments, I followed that conversation for a while but don’t remember how it ended. Not sure if I made this statement or not, but my during last several spring trips to the valley, which covered Brownsville to Laredo, Salvadora where one of the most common snakes found under cover. In late March or early April Scott and I made a trip to Austin and found 5 or 6 in several hours of flipping. To me that means they are a common snake where they occur, but I guess I don’t have the prior experience and comparisons you seasoned herpers have.

John

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G. Keown Forums Administrator Full Member 50+ years of herping the American Southwest Posts: 1897 Gender:	Re: Couple shots from last week Reply #2 - May 3^rd, 2010, 9:57am Great shots of the Texas Patch-nosed Snake Tom. It is amazing how that Urosaurus blends into with the rock as well as it does. -Gerald
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monklet Registered User Herping the American Southwest Posts: 171	Re: Couple shots from last week Reply #3 - May 3^rd, 2010, 11:40am Very nice images Tom. Been looking for one (any Salvadora) this year but no luck yet.
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Tom Lott

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50+ years of herping
the American
Southwest

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Re: Couple shots from last week
Reply #4 - May 6^th, 2010, 6:50pm

Thanks for the comments, guys. I've always had a soft spot for Salvadora, probably because they were relatively easy to find in some numbers plus the fact that they seem to remain active (under cover) for much of the winter (I've found some in January that had recently fed - on rodents!). It's amazing that they haven't been studied more than they have.

John - I remember your comment about finding them still common around Brownsville and if you can still find a half-dozen in one day around Austin, that pretty much equals what I used to find around San Antonio - back in the "Ole Days." That's really good news, perhaps indicating the "Salvadora is disappearing" meme is based upon inaccurate perceptions. All of my old flipping spots that yielded good numbers of them are long gone (I never did have the success with them that Vermersch boasted of in his SC Texas snakes book - i.e., 35 in one day!) and I have yet to find suitable replacements for those old sites.

Thornscrub
Herp Conservation Unlimited

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monklet Registered User Herping the American Southwest Posts: 171	Re: Couple shots from last week Reply #5 - May 6^th, 2010, 10:47pm Tom, nice to read someone use the word "meme"...AWESOME!!!...just don't become a memoid
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Todd Hughes/antelope

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Re: Couple shots from last week
Reply #6 - May 18^th, 2010, 1:01pm

Tom, I am currently working with a pair of "mouse munchers" and am enjoying watching them grow, hopefully next year I will add them to the egg list. I decided to work with these after pulling a near 4 footer out of a pile of tin around the Hebbronville area, not knowing they could be so large, needless to say the lizards in the vicinity of the tin pile were non-existent! A great species, IMO! Cool

Todd M. Hughes

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