Disappointing snake hunt

[shaggybill]

I stopped at a rest area in the mountains of North Carolina today and they just happened to have a few trails for walking. I uh.... accidentally stumbled off the beaten path and figured that on a 75 degree sunny Sunday afternoon I was sure to find a copperhead or two.

I walked around in those crazy woods for about half an hour. It was perfect Copperhead country too. Lots of log-piles and crates and all kinds of stuff to look under and I didnt see one single snake, dang it!

I just got back from Florida and while I was there, I went herping in the woods behind the house nearly everyday and all I managed to find were a few skinny black snakes that took to the bushes as fast as lightning whenever they saw you. I tried to catch one of the bigger ones, but every time I got close, he turned and tried to strike me. I havent tried to find out what kind they were yet. I'm thinking maybe just a racer.

Oh well, maybe next time.

[J_Riley]

That definitely sounds like a Black Racer, textbook behaviour description.

We've had some wierd weather in NC lately. A couple of weeks ago we had unseasonably warm weather (in the high 60's, low 70's) for about a week. Then we had a week of highs in the 40's, which probably put things out of whack for the herps (except those damn chorus frogs, they seem to be impervious to temperatures). Anyway, in the mountains here, things wake up a lot more slowly. We went herping in the mountains in late May last year for a weekend and we didn't find anything. The temps never got above 60. Just because there is one unseasonably warm day, don't expect the herps to come rushing out when the last 100+ years have told them not to bother coming out of hibernation until late May...

[J_Riley]

Oh, and a lot of the mountains had SNOW last week, so most of the herps know what they're doing ;)

[shaggybill]

Aha! I was wondering why a few of the mountain tops had snow on them. That struck me as really strange. It was 80 degrees down on the interstate and snow on top of the mountains.

Im going down to Salisbury June 2nd. I grew up in the back woods in that area. Ya think they'll be out by then?

[BWSmith]

June is a pretty safe bet about everywhere I would think (except Canada, I heard they only get 3 hours of Summer LOL ;) )

[Matt]

its actually closer to 45-50 minutes.....:(

[hip]

well in Toronto 45-50 min In my home prov Nova Scotia we get at least 9 hours of summer some years even 12 hours.Would you believe freezing rain here tonight again (mississauga)Bw Is likley playing golf getting a tan (lucky bugger)I got to beat the ice off the truck again in the morning (it was freeking 76 f here yesterday) well we we could be forced to live in iceland thats scary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




hip

[BWSmith]

It is 86 F outside right now :)

[shaggybill]

Where are you from BWSMith?

[shaggybill]

Never mind, I just saw....

[JD@reptiles]

And if you really want to find the snake your looking for... you have to stay out longer than half an hour.

Jordan :D

[Scales Zoo]

We do have 4 seasons here in Canada - almost winter, winter, still winter, and not winter.
Now that it is not winter, we will be heading to the hills this weekend for a look around. We found te first rattlers out the third week of April for the last few years. By mid-May the bullsnakes and hognose are out as well, breeding and migrating so they can be back in the fall ( almost winter ).
Maybe we will be lucky and have some pictures to post

Sheila and Ryan

[shaggybill]

J Riley, does the timber rattler live in your neck of the woods?

[J_Riley]

Yep, sure does. Their distribution is pretty spotty, and they are very rare. My life goal is to see one in the wild, alive. Their range technically doesn't over lap my particular city, but I can drive about 30 minutes west or south and be into their range. You're much more likely to run into them in the mountains in NC

[BWSmith]

True Timbers are tough to find.

[shaggybill]

I'm going to be going to Salisbury in a couple of weeks. Actually, I'll be going about 10 miles south of Salisbury. Theres tons of wood around so maybe I'll stumble across one in my hunt for coppers...