Summer 2012

[croteseeker]

It's been a minute since I've been on. Last time I was here, I got in some arguments, and eventually just stopped coming here after I got tired of all the scathing PMs and E-mails I got for my efforts. Believe it or not, I don't get online so I can get into stupid arguments. Since then, I've figured out that political/ethical conversations are probably best reserved for the American sites I frequent, no matter how bad I want to respond to a comment I don't agree with. If anyone still wants me to just leave this site to the locals, that's fine. I get it. Just blow up my inbox again and you can be sure I'll take the hint.
But there are a lot of cool herpers here, and I missed reading about some of the awesome finds you guys make, so I've decided to try this once again and see where my new philosophy takes me. I hope you guys like the following photos as much as I enjoy some of your's. This year, they're photos that I actually took myself.

I'll start with the common stuff. As I've stated before, I see a lot of atrox. These are by far the most common rattlesnake in Arizona (and a few other places, too ).











I've seen some scutes this year, too, but they're so common that I almost never photograph them. Ditto for the Sidewinders. I did photograph one of each this year, though, because they were each special to me. This scute is the first I've ever found in an area that I herp on a constant basis. Until recently, I thought they had been extirpated from this particular area. Turns out, I was wrong.



This Sidewinder is actually my lifer C. c. latereropens. It was found under one of the few flippable Ocotillos in the area. Many dead ones were laying on the ground, but we didn't flip most of them, for fear of destroying the moisture barrier they make in the soil. Luckily, though, this one was just right--for all parties involved.



I've seen a few tigers since the monsoons have arrived. These two were found on the same night, less than ten feet apart.







Saw some Blacktails in a few different ranges...













This cerb was by far the most beautiful I've ever seen. It's also the only one I've photographed this year.



I got to photograph more Speckled rattlesnakes this year than last. I love the variability in this species.









This year, I also got to photograph all three species of small montanes that Southeastern AZ has to offer. I'll start with C. w. willardi.





I only saw the Arizona subspecies of Ridgenose. New Mexico eluded me. But seeing pricei and lepidus certainly took some of the sting out of that particular let-down.

Crotalus pricei pricei:





Crotalus lepidus klauberi:





Well that's it for the crote species I've photographed this year. I saw two C. ruber in California, but was so stoked that I forgot to get photos.

Now, if nobody minds too much, I'll throw in some other non-crotes, just to add some variety. Hope you enjoy.

Arizona coralsnake (Micruroides euryxanthus):



Arizona Mountain kingsnake (Lampropeltis pyromelana):



California kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula californiae):



Green ratsnake (Senticolis triaspis):



Desert nightsnake (Hypsiglena chlorophaea):



Desert Rosy boa (Lichanura trivirgata gracia):



Sonoran gophersnake (Pituophis catenifer affinis):



Regal Ringneck snake (Diadophis punctatus regalis):



Sonoran Desert tortoise (Gopherus morafkai):



Turkish House gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus):



Western Banded gecko (Coleonyx variegatus):



Common Side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana):



Desert Spiny lizard (Sceloporus magister):



Ornate Tree lizard (Sceloporus ornatus):



Greater Short-horned lizard (Phrynosoma hernandesi):



And last, but certainly not least, the Banded Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum suspectum):





That should do for now. Sorry for the long post, but those are the kind I like to look at myself, so you'll just have to deal with it.
Happy herping everybody. If you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go check out the, "native venomous," section.

[shadowfoot]

Some really good finds and nice photography!
The Crotalus lepidus klauberi is awesome as well as the Gila Monster.

[boomslang(kaas)]

Nice photographs man, those are beautifull animals.

[croteseeker]

Thanks, guys. Glad you enjoyed them.

[TJ&ACP]

Beautiful pictures, I do like the variation of Crotalus species you have found. For the first part of your thread stop talking and give as more pictures.

[croteseeker]

Wow. Umm...thanks?

I know it's hard to infer tone through a computer screen, but I assure you, there was no offense intended by anything I wrote in this post. I simply explained my absence and you seem to have a problem with that...

I've already explained that I have no desire to argue, so I'll just say that I'm glad you enjoyed the photos and I wish you luck in your own endeavors. May karma show you the same kindness and understanding that you've shown me.

[kinghero]

Hay Croteseeker

Some really cool finds and some really stunning pics, I have to add that the Gila is my favorite of all your finds.

I now have to add as you stated its hard to show tone in writing, but in South Africa we have our own way of doing things and I think that Was TJ&ACP way of saying its in the past look to the future, don't think he meant it in a bad way either but not being from around it would be harder to pick up.

On a Lighter note, glad you decided to try again!!! if you have more pictures feel free to post them, we will be waiting in anticipation.

[Serpent]

Very nice pictures, that Regal Ringneck snake is something else, facinating looking animal.
Please post some more of your finds, its nice to see finds from other countries, and to see the animals in their natural habitat.

[Bushviper]

Wow I never knew you could find that many Rattlers in one area. Obviously I think the Rock rattler is the first prize.

Do you find Gilas quite often? That one is beautiful.

What I really like is that you dont pull the animals out to get posed pictures.

Glad to see you are back. Keep posting pics and ignore jealous or uninformed people.

[MrG]

Great post. I do enjoy your images. Post more.

[rolandslf]

Please do not stay away for so long again. The pics are awesome, and I for one enjoy the bantering tone of your prologue.
That Regal Ringneck has caused me to fall in love.

[croteseeker]

Thank you, kinghero, for helping me to understand. It seems obvious to me (and probably all of you, as well ) that I still have much to learn. I appreciate your comment and agree that gilas are quite the beauties. I only have photos of one other gila, but I'll post it here, since they seem to be so popular.

Serpent, I thank you for your comment, as well. Those ringnecks are some of my favorites, as well.

BV, it's always good to hear from you. Regarding those gilas, no, we don't get to see many. They spend about 80 to 90 percent of their lives below ground. Many people in AZ go their whole lives without seeing a wild one. That one from the photo, though, was one of three that I saw that day. I guess we were just doing something right that day.

I'm glad you like the in situ shots. Posed shots are frowned upon by the American forums I frequent. When in the field, I find it's a precarious balance between how much I want to see an animal, and how much I want to see it twice.

I, too love those leps. They were, by far, the highlight of that trip.

MrG, thanks for the input. Will do.

And you, Roland, must be a patient man. I've been often reminded of the fact that I come across as a pretentious prick when I write. I assure you that, in real life, that's not the case. I'm not pretentious at all. Just a prick.

Since there have been so many requests for more photos, I'll go ahead and post some. Please remember, though, that I've only been photographing these animals for a year. You've already seen my A-game.

Kind of an ugly one (going into shed) but, being one of three on the same day, this gila really made me smile.



I was unable to get the classic curled-tail shot of the ringneck, but I got this one that's almost there.



And a better photo of the tail.



I have three other shots of C. w. willardi that I personally enjoy, although the quality could be much better.







Everybody loves the leps, so I'll post a couple photos of the one from the first photo, the second time I saw him.





I see so many molossus that I've practically got them falling out of my butt--a most dangerous position to be in.





This is the molossus from the first blacktail photo in this thread, photoed on a different night.



Sometimes they don't live alone.





Sometimes, they live with other blacktails. These are two of three that buzzed me from under the board I was standing on.



Earlier that same day, I was photographing a blacktail, when my spidey senses started tingling. I was squatted down, facing away from--andwell within range of--this fella.



Since you can't really see the pyro in my first shot, here's one of my pets.



And I'll finish with some habitat shots. Arizona is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. It's very difficult, though, to capture that beauty with a camera. Seeing as how most of you are from South Africa, though, I'm sure you know the feeling.







My mountain. I grew up at the foot of the Superstition Mountains. This is the West face. The mountain that the whole range is named after.



Believe it or not, all of these photos were taken within 100 yards (~meters) of each other.









Some jaguar habitat. It's not half bad for vine snakes, either, although they managed to elude me this time.







The Chiricahuas.







I took this photo laying flat on my back. My brother (Benjamin Jones), my friend (Cody Hurlock), and I were pinned down on this mountainside after taking some gunfire from the valley below. You have to love Southern Arizona. It's like Disneyland, with assault rifles.



Some shots from the foothills of the Huachucas...









And a little higher up...





The best place I can think of to die in a flash flood:





And, finally, the thing all Arizona herpers crave. What we wait for all year; Monsoon season. It starts with some good old fashioned dust storms.



And finishes like this:









Thanks for looking. You guys have a great day.

[Bushviper]

Wow it must be dream to herp there.

Why were they shooting at you?

Have you ever seen Jaguars?

[croteseeker]

It really is some of the best and most scenic herping that I personally know of.

We learned later that the guys that shot at us were some drunk kids. I'm not sure they had a reason. We didn't know that at the time, though, since we were in the heart of America's Drug-war zone. Border patrol retrieves over a hundred dead bodies from the wilderness in Southern Arizona every year. We naturally assumed it was a drug cartel's lookout taking potshots at us. Those kids were pretty decent shots. Three rounds went right between us, at head level, as we were walking down the trail. You could hear them ripping through the trees and even the buzz/hum/snap as they went by. Cody was in front of us when it happened and dropped, face-down, in the middle of the trail. He muttered something unintelligible (the only word we could make out was, "hit,") and then laid there, motionless. Needless to say, we were very worried. Later we learned that Cody was alright, though badly shaken, and that the shooters were just some stupid kids. We then went over to their camp, where I yelled at them until they were literally crying. Haven't been that pissed off in a long time...

Regarding those jaguars, don't I wish! I haven't spent enough time in SE AZ to see one. They're very rare this far North, although a few are known to reside here. As far as the (normally) tropical species go, we also get the occasional ocelot and, much more often, coatis. The more common large predators include bears, mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, and (to a lesser extent) Mexican Gray wolves. We see dozens of coyotes and a handful of bobcats every year. I've seen quite a few bears and I've even been stalked by a mountain lion while night-hiking. But I can almost never get good shots of any of these predators, with the exception of this angry mother bear that we ran into just after I got done yelling at those kids:



You can't tell from the photo, but there are also two cubs up that tree with her. They were just too high up to get good shots. But we did get close enough to the mama that some of us actually got drooled on while she was doing all her huffing and puffing. Definitely one of the most intense mammalian encounters I've had in a while. After the amazing trip we had, I am now hopelessly in love with Southeastern Arizona.

[Bushviper]

Okay if we ever go herping in that area I am gonna wear yellow and orange clothing. No border jumper or law enforcement official would be that conspicuous.

I hope you get to see that jaguar and get pics for us too.