so i went down to the pond behind my parents' house and saw tons of painted turtles and a HUGE snapper - it's shell was probably about 18" long. i was going to make a grab at it (i was in a boat) but honestly i was a little scared that it may be able to whip around under the water and snip off a digit.
after that we went up to my parents newly purchased land which includes grassy fields, dry upland forests, a creek, and a large swamp. i was stunned to find 0 newts or salamanders anywhere... a little sad actually, it seems like perfect habitat. i turned logs, leaves, and rocks for a couple hours and found an awesome little brown snake... i got a pic i may upload from my camera phone but it's not really worth it since it's so small. beautiful snake though... i was tempted to take him home, but decided against it.