Some LA and MS herps

Saturday morning my Dad and I got up early to do some herping at a friend's hunting camp in the Homochitto National Forest in southwestern Mississippi. At sunrise we found the first find of the day, a Canebrake phase timber rattlesnake, under some railroad ties. He darted underneath and old tractor implement before we could get him. This thing must have weighed over 600 lbs.
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...g/DSC01636.jpg
We found some nearby pieces of metal and a tire rim and jacked it up to where we could hook him out.
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...g/DSC01616.jpg
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...g/DSC01597.jpg
And if you want to see him rattling, we got a little footage of that.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ikVF7YgyvFE
On the road we found this little box turtle.
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...g/DSC01653.jpg
And after having the adrenaline pumping from the rattlesnake, we were too impatient to wait for him to come out of his shell so we put him in a bin and left him alone for a few minutes while we looked around the area.
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...g/DSC01676.jpg
We then ran into this little guy, I guess he is a mud turtle?
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...g/DSC01663.jpg
At the camp we found this female fence lizard. She was pretty fat so we are thinking she was gravid.
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...g/DSC01722.jpg
At a creek, we found a bunch of these tiny toads.
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...g/DSC01734.jpg
Heres box turtle #2, found on a small gravel road.
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...g/DSC01692.jpg
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...g/DSC01695.jpg
At night we saw this fowlers toad.
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...g/DSC01750.jpg
We saw another box turtle, but we had camera difficulties with the lense fogging up so we got no pics.
We then found a common snapper at a lake. As found.
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...g/DSC01755.jpg
He had a fishing hook stuck in his mouth, which we gently removed with pliers. That is why he had a little blood on his mouth.
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...g/DSC01772.jpg
On the road back we found this little box.
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...g/DSC01785.jpg
Found this little ribbon on the bank of a lake.
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...g/DSC01807.jpg
On the road back we saw this timber in the road. The car in front of us must have hit him. He had a broken back, but still had some spunk to him for a few minutes. As we took pics, he was getting worse and worse and I'm sure he is dead now.
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...g/DSC01856.jpg
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...g/DSC01844.jpg
Then found this decent sized Red Ear Slider a few minutes after the rattlesnake.
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...g/DSC01872.jpg
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...g/DSC01870.jpg
Also seen on the trip were a bunch of ground skinks, green anoles, and TMTC little frogs all over the perimeter of the lakes. Found a few broad headed skinks and five lined skinks which we were unable to catch for photos.
Here is a few older photos.
Western Cottonmouths
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...Picture548.jpg
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...Picture583.jpg
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...Picture652.jpg
And a bad pic of a rough green snake.
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...m/DSC01510.jpg

John

Very cool. Yep looks like a typical trip into the the MS/LA swamp land.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SerpentesCiconii

This thing must have weighed over 600 lbs.John

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Dang! At first I thought you were talking about the snake. I had to read it again to make sure. Looks like a great trip and some great pics. I love me some Southern Herpin.

Yeah, I think 600 lbs may have been an understatement, Thats an 18 wheeler tire rim, I forget to mention that. Both my dad and I tried to tilt it over together and we couldn't budge it at all. You going to the show in Slidell at the end of July?

John

What a great adventure!!!! Those boxies haft to be my fav.! :D Gold star for removing that hook from that snapper !!!! :sunny:

I didn't know they had one. Now that I do, I'll probably try to make it. I hate the shows in Southern Louisiana, as their advertising usually sucks. I typically find out about a show the week after.

I didn't know there was a show in Slidell either. I will have to look into it, although it will probably just be the usual wild caught garbage that is usual for Louisiana shows......

...but I usually attend hoping to 'get lucky'...ha ha...oh well

Where you from John?

Freakie Frog, you live in MS right? If so are you going to the Slidell show? It's right by the LA/MS border.

Thanks Laooda, it was nice to see all the boxies and know they is still a nice population of them there.

Yeah muddoc, the only place I saw it was on the LGCHS calendar. It probably won't be big, but I'm gonna combine it with a herping trip to DeSoto National Forest in Southern MS in hopes for black pines, EDBs , and coachwhips.

John

Yeah Daniel, I don't usually buy any herps at the shows, I just go to meet people and talk herps. I'm from Baton Rouge.

John

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SerpentesCiconii

Freakie Frog, you live in MS right? If so are you going to the Slidell show? It's right by the LA/MS border.

John

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I might be Down that way.

Cool, I figured you were from the southern part of the state or near it cause in the other thread you said you've seen EDBs. Have you ever herped DeSoto?

John

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SerpentesCiconii

Cool, I figured you were from the southern part of the state or near it cause in the other thread you said you've seen EDBs. Have you ever herped DeSoto?

John

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Remind me.....EDB's???? DeSoto county is herp rich. I love it down there.

Eastern Diamonbacks, only inhabitat the southern portion of the state.

John

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SerpentesCiconii

Eastern Diamonbacks, only inhabitat the southern portion of the state.

John

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Ok you were talking about the herps Ive seen thread. Yea we were on the river to see them.

side note lot of people don't know that Eastern Diamondbacks give live birth. :D pretty cool !!!

Yeah, all pit vipers do. What do you mean you were on the river to see them? Spot them from boat?

John

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SerpentesCiconii

Yeah, all pit vipers do. What do you mean you were on the river to see them? Spot them from boat?

John

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No I hunt at a camp that borders the Mississippi river and we have seen them there.

Cool, I didn't know they were that far west. You mean somewhere around Natchez? Cause they aren't in Louisiana at all except for the 3 parishes called the Florida parishes at the extreme eastern part of the state, and it may not be an established population. Its thought that it may just be a few individuals that swam across that river on the border, I think its the Pearl River.

Maybe there is a chance I could find one in the Homochitto National Forest. My dad said he has seen one there, but this was a long time ago.

John