Coolest temps with successful results

[ChrisS]

What are the coolest temps when you've had success with road cruising? And what is the coolest you'll go out? I've never had any luck below 71*F but have gone when it is as cool as 63*F.

What have you found this year?
I've found live:
2 adult black rats
1 juvi black rat (that got loose in my car)
1 brown snake
1 copperhead
1 painted turtle
Dead:
3 black rats
1 racer
4 brown snake

And I've also had a corn snake given to me.

[Slim]

Now that I'm back home in FLA, I field herp on foot, and usually see most snakes and lizards when it's between 68 and 85 degrees. Any hotter or cooler, and they just don't move too much, well, except for Anoles and Six Lined Racers...sometimes they still come out when it's in the lower 60's.

I've seen turtles, tortoises and frogs in weather as cold as 60 degrees, and as warm as 100+ degrees.

When it comes to Alligators, I can take you to any one of about six places within 10 miles of my house where you can find one any time of the day or night, year round.

[John1982]

When it comes to Alligators, I can take you to any one of about six places within 10 miles of my house where you can find one any time of the day or night, year round.

One of those spots La Chua? That place is awesome for wildlife spotting and gators galore! Haven't been yet this year, usually wait til we start getting some rains before walking it.

[warlord]

In cape coral florida i went out in about 90 degree weather and found a few snakes and a 5-6 foot monitor lizard of some kind

I didnt want to get to close lol also gators are quite easily found as well in any weather

[Slim]

One of those spots La Chua?

Absolutely! And if that fails, I always take visiting friends to Lake Alice

[The Serpent Merchant]

When it comes to Alligators, I can take you to any one of about six places within 10 miles of my house where you can find one any time of the day or night, year round.

sounds about right lol

We really shouldn't be the Sunshine State, but rather the Alligator State

[Slim]

And speaking of field herping, my brand spanking new 36 inch snake hook from Rich at RBI just showed up from the FedEx Fairy.

I'm checking it out as we speak, and for no more than I paid for it, it seems to be a very well made piece of gear!

Of course the only thing I have to try it out on here at the moment is a grumpy ball python I just woke up...he is not impressed with my hook

[MrLang]

I've been going out recently quite a bit since the weather broke. Here in New England, the whole field herping thing kind of shuts down in the winter Last week I went out on a pretty shallow, slow moving nearby river and found/caught:

5 overwintered painted turtle hatchlings. It gets cold early so they hatch in sept/oct, hibernate in the nest, and pop out nice and tiny and awesome in the spring!

2 common musk turtle hatchlings. I can't believe I spotted these... I was just cruising in about 2 feet of clear water and happened to spot them on the bottom.

1 fresh hatched? northern water snake only about 8 inches long and a quarter inch thick. It was just chilling half submerged and leaning on a lily pad. What a nasty little snake! I prefer my big fat slow snakes to these little demons.

I also jumped kayak and mucked in a swampier area and found a bunch of little spring peepers on land near the edges. Awesome.

Also caught a couple of 2-3 lb largemouth bass... which is big for up here and laughable to you Floridians

I think the water temp was in the high 40s and the air was about 55-60, which is COLD! I typically start hunting for critters outside when the air temp hits 50 here. We have a pretty limited selection of herps, though...

Then just the other day I went out in the rain and found a literal army of painted turtles marching up a sandy hill near me to lay. Air temp was maybe 60 degrees tops. I plan to go dig up a nest or 2 this weekend. I've been captive hatching painted/snapping turtle clutches my whole life for fun. I love their tiny little faces when they're fresh hatched!