5-19-13
Trip Details
Location: Eastern Kansas
Weather: Sunny and low wind. 75 degrees.
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Herpers: Austin Scharosch, Jim Scharosch, Courtney Gaverth & Matt Ricklefs
Account by: Matt Ricklefs
This was a short trip to Kansas so we headed out on our own to some spots in the morning and would meet up with Courtney later in the afternoon for one of his spots.
The first herp to greet us was a common but well like Kansas ambassador, the Ornate Box Turtle (Terrapene ornata). Although it did not really want it picture taken, we got what we could.
Photo by Matt Ricklefs
Our next find was a Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum) about 20 inches long. It was in a little bit of rough shape.
Photos by Matt Ricklefs
Photo by Austin Scharosch
Kansas is a beautiful place and I paused to take a picture of the openness that is Kansas and the herpmobile that got us here.
Photo by Matt Ricklefs
Next up was a Western Worm Snake (Carphophis vermis). This was about an 8 inch adult. It actually allowed some decent pictures.
Photos by Matt Ricklefs
Photo by Austin Scharosch
After a little while we turned up a gem. It was another Milk, but was in great shape and quite beautiful. It was a juvenile about 9 inches. We took a little time to document this stunner.
Photos by Matt Ricklefs
We moved on to another spot and Austin picked up on some shenanigans in the grass. He found a pair of Osage Copperheads (Agkistrodon c. phaeogaster) working on hooking up. The male was approximately 30 inches while the female was a few inches smaller. We did not want to bother them although it appeared they had already locked up or had not gotten to that point yet. We took in situ shots and were moving away slowly and they decided they were finished apparently so we got a shot out on the crawl. We let them be at that point as the one bolted under a rock and the other was close behind.
Photos by Matt Ricklefs
Photo by Austin Scharosch
At our next location, I finally got a fair picture of something that in my very first few trips to Kansas kinda freaked me out. It was a centipede (genus Scolopendra).
Photo by Matt Ricklefs
Apparently their bites are a bit painful but I just remember being caught off guard the first time I found one. I actually appreciate them now, but they still are a bit creepy crawly...yes I get the irony of that. I DID say I appreciate them.
Not too far away I got a habitat shot with Jim and Auz on the hunt and we uncovered our third Copperhead. This one was a nice looking juvenile about 11 inches.
Photos by Matt Ricklefs
As we went out we found some junk in piles and we got out fourth and fifth copperheads. One stood still for a bit and the other kept on the move. I got a few decent shots, but you'll notice the last one is an action shot.
Photos by Matt Ricklefs
It was time to meet up with Courtney and we were looking forward to getting together with him. We didn't wait long before we had our first Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) at his location. It was a little dirty but in overall good shape. It was a good 28 inches or so.
Photos by Matt Ricklefs
Photo by Austin Scharosch
Soon after Jim found a nice little one about 20 inches that had the more gray coloration with the rust strip that at least I associate more with the Kansas ones.
Photo by Jim Scharosch
Photos by Matt Ricklefs
That was it for the trip. We went to the Plaza that night to a brewery with Jill and ran into some rather nasty weather including some particularly bad straight line and/or microburst winds. Jill actually got a call to come home as a tree had been knocked down which in turn hit the power lines. I got a pic the next morning.
Photo by Matt Ricklefs
The picture doesn't quite capture the true scope but you get the idea. We had quite an adventure that night.
That was our whirlwind trip (ha ha) from Madison county and Kansas.
Stay tuned for more fun and adventures on HERPJOURNAL!!! <queue dramatic music and fade...>
