10-16-14

Trip Details

Location: Benton County, IA

Weather: 62 degrees and sunny with little wind.

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Herpers: Jim Scharosch

Account by: Jim Scharosch

Photos by: Jim Scharosch

I did some work on my car and had to take it out for a test drive so I figured it was a nice day and I should drive it somewhere worth driving. So I headed out to one of my standard local herping spots. This is a location where I usually start each season off, so with the weather looking like it is, this year I will probably be closing the season here too.

I didn't expect to see a whole lot, but figured I could scoop up a couple little things.

I was proven correct after a few rocks when I hit a double on Eastern Garter Snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis).

All photos were taken with my cell phone camera, so excuse the poor quality.

I was thinking that it would be really nice to see one more milk snake this year, and in a small rock jumble, this Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum) appeared.

It was about fourteen inches long and typically patterened and colored for this part of Iowa.

Another garter snake came next.

Then somewhat of a suprise, a Northern Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon)

It was about 16 inches long. I say it was a suprise, but it wasn't suprising to find one, it was more suprising that this was the first one I had seen here as this location is fairly close to the river.

The next find was a ten inch long Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi)

Finally, another milk snake rounded out this stop.

This one was larger than the first at about eighteen inches in length.

Four species in a spur of the moment afterthought trip late in the season seems like a pretty good outcome to me...