9-8-15

Trip Details

Location: Near La Paz and north to Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Herpers: Shawn Vought, Jason Nelson, Joe Ehrenberger, Matt Cage, Mike Pingleton, Jim Scharosch

Account by: Jim Scharosch

Photos by: Jim Scharosch

Photo by Mike Pingleton

We got up this morning and grabbed a quick breakfast and took care of a few things. We headed out to try for the mole lizards again. We went to an area near the restaurant that we had eaten at the night before, but all we turned up was a House Gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus).

They are an introduced species that are found around some of the larger towns in Baja California.

We went back to the spot we had hit the day before and I found a Brahminy Blind Snake (Ramphotyphlops braminus) which is an also an introduced species.

They don’t like to pose for photos, and it started to pour rain as I stopped to photograph it thus the terrible picture. We struck out again on the mole lizards.

We left La Pas and headed towards our next stop, Loreto. Here is some scenery shots from along the drive. It rained on and off all day and it made for some spectular cloud formations in the mountains.

Mike and I stopped for lunch in Ciudad Constitución at a small taco stand called Taco Los 2 Poblanos. The tacos al pastor at this place were the best tacos we had on the trip.

It was late when we got to Loreto so we checked into our hotel and got right out to cruising. This was the view from atop our hotel as we prepared to leave.

It had rained on and off during the day so we weren’t sure what the night would hold.

Mike and I ended up with a juvenile Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus mitchelii). It was our first of the trip.

We also got a juvenile Red Diamond Rattlesnake (Crotalus ruber), also our first live one of the trip.

And a nice Baja California Rattlesnake (Crotalus enyo)

We had a heartbreaking DOR, where we came upon a freshly hit juvenile Baja California Ratsnake.

For some reason I don’t have a record of all that the other guys found that night, but I know it was a bit of a slow night. They did turn up our first Slevin's Nightsnake (Eridiphas slevini) of the trip.

This was a small juvenile, less then ten inches in length. They are really crazy looking snakes, with the big eyes set atop the large head.

And the more common Nightsnake (Hysiglena torquata) to compare.

The obligatory shot of the herpers taking photos. Can't have a trip without this shot.