5-17-16

Trip Details

Location: Buchanan County, IA

Weather: Partly cloudy, 62 degrees, light winds

Time: 4:00 pm

Herpers: Jim Scharosch

Account by: Jim Scharosch

Photos by: Jim Scharosch

I went for another quick after work local herp jaunt today. This time I went to a spot where I have had good luck finding baby fox snakes over the years. The first few years that was about all I would find, but the last two years milk snakes have begun to turn up here. That would hold true again today as it only took turnng a couple of rocks before I found my first Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum) of the day.

The second one came pretty quickly after that.

The third was a little rough looking as it was nearly ready to shed.

Next was a triple under one rock, another milk snake and two last year's baby Fox Snakes (Pantherophis vulpinis). They were all in shed so I went for an in hand cell phone shot. I thought it was kinda cool that they were all in focus and all tounge flicking when I snapped this shot.

Next was another milk snake in shed and another cell phone shot.

I approached the end of the first line of rocks at this spot and said out loud as I went to turn the last rock, "Give me an adult fox snake"...

It wasn't a large one, but it was an adult fox snake. I moved on to another rock line nearby that has been good for a few baby fox snakes over the last few years. It is still good for them, as I got two pretty quickly. Both were in shed so cell phone in hand shots were in order.

A couple of rocks later turned up a double of baby milk snakes, one in shed and one freshly shed.

I closed the trip out with, fittingly, one more baby fox snake, finally one that was not in shed.

Another fun and productive after work quickie herp trip in the books!