5-3-18

Trip Details

Location: Southeastern Iowa

Weather: High of 70 in the afternoon, mostly cloudy, some showers

Time: 9:30 am to 2:00 pm

Herpers: Don Becker and Jim Scharosch

Account by: Jim Scharosch

Photos by: Jim Scharosch

There was more rain in southeastern Iowa again so the Ornate Box Turtles (Terrapene ornata) out crawling again. We saw a lot again, but I didn't take many photos.

We also saw a number of Fowler's Toads (Anaxyrus fowleri), which I don't get to see very often.

We saw a few Six-lined Racerunners (Aspidoscelis sexlineata). This one was a last year's baby and it was tiny. It was at most three and a half inches long including the tail.

We stopped off again to see if the Massasauga's were out. We had our doubts again just like yesterday. The area was very wet, the water table had risen and many of the previously high and dry crayfish burrows had visible water at the entrances. None were out in the usual haunts so we were wandering back and in an area of ankle deep water we found this Massasauga Rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus) under cover. It was sitting on pretty much the only dry clump of grass in the area.

Habitat shot included so you can see the snake and how much water was in the area. It was pretty crazy and pretty cool.