5-12-18

Trip Details

Location: Madison County, Iowa

Weather: Mid 50s, breezy and partly cloudy

Time: 12:30 pm

Herpers: Don Becker, Dan Fogell, Chris Visser, Justin Else, Jeff Faircloth, Laura and Jim Scharosch

Account by: Jim Scharosch

Photos by: Jim Scharosch

It was a chilly, breezy morning, not the optimal conditions for an early season trip to look for rattlesnakes. Don had set this trip up because he needed to meet up with Dan Fogell for some reason I can't recall, and also to bring Justin and Jeff out to Madison County to have a shot at their lifer timber rattlesnake. Don let me know that Justin and Jeff were having second thoughts after seeing the weather, but Don and I were both fairly certain that we would see at least one timber and some milksnakes. Laura and I were going to Des Moines later in the day to meet up with our son so even though the weather was marginal we weren't going to cancel.

We met in Winterset a bit after lunch and headed out to a known timber spot not far from town. We worked for a while in some rocky areas without much luck, then headed towards the main denning area. Not far from a known rooking area we found a young adult Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus Horridus) trying to catch what little warmth the patchy clouds were allowing the sun to provide.

I didn't take a lot of photos, I let the new guys enjoy their time with their first timber.

After photos were done we moved on. I kinda hit the mother lode, in one small rock pile I found a handful of Milksnakes (Lampropeltis triangulum) and a Prairie Ringneck Snake (Diadophis punctatus arnyi).

I didn't spend much time taking photos, but Chris and Jeff hung around and shot for a bit.

We didn't find much more at this site, so we moved on to a well known milksnake site. We ended up finding quite a few milks, though I can't recall a number. I would guess it was more than ten though. None were really phenomenal in size or color, so again I didn't spend a lot of time with the camera.

Laura with a wiry milk

Chris pontificating on some important thing or another with a milksnake in hand

Justin with a juvenile milksnake.

Laura and I headed out to Des Moines at this point, and I believe Dan and Chris headed out as well. Don let me know that the remaining three did find another timber later in the day. It wasn't a great herping day, but it was nice to get out with Dan and Chris again and cool to see Justin and Jeff get to enjoy their lifer timber.