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California 2011

PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2011 7:46 am
by Jeroen Speybroeck
My first non-European adventure was much better than to be expected given the season.

Below some pics, but here's all of it =>
https://picasaweb.google.com/jeroenspey ... forniaUSA#

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Re: California 2011

PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2011 8:29 am
by Sebastian Holzki
Great finding! How long have you been there?

Re: California 2011

PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2011 10:14 am
by Jürgen Gebhart
WOW, fantastic!!!

Re: California 2011

PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2011 10:34 am
by Mario Schweiger
not bad for someone being unfaithful ;)
really good pics and a lot of species!

...........................and next year Morocco? :o
It looks like you figured out where the really good looking species are :D

Mario

Re: California 2011

PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2011 10:38 am
by Peter Oefinger
Amazing! seems you found a nice new playground...

Re: California 2011

PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2011 11:16 am
by Bobby Bok
Amazing trip there, you said it was a non herping trip! Really love the boa species!

Re: California 2011

PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2011 11:21 am
by Ulrich Schulte
Absolutely great. especially the .... Science and Ensatina pics.

Re: California 2011

PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2011 12:12 pm
by Ilian Velikov
Great stuff! If I find so many species on my non-herping vacations I won't be going on herping trips! :D

Re: California 2011

PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2011 4:59 pm
by Gabriel Martínez
WOW!!! Very nice species!! Even in summer California seems a good herper destiny. It´s a perfect beginning in your not european trips

About the second photo, I told you this is my EEUU priority!!! Congrats for Crotalus cerastes and to all these interesting species!!!!

Great Jeroen ;)

Re: California 2011

PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2011 9:49 pm
by Jeroen Speybroeck
Thanks, everyone. I was there for a little less than 4 weeks and got to travel through most of the state, except the extreme south and southeast (where there is some cool stuff, but where we would have been fried for sure in summer). I met with and was helped by a few local herpers along the way, that I had contacted through http://www.fieldherpforum.com. On top of that, I was really surprised how lucky I got to see some species just herping solo (with Stefanie's ears providing some useful help every now and then).

It was great, especially for something which some of you would call "not a herping trip" :mrgreen: . Let's say it was more like a partial herping trip, perhaps, but it sure turned out more like one, as more species popped up everywhere. If I would have been "really" herping, I am rather sure I would have been able to add 10 or more additional species.

It was refreshing to herp in a place where even the most common species is new and exciting to admire. Also funny how the Californian herpers have a different relative appreciation for certain species related to their abundance, while to me all was new, so common stuff that looked cool was just as nice (or nicer) to find than some rarer species.

Here's a beta list, for who might like that.

1 Ambystoma gracile Northwestern Salamander
2 Dicamptodon tenebrosus Coastal Giant Salamander larva ?
3 Batrachoseps attenuatus California Slender Salamander
4 Batrachoseps luciae Santa Lucia Mountains Slender Salamander
5 Ensatina eschscholtzii Ensatina
Ensatina eschscholtzii eschscholtzii Monterey Ensatina
Ensatina eschscholtzii picta Painted Ensatina
6 Plethodon elongatus Del Norte Salamander
7 Taricha granulosa Rough-skinned Newt
8 Taricha torosa California Newt
9 Anaxyrus boreas Western Toad
Anaxyrus boreas boreas Boreal Toad
Anaxyrus boreas halophilus California Toad
10 Ascaphus truei Coastal Tailed Frog
11 Lithobates catesbeianus I American Bullfrog
12 Rana boylii Foothill Yellow-legged Frog
13 Rana draytonii California Red-legged Frog no picture
14 Pseudacris cadaverina California Treefrog
15 Pseudacris hypochondriaca Baja California Treefrog
16 Pseudacris regilla Northern Pacific Treefrog
17 Pseudacris sierra Sierran Treefrog
18 Actinemys marmorata Pacific Pond Turtle
* Trachemys scripta Pond Slider only semi-captive
Trachemys scripta elegans I Red-eared Slider
* Apalone spinifera Spiny Softshell only semi-captive
19 Elgaria coerulea Northern Alligator Lizard
Elgaria coerulea coerulea San Francisco Alligator Lizard
20 Elgaria multicarinata Southern Alligator Lizard
Elgaria multicarinata webbii San Diego Alligator Lizard
21 Crotaphytus bicinctores Great Basin Collared Lizard
22 Dipsosaurus dorsalis Desert Iguana
Dipsosaurus dorsalis dorsalis Northern Desert Iguana
23 Sauromalus ater Common Chuckwalla
24 Callisaurus draconoides Zebra-tailed Lizard
Callisaurus draconoides rhodostictus Western Zebra-tailed Lizard
25 Sceloporus graciosus Common Sagebrush Lizard
Sceloporus graciosus gracilis Western Sagebrush Lizard
26 Sceloporus occidentalis Western Fence Lizard
Sceloporus occidentalis bocourtii Coast Range Fence Lizard
Sceloporus occidentalis longipes Great Basin Fence Lizard
Sceloporus occidentalis occidentalis Northwestern Fence Lizard
Sceloporus occidentalis taylori Sierra Fence Lizard
27 Sceloporus uniformis Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard
28 Uma inornata Coachella Valley Fringe-toed Lizard
29 Uta stansburiana Common Side-blotched Lizard
Uta stansburiana elegans Western Side-blotched Lizard
30 Plestiodon skiltonianus Western Skink no picture
Plestiodon skiltonianus skiltonianus Skilton's Skink
31 Aspidoscelis tigris Tiger Whiptail
Aspidoscelis tigris tigris Great Basin Whiptail
32 Charina bottae Northern Rubber Boa
33 Lichanura orcutti Northern Three-lined Boa ? aka Lichanura trivirgata Rosy Boa
34 Arizona elegans Glossy Snake 1 DOR + 1 Dying OR
Arizona elegans candida Mohave Glossy Snake
35 Chionactis occipitalis Western Shovel-nosed Snake
Chionactis occipitalis occipitalis Mohave Shovel-nosed Snake
36 Coluber constrictor North American Racer no picture
Coluber constrictor mormon Western Yellow-bellied Racer
37 Coluber lateralis Striped Racer no picture
Coluber lateralis lateralis California Striped Racer
38 Diadophis punctatus Ring-necked Snake
Diadophis punctatus occidentalis Northwestern Ring-necked Snake
39 Lampropeltis getula Common Kingsnake
Lampropeltis getula californiae California Kingsnake
40 Pituophis catenifer Gopher Snake
Pituophis catenifer catenifer Pacific Gopher Snake
41 Rhinocheilus lecontei Long-nosed Snake
42 Salvadora hexalepis Western Patch-nosed Snake only a single DOR
Salvadora hexalepis mojavensis Mohave Patch-nosed Snake
43 Thamnophis atratus Aquatic Gartersnake
subspecies intergrade subspecies intergrade
44 Thamnophis elegans Western Terrestrial Gartersnake
Thamnophis elegans terrestris Coast Gartersnake
45 Thamnophis hammondii Two-striped Gartersnake
46 Thamnophis ordinoides Northwestern Gartersnake
47 Thamnophis sirtalis Common Gartersnake
Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi Valley Gartersnake only a single DOR
Thamnophis sirtalis infernalis California Red-sided Gartersnake
48 Trimorphodon biscutatus Western Lyresnake
Trimorphodon biscutatus lyrophanes Baja California Lyresnake
49 Crotalus cerastes Sidewinder
Crotalus cerastes cerastes Mohave Desert Sidewinder
50 Crotalus oreganus Western Rattlesnake
Crotalus oreganus helleri Southern Pacific Rattlesnake
52 Crotalus scutulatus Mojave Rattlesnake
Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus Northern Mohave Rattlesnake