Arizona, California 2018

For your reports/images, made outside Europe and the "Mediterranean" countries. Not to be too narrow minded and limited to our European/Mediterranean herps.

Arizona, California 2018

Postby Martin Ertner » Tue Mar 19, 2019 8:10 pm

I spent almost all August 2018 in Arizona and Califonia with 3 my friends. I wanted to see some species which I didn’t any years before. My main target was Arizona Ridge-nosed Rattlesnake (Crotalus willardi willardi) and I really wanted to see Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum). Our plan was about 3000 kilometers on the roads and try as many spots as we knew. Finally we did 11 000 kilometers but it was worth! We saw 91 snake individuals, 73 rattlesnake individuals in 11 species and also the Gila Monster. Just in exaggeration I would say that we saw the biggest, smallest, rarest and most venomous what is living in Arizona :)
Hopefully you will like photos!

And list of snake species:

Crotalus oreganus helleri
Crotalus atrox
Crotalus pyrrhus
Crotalus lepidus klauberi
Crotalus willardi
Crotalus molossus
Crotalus cerastes cercobombus
Crotalus cerastes cerastes
Crotalus scutulatus
Crotalus tigris
Sistrurus tergeminus edwardsi
Micruroides euryxanthus
Gyalopion canum
Lichanura trivirgata
Lampropeltis pyromelana
Lampropeltis zonata
Lampropeltis getula
Trimorphodon lambda
Pituophis catenifer sayi
Arizona elegans
Phyllorhynchus decurtatus
Hypsiglena torquata
Coluber bilineatus
Coluber constrictor


I'm sorry I didn't make a list of other animals, it is too long but I will show here some photos where you will see lizards or arachnids...
Attachments
IMG_6830.jpg
First snake of our trip - Rosy Boa (Lichanura trivirgata).
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Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus pyrrhus) - orange color phase of this species is common in central Arizona.
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Arizona Mountain Kingsnake (Lampropeltis pyromelana) - Arizona.
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Western Hook-nosed snake (Gyalopion canum) - found on new locality.
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Desert Massasauga (Sistrurus tergeminus edwardsii) - one of the highlights of expedition - finally we found 6 of them.
IMG_8118.jpg
Mojave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus) one of 6 individuals - Arizona.
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Arizona Coral Snake (Micruroides euryxanthus) - only member of Elapidae family in Arizona.
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Mojave Sidewinder (Crotalus cerastes cerastes) - we have seen 8 Sidewinders on our trip.
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175cm (5.6ft) long Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) - Arizona - one of 28 individuals we have seen.
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Re: Arizona, California 2018

Postby Guillaume Gomard » Tue Mar 19, 2019 8:47 pm

You killed it! :) Have you seen the S.t.edwardsii in Chiricahua?
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Re: Arizona, California 2018

Postby Martin Ertner » Wed Mar 20, 2019 10:00 am

Yes it was great! I forget the target we had but it was "mission imposible" - white speckled rattlesnake C. pyrrhus from southwestern Arizona - I also found that one ;)
S. t. edwardsi wasn't in Chiricaua we found them more on the north.
Attachments
IMG_8901.jpg
Black-tailed Rattlesnake (Crotalus molossus) - this dark color phase was from southeastern Arizona.
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Common Chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater) - California.
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Banded Rock Rattlesnake (Crotalus lepidus klauberi) - we found 3 adults and 1 juvenile.
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Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum) - one of two individuals we found.
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Scales of Tiger Rattlesnake (Crotalus tigris)
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Arizona Ridge-nosed Rattlesnake (Crotalus willardi willardi) - this was our first rattlesnake species we found on this expedition.
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Re: Arizona, California 2018

Postby Andre Schmid » Wed Mar 20, 2019 6:59 pm

Nice rattlers, I like :mrgreen:
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Re: Arizona, California 2018

Postby Martin Ertner » Thu Mar 21, 2019 7:17 pm

Thank you Andre! Another photo of Mojave Rattlesnake.
Attachments
IMG_8139.jpg
Mojave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus)
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Re: Arizona, California 2018

Postby Bobby Bok » Fri Mar 22, 2019 7:14 pm

Amazing result and great pictures!
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Re: Arizona, California 2018

Postby Martin Ertner » Mon Mar 25, 2019 8:24 am

Thank you Bobby! One of the highlights of expedition was this white Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus pyrrhus)
Attachments
IMG_9683.jpg
Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus pyrrhus) - Arizona, USA.
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Re: Arizona, California 2018

Postby Christoph Stenger » Wed Mar 27, 2019 2:04 pm

That pyrrhus is spectacular! Do you have more pictures of it?
Cheers

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Re: Arizona, California 2018

Postby Martin Ertner » Thu Mar 28, 2019 6:59 am

Yes they are gorgeous! Of course I have some more ;) I'm glad you like it!
Attachments
IMG_9601.jpg
Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus pyrrhus) - white color phase.
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Re: Arizona, California 2018

Postby Christoph Stenger » Fri Mar 29, 2019 11:11 am

Thank you - keep them coming!
Cheers

Christoph
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