Fall Herping at the Kankakee Sands 2

Slender Glass Lizard: PC Tristan Schramer

Date:
September 12th 2015

Species Found:

1. Blue Racer (Coluber constrictor foxii)
2. Eastern Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum)
3. Gray Tree Frog (Hyla versicolor)
4. Fowler's Toad (Bufo fowleri)
5. Bull Snake (Pituophis catenifer sayi)
6. Six-lined Racerunner (Aspidosceles sexlineata)
7. Slender Glass Lizard (Ophisaurus attenuatus)

Background:

Tristan and I had wanted to meet Zach, a herper our age from Indiana, for a long time. We had also wanted to meet experienced herpers John and George. We decided to all meet at the Kankakee Sands on a Saturday morning to look for herps.

The Trip:

We arrived to find that John had already found a hatchling Snapping Turtle on the way there. I had never seen a live Snapping Turtle so it was a first for me. However, since I hadn't found it in the field, I didn't count it towards my species list. We started on the same trail that we always start at and proceeded to look under the large boards and debris. We were finding a ton of Gray Tree Frogs but no snakes on that first section of the trail.

Hatchling Snapping Turtle: PC Yatin Kalki

Gray Tree Frog: PC Tristan Schramer

Gray Tree Frog: PC Yatin Kalki

I decided to search in the spot where we had seen 2 Blue Racers 2 weeks ago. I looked under a lot of debris but found only rodents, frogs and toads. While I was walking back to the road, I saw some movement out of the corner of my eye and glimpsed the shiny body of a Blue Racer. I tried to grab it but it shot into a dense clump of thorny bushes and I lost sight of it. I got back to the road and saw that Tristan and Zach were photographing a good sized Blue Racer. It was a lethargic old snake that Tristan had found under a black tarp. The 4 foot snake didn't look like it wanted to escape or even move very much. It just sat there coiled up, occasionally flicking its tongue.

Blue Racer: PC Tristan Schramer

Further up the trail, John found a small Milk Snake under some shingles in a pile of junk. This snake was only about 8 inches long but its attitude made up for its size. The snake was snapping at us non-stop and wouldn't sit still for a photo. I covered it up with my hands to calm it down but when I tried to take my hands away, it bit me on the tip of my finger. While the snake was hanging off my finger I noticed that it was in the process of shedding. Tristan peeled away the loose skin over the head and the old skin came off the whole body like a sock being rolled off. This exposed the bright red patterns of the young snake and we were able to get even better photos.

Milk Snake: PC Yatin Kalki

Milk Snake: PC Yatin Kalki

Milk Snake: PC Tristan Schramer

After checking a few more spots and finding nothing new, we headed to a nearby trailer with some tin scattered around it. 2 weeks ago, I had found a Six-lined Racerunner under a piece of cloth. I checked that cloth and sure enough, there was a Racerunner the same size as the one I had found before. Zach and John were walking through the prairie grass and spotted some movement. Zach pulled a medium sized Bull Snake up out of the grass. It wasn't very big as Bullsnakes go, only about 3 foot, but it was a beautiful snake. While we were all standing around admiring the Bullsnake, John grabbed a Glass Lizard near his feet. Everytime we had come to the Kankakee Sands, we had seen Glass Lizards but we never managed to catch them. Glass Lizards had a reputation of breaking off their tails when they were threatened. Since 2/3 of their length was tail, it was nearly impossible to catch them. Somehow John had managed to catch it and I was very excited to see a Glass Lizard up close for the first time. At first glance it appeared like a snake but the head, tongue and movement were all very similar to that of a skink. Its tongue was blue and not forked. The lizard was only about 1 foot long but it had broken off its tail at some point and would have been about 1.5 foot.

Bullsnake: PC Yatin Kalki

Bullsnake: PC Tristan Schramer

Slender Glass Lizard: PC Yatin Kalki

Slender Glass Lizard: PC Yatin Kalki

Slender Glass Lizard: PC Yatin Kalki

Slender Glass Lizard: PC Yatin Kalki

Slender Glass Lizard: PC Yatin Kalki

After we finished photographing the animals, we released them in the same spots they had been found. The highlight of this trip was definitely the Glass Lizard. The fact that this species had eluded us for a whole year made it all the more awesome that we got to see it up close.

Spring Herping in Kankakee, Illinois

Bullsnake: PC Yatin Kalki

Date:
May 9th 2015

Species Found:

1. Eastern Gray Tree Frog (Hyla versicolor)
2. Fowler's Toad (Bufo fowleri)
3. Eastern American Toad (Anaryxus americanus americanus)
4. Western Slender Glass Lizard (Ophiosaurus attenuatus attenuatus)
5. Bull Snake (Pituophis catenifer sayi)
6. Eastern Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum)
7. Blue Racer (Coluber constrictor foxii)
8. Six-lined Racerunner (Aspidoscelis sexlineata)

The Trip:

Doug, Tristan, Sam and I drove to Kankakee, where we met Matt, his wife Shannon and their 2 year old daughter. We were going to hit all the spots we hit last Fall and look for the snakes that make Kankakee famous. The first section we saw had a ton of really good boards and cover objects but the rain from the previous night had made the ground wet and unsuitable for snakes.

Snake Habitat: PC Tristan Schramer

The first animal found was a Fowler's Toad found by Doug. We had seen plenty of these the last time we had come too. Next, Tristan found a Gray Tree Frog, another species we had seen a lot of last Fall. A little while later, Doug yelled that he had found a Glass Lizard. We all headed over but he had lost it in the thick grass. Even in the Fall, the Glass Lizard managed to escape, consequently I had never actually seen one up close. Soon, Matt found a Racerunner, yet another species we had encountered many times before.

Six Lined Racerunner: PC Yatin Kalki

We carried on, finding more Fowler's Toads and the odd American Toad, but still no snakes. But that all changed when we hit the next section. Tristan called for help flipping a pile of roof shingles. Matt and I headed over. I started working on the edges while Matt and Tristan went straight for the center. Matt grabbed a large chunk and lifted it off to find a pretty Milksnake pop out. Tristan grabbed it and yelled "Doug! Milk!" Apparently Doug had never seen a Milksnake before, so it was his goal to see one on this trip. Everyone came over and started taking pictures of the timid little snake.

Milksnake: PC Yatin Kalki

Milksnake: PC Tristan Schramer

Milksnake: PC Tristan Schramer

Sam came in for a quick look but continued looking under objects for more snakes. Soon, I heard Sam yelling and I ran over. He had a 4 foot Bullsnake by the tail! I helped him wrangle the snake into a more secure position and we carried it back to where everyone was still photographing the Milksnake. This was Sam's first Bullsnake so he was pretty thrilled. The only Bullsnake I had seen before this, was the small juvenile we had found here in the Fall. That was no match for this encounter. Little did I know that we'd soon be seeing a lot more on the Bullsnake front. Now people were taking turns photographing both snakes.

Bullsnake: PC Yatin Kalki

Bullsnake: PC Yatin Kalki

Bullsnake: PC Tristan Schramer

When Matt was done getting his photos, he pressed on in the same direction that I was headed. It turned out his luck was a lot better than mine because he came back with good sized Blue Racer, while I came back empty handed. We now had 3 of the most iconic snakes of Kankakee right in front of us. I felt kind of bad that I hadn't found anything yet but it was still amazing to see these 3 beautiful snakes all in one place.

Blue Racer: PC Yatin Kalki

Blue Racer: PC Yatin Kalki

Blue Racer: PC Tristan Schramer

While Tristan was holding the Blue Racer, it somehow got from his shoulder onto the branch of  a tree. The snake climbed high up into the tree and we knew that it would be impossible to get it down. On that note, we released the other 2 snakes and pressed on. The next stretch had a large sand prairie with piles of debris along the edges. I immediately went for the debris and started looking under everything. But my luck just wasn't very good today, all I found was a White Footed Mouse.

White Footed Mouse: PC Yatin Kalki

Meanwhile on the other side of the prairie, Matt, Sam and Tristan had each found another Milksnake. One was a juvenile and its patterns were a lot more red than the adult's.

Juvenile Milksnake: PC Tristan Schramer

On our way back, Doug and Tristan spotted a few more Glass Lizards in the same place the first one had been seen. Even when we teamed up to try and catch one, it was near impossible. We decided to move to our next spot, a field with plenty of tin and boards to look under. We got there and started searching. Doug, Sam, Tristan and I took one side of the field while Matt and Shannon took the other. Soon, Matt walked over with 2 medium sized Bullsnakes in his blood streaked hands. Apparently he had gotten the worst of a Bullsnake's temper. He told us how he had found both under the same piece of tin. I inspected the snakes and sure enough there was one male and one female. I observed the Bullsnakes for a while and could only think about how I hadn't found anything today. I decided that it was time to turn my luck around so I headed for a pile of metal in the shade of a few trees. It was late enough in the day that the metal in the shade would be the right temperature compared to the metal in the sun, which would be too hot. I flipped a few pieces of tin to find nothing. I then looked under this long metal box but nothing was under it. As I was placing the heavy box back, I heard the faint sound of scales rubbing against metal. The bottom of the box was very rusty and the metal was thin so I took another piece of metal and started tearing through the rusty metal. Soon, I exposed the edge of a Bullsnake's coil! I touched the scales and a loud hiss came out of the box. I kept tearing away at the metal until the snake finally decided to move. I grabbed its tail and slowly pulled it out of the box. It was a 5 footer! This was the biggest snake I had seen in America. I carried this hissing and striking snake across the field towards everyone else. They were all pretty amazed at its size. "That's the biggest Bullsnake I ever saw" said Matt. After the snake had calmed down, everyone took photos of it. I let it slither across the field, observing how its stocky body moved so gracefully. When we were ready to release the snakes, I went back to the metal box and folded the rusty metal back into place. I then let the 5 foot Bullsnake slither back into its shelter.

Bullsnake Striking At Me: PC Doug Mills

Me with the 5 foot Bullsnake: PC Tristan Schramer

Bullsnake: PC Tristan Schramer

Bullsnake: PC Tristan Schramer

On the other side of the field, there were a few more boards to look under. We found a small Blue Racer and a Milksnake.

Blue Racer: PC Tristan Schramer

Milksnake: PC Tristan Schramer

Next, we went to a spot where we had found a Hognosed Snake last Fall. It was a dump yard with plenty of debris to look under. This time, we were surprised to find that a lot of the junk had been cleared away, meaning that our chances of finding snakes had been lowered. I found a juvenile Milksnake under an old jacket and someone found a Racerunner but that was about it for this place.

Juvenile Milksnake: PC Tristan Schramer

Six Lined Racerunner: PC Tristan Schramer

I went home feeling satisfied. I had seen a wide variety of snakes today and each was amazing in its own way. Hopefully next time, we actually catch a Glass Lizard :)

Fall Herping in Southern Illinois 1

Black Kingsnake: PC Yatin Kalki

Date:
September 27th & 28th 2014

Species Found:

1. Eastern Fence Lizard (Sceloporus undulatus)
2. Dwarf American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus charlsmithi)
3. Black Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula niger)
4. Northern Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans blanchardi)
5. Bronze Frog (Rana c. clamitans)
6. Ground Skink (Scincella lateralis)
7. Northern Redbelly Snake (Storeria o. occipitomaculata)
8. Five Lined Skink (Peistodon fasciatus)
9. Fowler's Toad (Bufo fowleri)

Background:

I took a 2 day field trip to Southern Illinois with my Earth Science and Environment class. The field trip was aimed at showing us the diverse relief features of Illinois but I was more interested in the herps I that occurred there. Tristan had told me all about the various snake species, including venomous ones, that could be found in the Shawnee Hills. This time I didn't have Tristan to tell me about each species as we found them. I had to be able to identify all of them by myself. I looked at pictures of all the species and learned how to identify the venomous ones in particular: the Cottonmouth, the Copperhead and the Timber Rattlesnake. I knew the non-venomous ones roughly and that was good enough for me. I was planning to take pictures and send them to Tristan for identification. There was one professor, Dr. Rob, on the trip who was a fan of reptiles and all animals in general, but not really a herper. He told all of us on the trip not to touch any of the snakes that we might find but after I showed him that I knew what I was doing, he waived the rule just for me. He was also an amateur wildlife photographer so had a policy where he would give students $5 for every vertebrate they helped him get a good picture of. I planned to totally capitalize on this deal.

The Trip:

The first place we visited was called Garden of the Gods. It was high up on a hill with many boulders and rocky outcroppings. From the moment we stepped out of the bus, I started herping. I was flipping logs and looking under rocks while the rest of my class stared at me in puzzlement. I finally found a baby Fence Lizard on the side of a boulder. Catching it was not easy, but I eventually did and brought it back for Dr. Rob to photograph. Getting 5 photographs of "nature" was a part of the assignment so the rest of the class took turns taking pictures of the lizard too.

Eastern Fence Lizard: PC Yatin Kalki

Eastern Fence Lizard: PC Yatin Kalki

Eastern Fence Lizard: PC Yatin Kalki

The next place we went to was Heron Pond, a forest with a stream cutting through it, finally ending up in a swamp. I found an American Toad under a log near the parking lot and again, there was a queue to take pictures of it.

Dwarf American Toad: PC Yatin Kalki

Dwarf American Toad: PC Yatin Kalki

Soon, we came across a stream where Cricket Frogs were hopping all over the place. Flipping some of the rocks in the stream resulted in some frogs that I later found out were Bronze Frogs.

Northern Cricket Frog: PC Yatin Kalki

Bronze Frog: PC Yatin Kalki

I wasn't satisfied with what I had found so far. I knew that if I was going to see any snakes, I would see them in Heron Pond. So, as the group was walking ahead on the trail, chattering, I was hanging behind, flipping every rock and looking in every tree hollow. Finally, I came upon a large pile of rocks by the side of the stream. I flipped a few and found a large black snake coiled up, nestled between a few large rocks. I couldn't see the head and I knew it could be a Cottonmouth so I grabbed a stick and moved its body off the head. As soon as I saw that its head wasn't the distinctive triangle shape of a viper, I grabbed it by the tail and picked it up. Surprisingly, it didn't hiss, strike or musk on me. This 4 foot snake was so docile, you would've thought it was a pet. From the black dorsal side and the white ventral side, I guessed it was a Black Rat Snake. When I called everyone over, Dr. Rob was overjoyed to see the snake and he promptly took it in his hands with no hesitation. I told him that I thought it was a Black Rat Snake and he seemed to agree. My classmates were a little more wary of such a large snake but once they realized that it wasn't doing anything, they slowly came forward, one by one to hold it. I found out later from Tristan that it was actually a Black Kingsnake, a species that looks very similar to the Black Rat Snake. The Black Kingsnake is known to eat other snakes, including venomous Cottonmouths and Rattlesnakes.

Black Kingsnake: PC Yatin Kalki

Kingsnake with Geology Prof: PC Yatin Kalki

Black Kingsnake: PC Yatin Kalki

Black Kingsnake: PC Yatin Kalki

I let the Kingsnake go and soon caught a Ground Skink. I had seen at least 10 of them before I managed to catch one because they were so fast.

Ground Skink: PC Yatin Kalki

As we were walking through the forest and returning to the bus, Dr. Rob, who was walking beside me, said "Snake!" and pointed to the floor. Sure enough there was a small 8 inch snake crossing our path. I picked it up and thought it was a Ringneck Snake but it was actually a Northern Redbelly, Tristan told me. We took some pictures of that and let it go.

Northern Redbelly Snake: PC Yatin Kalki

Northern Redbelly Snake: PC Yatin Kalki

The next day we went to farmer's prawn ranch. He had about 5 artificial ponds which had Cricket Frogs and Bull Frogs in them. I couldn't catch any of them as they were in the water. That' why they aren't on the Species Found List. When I spoke to the farmer, he said that in Spring and Summer, he gets Cottonmouths, Copperheads, Hognoseds, Garters and Kingsnakes. He also gave me permission to look under the tin sheets and what not that lay about on his property. Under one tin, I found a vibrant Five Lined Skink but it was too fast and went down a hole. I also found a large Fowler's Toad hopping around.

Fowler's Toad: PC Yatin Kalki

Fowler's Toad: PC Yatin Kalki

In total, I found 9 species for Dr. Rob to photograph. I was looking forward to getting $45 but he said he didn't expect anyone to actually take the challenge seriously and at most, he would pay me $5. At that point, I was happy just with the 8 new species I had added to my American Herp List. My total count now stood at 17 species over 3 herping trips.