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Tim & Ed's West Texas Trip 2003 by Tim Cole
Ed Acuna and I left Austin for Del Rio Tuesday evening June 4th, 2003 at 5:30pm.
Right off the bat we had an interesting pair of snakes in the car.
We were transporting a pair of Bushmasters to Del Rio to a friend.
AOR = Alive on road.
DOR = Dead on road.
- June 3, 2003
- Kinney County:
- 9:00pm DOR- Bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer sayi) 30"
- Val Verde County:
- 10:50pm DOR- Bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer sayi) 6.5'
- 11:00pm DOR- Trans Pecos Rat Snake (Bogertophis subocularis) 4.5'
- June 4, 2003
- Val Verde County:
- 1:15am AOR- Steve & Kelly Hammock (Herpers)
- 1:45am AOR- Couch's Spadefoot Toad (Scaphiopus couchii)
- 1:50am AOR- Couch's Spadefoot Toad (Scaphiopus couchii)
Ed and I stayed with Alan Tennant in Marathon Wednesday night.
We met up with Gerry Salmon and Craig Trumbower for drinks, dinner, and talking herps of course!
- Brewster County:
- 8:00pm AOR- Desert Box Turtle (Terrapene ornate luteola) Female
- Black Gap Area
- 9:00pm AOR- (2) Round Tail Horned Lizards (Phrynosoma modestum)
- 9:06pm AOR- Western Green Toad (Bufo debilis insidior)
- 9:11pm AOR- Western Green Toad (Bufo debilis insidior)
- Saw several more Green Toads and quit counting at this point.
- 9:17pm AOR- Banded Gecko (Coleonyx brevis)
- 9:28pm AOR- Banded Gecko (Coleonyx brevis)
- 10:16pm AOR- Banded Gecko (Coleonyx brevis)
- 10:30pm AOR- Tom Eisley & Wife (Herpers)
- 11:50pm AOR- (2) Texas Night Snake (Hypsiglena torquata jani)
- June 5, 2003
- Brewster County:
- Black Gap Area
- 12:00am AOR- Texas Night Snake (Hypsiglena torquata jani)
- 12:45am AOR- Southwestern Earless Lizard (Cophosaurus texanus scitulus) - diurnal lizard at night?
- 1:00am AOR- Round Tail Horned Lizards (Phrynosoma modestum) - diurnal lizard at night?
- 1:15am AOR- Trans Pecos Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix pictigaster)
- 1:45am AOR- Trans Pecos Rat Snake(Bogertophis subocularis) (male) 4.5'
- 2:55am AOR- Red Spotted Toad (Bufo punctatus)
- Presidio County:
We stayed at the Wild Horse Station in the Christmas Mtns. The cabins were actually trailers under a metal canopy. A bedroom with two beds each was at both ends of the trailer with a living room and fully equipped kitchen in the middle. We were impressed with the accommodations. Ed & I shared this with Dan Vermilya & Chuck Anniecelli.
- 8:40pm AOR- Collared Peccary (Tayassy tajacu) Small pack.
- 8:45pm DOR- Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) 30"
- 9:17pm AOR- Banded Gecko (Coleonyx brevis)
- 9:30pm AOR- Blacktail Rattlesnake (Crotalus molossus molossus)
- 9:32pm AOR- Banded Gecko (Coleonyx brevis)
- 9:35pm AOR- Ringtail Cat (Bassariscus astutus)
- 9:50pm AOR- Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana)
- 10:00pm AOR- Red Spotted Toad (Bufo punctatus)
- 11:15pm AOR- Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) 30"
- 11:44pm AOR- Trans Pecos Rat Snake (Bogertophis subocularis) 3'
- 11:50pm AOR- Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) 30"
- June 6, 2003
- Presidio County:
- 12:40am AOR- Trans Pecos Blind Snake (Leptotyphlops humilis segregus) 9" gravid female.
- 1:45am AOR- Trans Pecos Rat Snake (Bogertophis subocularis)
- 1:50am AOR- Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) 30”long male
- 3:00am AOR- Texas Night Snake (Hypsiglena torquata jani)
- 3:13am AOR- Great Plains Narrowmouth Toad (Gastrophryne olivacea)
- Brewster County:
- 2:15pm AOR- Western Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum testaceus) 6'
This snake was just starting to cross the road in front of us. I stopped the car and we piled out quickly.
The snake had shot into a clump of mesquite and prickly pear cactus about ten feet in diameter a few feet
from the road. Chuck managed to clear the vegetation and block off the retreat for the snake. Dan and I
were right behind him as we each took a position to triangulate ourselves around the thorny clump of
plants. Each time the snake would try to exit we would attempt to grab it. This was difficult due to the
mesquite and cactus thorns! After what seemed like 5 minutes of crazy antics by 3 grown men, Chuck
hollered "I'm stuck in the cactus!" At this point the snake shot past Chuck. As a last ditch effort Chuck
lunged and stretched as far as he could while anchored by cactus thorns! Luck was with Chuck as he was
able to grab the last few inches of Coachwhip tail. The snake immediately wound itself in among the
plants in an attempt to pull out of Chucks grasp. Dan jumped in to get a better grip on the snake as it
was pulling out of Chucks grasp. I was right behind so I got the snake around mid body and untangled it
from the mesquite and cactus. Any of you that are familiar with the coachwhip know of its reputation as
a biting & thrashing snake. Several people had told me that the pink phase tended to be a much calmer
snake. I do believe what we put that snake through would have been a good test for this! The snake did
not attempt to bite us as we held it for examination and pictures. People driving by us would slow down
and look. One vehicle actually stopped and several people came over to ask about the snake. Then they
asked if they could have their pictures taken with it also! We warned them that it may bite but they
were insisting on pictures. As it turned out they got the pics without even a bite attempt. We released
the snake on the side of the road it had been traveling towards.
We hiked the Window Trail in Big Bend that afternoon and were able to observe and photograph:
- Plateau Spotted Whiptail Lizards (Cnemidophorus septemvittatus septemvittatus) Several.
- Bairds Rat Snakes (Elaphe bairdi) 2 were spotted along the trail.
- 9:15pm Texas Lyre Snake (Trimorphodon biscutatus vilkinsonii)
We found a remote canyon in the Christmas Mountains that we were able to get to without crossing a fence
or getting onto private property. We started walking the canyon at about 8:45pm. Shortly after 9:00pm it
was dark enough to require our spotlights and flashlights. Chuck had gotten ahead of Dan, Ed & I at this
point. I was shining my light up and down the rock wall and into the bushes at the top of the rock wall.
I found myself looking at the belly of a snake as it crawled through the branches of a bush several feet
above me. At first I thought it might be a Trans Pecos Copperhead but after a second look I called out
"It's a gray-band!" I handed my light to Ed and proceeded to climb the rock wall towards the snake. I
found myself hanging onto a rock with one hand and one foot on a rock ledge. As I gripped the snake with
my free hand it promptly headed into a crevice. I yelled for someone to hold my other foot for balance
so I could free up my other hand. I felt someone grab my foot so I proceeded to grasp the snake with
both hands to keep from injuring it as I pulled it from the crevice. As I was performing this balancing
act Dan was yelling "I'll take the snake if you don't want it!" I climbed back down to the ground and we
all took a closer look and discovered that it was a Lyre Snake. I had a friend at UT that has a permit
for this snake and had requested one for research if I happened to come across one so I brought the
snake back. That evening when we took a closer look at the snake we noticed that she was gravid. The
next day I asked Dan how he had been holding my foot and he surprised me by telling me that I was
standing on his shoulder! I did not realize that I was that high off the ground. That would put the
snake at around 13 feet above the ground.
- Presidio County:
- 11:15pm AOR- Kenny Wray (Herper)
- June 7, 2003
- 1:55am AOR- Texas Night Snake (Hypsiglena torquata jani)
- 9:00pm (2) Big Bend Tree Lizards (Urosaurus ornatus schmidti)
- 9:05pm AOR- Banded Gecko (Coleonyx brevis)
- 11:10pm AOR- Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) 30" male
- 11:35pm AOR- Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) 30" male
- June 8, 2003
- Brewster County:
- 2:10pm AOR- Western Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum testaceus)
- Val Verde County:
- 6:oopm AOR- Western Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum testaceus)
- Edwards County:
- 9:15pm AOR- Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) 30" male
- June 9, 2003
- Val Verde County:
- 1:00am AOR- American Badger (Taxidea taxus)
- 1:40am AOR- Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)
- 2:15am AOR- Gray-banded Kingsnake (Lampropeltis alterna) - Photo by Ed Acuna
At this point we had given up hopes of seeing any more snakes. We were actually heading
in for the night when this snake pulled out in front of me and I did not even have time
to swerve so I straddled the snake praying I cleared it. Ed videoed the snake before we
even picked it up. I did witness Ed doing the alterna jig during these moments!
Once again we had a good trip and I look forward to the next one.
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