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Speak Out: Road cruising

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Anonymous on 2003-08-30
I think the southwest has the best nocturnal road cruising.

MildVenom on 2003-08-26
Havent done it yet, but it sounds like a great way for an incapacitated herper (aka broken arm, sprained ankle) to still find their fav. herps.

Anonymous on 2003-08-26
Ted Tutor From TEXAS
Oh, man,there are soo many great places here..the best overall collecting is near the Big Bend {OUTSIDE the park}
and the most kickass collecting done by myself has been near Langtry, and on Juno rd. The Trans-Pecos is supreme!!..all on one road during a two nights drive, I have, or friends have collected collected Various morphs of Grey-Banded kings,Pure desert kings,Emory's ratsnakes, Trans-pecos ratsnakes, Bairds ratsnakes, mojave, western diamondback, mottled rock rattlesnakes, checkered garters,bullsnakes,and there are alot more that inhabit that cool area!!
Watch out for the police, and other law enforcement, most are aware of herpers, and harass,bullyreg, and intimidate them, and many are crooked expletives.
Will tear apart your car looking for"drugs"...only to leave with all your equipment etc all over the ground.
but that whole region is the most beautiful and serene place I have ever been.

Anonymous on 2003-08-21
I really do not do any road cruising. Most of the herps I do see on the road are eastern box turtles and of course snapping turtles. I see mostly black rat snakes that have been hit by a car (on purpose Im sure). I just pick up the turtles and place them back in the woods in a secluded location. The snappers, I usually take back down to the creek. They are hissing and snapping the whole way. I usually find a branch with leaves still in tact on it and hold it between me and the snapper. It does work alot, since there head and neck can stretch back over there shell. Usually see them out after big rains. Just another reptile to save from a careless driver.

reptle on 2003-08-16
I try to road cruise when ever possible. I mainly go out to try to help any injured herps I can find. In one night the most casualties I ever found that were saveable was 23. I caught my favorite snake that night, a big female Black Ratsnake named ebony.

Anonymous on 2003-08-14
Hello from southern Ohio!
I live outside Shawnee State forest and road cruising is a popular past-time around here with some of the folks.
Personaly my only tool is a camera , and the main snakes are copperheads.
Road #6 in Shawnee is a good place to view the snakes on cool nights.The main congregation area being below the Fire-tower { called Copperhead Tower - and for good reasons!}, where the road dips and does a small turn.
It is believed that the dens are somewhere in this area on the side of the hill.It is reputed that early spring and late fall a lucky person { or unlucky depending on your view..} can come across hundreds of Copperheads warming themselfs on the gravel roadway.
I have witnessed this only once and was at an age then where I was more scared than I was thrilled. Now I am older - I have tried to photogragh them in a larger number - but have had no luck yet.

jimmorrison on 2003-07-10
Hello, fellow missouri herpers. I live in st.clair missouri. I have a spot just out side of st.clair where the past 2 summers I have found almost 60 coppers!! An awsome road for coppers. The past 2 summers I have crusied for snakes there and 8 out of 10 snakes I would find would be a copperhead. St.clair is 51 miles west of st.louis on I 44. There hasnt been any other venomous reported in the area for many years. Good habitat for C.horridus though. I have heard a few stories from some of the locals about how they "kiled" a rattlesnake,So there might be a few left. Not many though. On another note,Iron CO. Missouri. Last night I found my first Missouri C.horridus!!!!!!!! It was very very cool. Tristan_c@hotmail.com

Anonymous on 2003-07-06
As I understand it, the laws have changed regarding road cruising. You can only do it in unprotected and unmanaged areas. So for the guys still going in the National Parks and other areas "Shame on you if you get caught". And I hope you do! It's a great way to find some corns, kings, waters, garters, and cottons - that we caught last night. 67 altogether.

NickVenom911 on 2003-06-29
my personal record is 35 snakes, me and my buddy on national park road in Everglades National Park. Sunset and sunrise this time last year on a warm florida night. 13 Cottonmouths, 7 Garters,9 Brown water snakes,2 pygmy's and 4 Ribbon snakes.what a night! we could practicly walk from snake to snake on foot and not even drive. What a great time florida summers are!Dont forget your bug spray!

CrotAlanis on 2003-06-28
I love road cruising!!! Last night though, I saw more glossy snake raodkills I've ever seen in one night. I only found one live one. I'm going to keep him a short while because he's very quick to bite which is rather rare in glossy snakes. Normally I go cruising in central NM. So fare I've caught four Crotalids and eight Colubrids. I've only been out half a dozen times. QUESTION FOR EVERYONE: What's your record of snakes captures in one night and what genus did the snake(s) belong to? I'd love to know!

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