Speak Out: Road cruising
As summer quickly approaches, field herpers are getting back into the field. Road cruising is the simplest means of field collecting and among the most popular. For this speakout topic, I would like to see herpers share cruising stories, strategies, techniques, and hot spots. When giving locations bear in mind most people reading them will not know slang road names, so try to give proper road numbers and exits from major interstates if applicable. Also include the species one would likely encounter on the roads suggested. This is the first summer for many “green” herpers, so let’s try to point them in the right direction.
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Anonymous on 2003-06-27
I dont road cruise. But I do go in the woods quite often and try to find any type of snake I can venomous or not.
copperheadkid15 on 2003-06-26
just got back frome rode cruising.
2 kings.
1 copper (did not mess whith it more than to get it off the road i am only 15 i dont need a venomos bite!!).
1 black racer.
(I thank i did good :) ps.my grandmother drove me . i cant drive yet)
berusbloke on 2003-06-22
Just a thought as I am not familiar with US roads. Do you guys have cattlegrids on your roads. We have them in the UK and snakes and other creatures can get trapped if they are deep enough. Also, in South Africa on theR527 nr Hoedspruit in N.Province is an excellent road for puff adders and rhombic and snouted night adders. Also Mossambique spitter, and tiger snakes.
I have caught puffs and other snakes in cattlegrids on the R532 which runs past Blyde River Canyon plus stuff on the road.
cottonmouthtom on 2003-06-22
Road cruising ils sometimes the only way to find herps in some areas, especially an unfamilar area. One of the biggest mistakes that I have seen newcomers make is to drive PAST the quarry and stop instead of stopping well before. It might seem like an no brainer to us 'ol' timers' but it is good advice for the novice. Checking pavement with the hand is another good tip as most herps will come onto a paved road to soak up some heat. I see a lot of Canbrakes this way in the paved roads within and adjacent to the Okefenokee NWR where I volunteer every July. I agreewith you whole heartedly about the derogatory comments made by some of the respondents. We have to realize that Herpetology is just like any other hobby or profession, it does attract some folks who do it for their own egos. You can usually tell them by their habit of "bragging" about their bites from snakes. I would also advise anyone road cruising to keep very accurate notes on times, temps, habitat, mileages, etc.
berusbloke on 2003-06-19
Greetings from sunny England. I have done a lot of road cruising in Africa, mainly during my study of Gaboons in Zululand (sorry KwaZuluNatal). Just a thought, road cruising means a lot of dead snakes, do any of you guys take tissue samples? This at least utilises a resource for mT DNA, and could tell us a lot about stability/genetics of local populations.
chewwy on 2003-06-19
Please not again guys, we have gone a month without fighting of words. We are all reptile lovers and our a specal breed of people, so lets skip all the junk and have some fun herping and telling some tails. Grey
sceniccityreptiles on 2003-06-19
Anonymous, actually it is much worse then that. I live in TN, so I can not keep any venomous legally. Check your facts to avoid making yourself look stupid. My collection has to be kept at a friend’s house in GA. GA law at least allows us to keep the indigenous venomous. If I know nothing because of the GA state law, then I am assuming you think the president and VP of this organization know nothing either, as they live in GA. Again, check those facts. And as for your question, I am originally from VA where I kept cobras and gaboons. Yes, I have experience in them. If you would have taken the time to review my website, you would have saw pics of me with a cobra and a gaboon. Those facts are just so pesky, but man they make you look stupid when you do not check them. =)
Anonymous on 2003-06-18
chuck hurd knows nothing. He can only keep local venomous legally so what experience can he have? hey chuck ever work with agressive 15 ft malaysian king cobras? how bout mambas or taipans? any cobras?! damn it must suck to live in restricted states
cottonmouth on 2003-06-15
Man, I would love to be there catching Speckled Rattlers!!!!!!!!!!!!you are very lucky to be in such a good area.
exeter on 2003-06-14
Does anyone know of any places close to
LA/Hollywood, Joshua Tree National Park,
Mojave Nataional Preserve, or any other
places near the LA area. I went to Joshua
Tree last week and found my very first
rattlesnake- a speckled rattlesnake. I will be
traveling to the Mojave National Preserve
this weekend and would like to find some
more reptiles. Please email at
snee25@aol.com
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