4-14-16

Trip Details

Location: Linn and Benton Counties, Iowa

Weather: 70 degrees. Sunny, light winds.

Time: 4:30 p.m.

Herpers: Matt Ricklefs, Jim Scharosch

Account by: Jim Scharosch

Matt and I got out to a site that we visit often in Linn County. The habitat has been altered quite a bit over the last few years, but the animals persist. It had been a while since we had seen a bullsnake here but we know they are still around.

We were proven right pretty quickly, as we found our first Bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer) of the season not five minutes into our walk. It was a young adult just under three feet long.

Photo by Jim Scharosch

Photo by Matt Ricklefs

A while later we found another, about the same size.

Photo by Jim Scharosch

Photo by Matt Ricklefs

That was all from this site, so we moved on to another site in Benton County. We found a couple of Garter Snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis). One was cranky and dirty.

Photo by Matt Ricklefs

The other was really red, and very pretty.

Photo by Jim Scharosch

We found our first Fox Snake (Pantherophis vulpinus) of the year as well.

Photo by Jim Scharosch

It was a last year’s baby, about twelve inches long.

This spot has been good for Ribbon Snakes (Thamnophis proximus) and we found a small one under rocks near the southernmost portion of the site.

Photo by Jim Scharosch

Photo by Matt Ricklefs

That was it for the day. It was nice to get out after work with Matt.