In 05' I began archiving and taking digital photos of Reptiles and Amphibians encountered while Field Herping. I was an avid field herper long before 05' but never kept records of herps confronted and rarely took photos. By clicking HERE you will be taken to my field herping photo gallery where each trip during a given season is outlined with a species list, photos of most of the species encountered, and a writeup describing our endeavors.  

Field Herping 

Encountering Reptiles and Amphibians in their natural setting has always been a pleasure of mine. This section of the website simply discusses that enjoyment and provides the readers with some photos of Herps I have encountered in the field. I will introduce the section with a story because as the world would have it and as my friends would confirm, I am a storyteller.

While walking down the street with my childhood friend at a very young age we discovered a childhood treasure no, not a snake, a trailer hitch that had fallen off of a truck. Yes, a trailer hitch. We began to quarrel between one another on who would get to keep that treasure since the both of us had discovered it at the same moment in time. Little did I know that divine intervention would later put an end to this dispute?

Still quarreling in his front yard an hour or two later we happened upon another treasure but this treasure was quite different. It had a blend of colors like nothing I had seen and the sun caused it to glisten like a precious gem or metal. When I approached this unfamiliar sight it exploded in my opposite direction moving in an extremely unique manner. I quickly weighed my options, either pursue this critter or do what seemed much more natural and stand their like a statue and allow it to flee. I certainly could not let this opportunity escape and I chose to try and capture this serpent. Of course, it had been embedded in mind by those around me since before I was born that snakes were evil and that I should avoid them.

I attempted to capture this animal without touching it because it could most certainly cause me harm, or so I thought. An empty cooler near the garage would serve as a wonderful capturing device. I held the cooler while my friend danced in front of the snake in a more than peculiar fashion in an attempt to coax the uncooperative critter into the opposite direction where our cooler trap awaited. After many attempts we finally detained our quarry. A beautiful and fairly high-strung adult female Red Sided Garter. We sat sweating over our prize full of content. In one summers day we had found a magnificent trailer hitch and captured a dangerous (of course not really dangerous) but yet beautiful serpent. As the sun began to set on that summers day my friend and I had agreed that he would keep the trailer hitch and that I would take snake. I knew nothing about keeping a snake in captivity but there was no way I was letting it go, it was just too cool.

I kept that snake for nearly a year. In that time I built lavish terrariums equipped with real sod and lots of areas to climb. I felt my little gal was living in a lap of luxury. The poor thing finally died, most likely of starvation as I never fed it anything but grasshoppers (oops) and although I probably did kill the little girl, I learned a lot from the entire experience. This experience initiated my curiosity with snakes and led to my eventual, as some would call it, obsession. I learned that not all snakes were dangerous and later found that my State and even my neighborhood possessed some insanely cool species of reptiles and amphibians. If it wasn’t for these great experiences as a child I would probably still be frightened at the site of that unusual form of locomotion.

Today my desire to locate and document Reptile and Amphibian treasures is stronger then ever. I consistently hunt close to home and take a trip or two every season that is some considerable distance from home. The satisfaction derived from locating reptiles and amphibians in the field is unsurpassed in my little Herpetocultural world. It is the process just as much as the end result that is so rewarding. Witnessing an animal in its natural setting in a way that very few people have cannot truly be described, it must be experienced in order to gain the full appreciation.

In addition to the personal satisfaction field-herping bestows it also provides individuals with an education and promotes conservation. In my mind field-herping reconnects people with nature and reminds or even teaches that they are a part of their environment. An individual’s every day decisions affect more then themselves but also other inhabitants of that environment. People are so often immune to others around them human and non-human (plants and animals) alike. Something like field-herping can be a healthy reminder that we humans are still a part of nature and our actions have consequences.  I am blessed to live in a state that has a large diversity of indigenous Reptiles and Amphibians and a rich Herpetological history. If you can take some time out to experience your native environment it will be well worth it. Happy Herping!

Click HERE to view my Field Herping Album