A Trip to Texas

This last couple of weeks me and the missus have been visiting family and friends in the old u-ess, so have been filling our free time searching for funky lil critters to take pictures of. I've still got a day or two left but the weather has finally turned for the worse so this may probably be the full list... Alas, no rattlers!  

Pictures by myself or my other half, Alison.

Green Anole, Anolis carolinensis. Ubiquitous here on the coast and my first find.

Turkish Gecko, Hemidactylus turcicus. A familiar species for Europeans but also widespread over here. Not native, obviously.

Ground Skink, Scincella lateralis.

Texas Spiny Lizard, Sceloporus olivaceus.

Crevice Spiny Lizard, Sceloporus poinsettii.

Gulf Ribbon Snake, Thamnophis proximus orarius.

Rough Earth Snake, Virginia striatula.

Southern Copperhead, Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix.

Mississipi Green Watersnake, Nerodia cyclopion.

Red Eared Slider, Trachemys scripta.

Ornate Box Turtle, Terrapene ornata ornata.

Rio Grande Chirping Frog, Syrrhophus cystignathoides.

Gulf Coast Toad, Bufo valliceps.

Then there were the ones that got away... all in all, Texas is well worth a visit!

Lee.

Sounds like a great trip. I can't see any pictures though.

I've waited and waited but just get the list of species with a few lines of space between. Anyone else getting this? Gemma don't go to any trouble over this if it is just me. I'm green with envy just reading the list. Pictures might be too much!

Hmmm, yeah - something funny going on with our server. Trying to sort it.

All the pics were taken around the Galveston bay area except for the two Sceloporus, which were fom Enchanted Rock natural area, in the hill country.

Unfortunately I didn't get to do any night searches in the more remote areas, although we did a lot of night driving during which we saw no live snakes. In fact, the only DOR we encountered was a well baked Thamnophis. Presumably it being November had a large bearing on this, although it was 75-80 most days so perfectly pleasant, T-Shirt warm most nights, too.

So, it looks like I'll have to go back at the next available opportunity as I still want to find corals, cottonmouths (everyone I met out there pointed me in the direction of a local pond or river where I'd guarenteed see dozens, but no joy!), rattlers and horned toads. Heck, there's 74 species of snake alone in Texas, I may try to emigrate.

In the meantime I'm back in the UK and to add insult to injury I have to spend the weekend in Mablethorpe!

Thanks for all the feedback.

Oh, and finally, the ones that got away...

Texas Whipsanke, Masticophis taeniatus girardi.

Five-lined Skink, Eumeces fasciatus.

Brown Anole, Anolois sagrei, another introduced species found all over a man made complex in Galveston while sans camera.

Large Rana frog - they jumped like Carl Lewis so didn't get close enough to see one very well, let alone catch one.

River Cooter (common or texas), Pseudemys concinna or P. texana - it didn't hang around long enough for me to get a shot and found in a locale that could hold either.

 

Regards, Lee.

Edited by -LAF

Now at noon on Friday all pix are there instantly!