2002-2006 Photos

This is a collection of photos from 2002-2006. Most of them are reptiles, amphibians, or people. It's great seeing Ryan grow up. This was also the heyday of herping with my good friends Jason Folt and Brian Horne. Most of the photos are from Ohio -- the location is only indicated if the photo was not taken in Ohio. I have also excluded photos from adventures any further west than Texas. We moved to Ohio in the late summer of 2001, so this largely represents my introduction to the state. It's also interesting to see my camera skills and equipment progress. I started out with a really cheap point-and-shoot, moved up to a Sony F717, and then to a Canon 20D over this time period. I should also mention that a few of the photos were taken by Jason or Roxanne.

One of my first outings in Ohio worked out remarkably well. I wound up seeing three Timber Rattlesnakes and several other reptiles.

Timber Rattlesnake, April 2002. Photographed as found.


Another Timber Rattlesnake, April 2002. Photographed as found.


Checking out a creek with Ryan, April 2002. He was never shy about getting into the water.


Ryan and a milksnake, May 2002. I had held the snake for a while, and it showed no sign of being bitey. So I handed it to Ryan so I could take a picture of him with it. And of course, a split second before I took the picture, it bit him. The look on his face is priceless. Not the sort of photo I would share with Ryan's grandparents... I think that Ryan took it a little bit personally -- why does this snake like my dad but not me?


Ryan catching some tadpoles, May 2002.


In June of 2002, we cleaned up the swimming pool at our new house. I wish that we would have taken more pictures in the beginning. These are some bullfrogs that we caught out of it. We gave them to a friend who had a pond.


A young Black Ratsnake, June 2002. We found this little guy in our backyard when we were cleaning up some junk left around the swimming by the previous owners. I decided to keep it, and still have it now. It must have hatched in the late summer of 2001. Needless to say, it is much bigger now...


A Copperhead, August 2002. I saw a fence lizard run into a crack between a railroad tie and a large block of concrete. I put my face up to the crack, and waited for my eyes to adjust. When they finally did, this is what I saw... Glad I wear glasses... This spot was an old railroad bridge abutment. There were several railroad ties and concrete blocks. It was a great spot to see gravid copperheads. Usually there were 2-3 here every summer. Unfortunately, the abutments and railroad ties have now been removed... It's not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but it still makes me sad.


Ryan and an Alligator, December 2002, Florida.


Roxanne, December 2002, Florida.


Wood Frog, March 2003. One of many amphibians Jason Folt and I saw this night. This was our first time out in the field together.


Spring Salamander, March 2003. My first.


Zebra Swallowtail, April 2003. Ryan went through a butterfly phase for a couple of years. I miss that.


Roxanne hefting a Black Ratsnake, April 2003.


Jason and a racer, April 2003. Roxanne, Ryan, Jason, and I met up with Andy Avram on this day.


Roanoke Bass (Amboplites cavifrons), May 2003, North Carolina.


Dueling male Bull Chubs (Nocomis raneyi)), May 2003, North Carolina. They are about a foot long. I really miss the rocky Piedmont streams of North Carolina.


I'm pretty sure these are River Cooters (Pseudemys concinna), May 2003, North Carolina. This photo appeared on the back cover of the Spring 2005 issue of "North Carolina Naturalist"...


May 2003, North Carolina. Did I mention that I miss the rocky Piedmont streams of North Carolina?


Black Ratsnake, May 2003, North Carolina.

In May of 2003, I spent a couple of days in south Texas. One night, I met up with Erik McCormick.

We saw this Western Diamondback, and several other animals. South Texas, May 2003.


Mexican Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum annulata). I saw this the next night. Unfortunately, it had been hit a little bit by a car. South Texas, May 2003.


Two Copperheads, as found under a rock slab. May 2003.


A closer look at one of them.


Northern Watersnake, June 2003, North Carolina. Photographed as found.


Copperhead, June 2003. Photographed as found.


Copperhead, June 2003. Photographed as found.


A closer look.

The above image forms the basis for my Ohio Copperhead avatar:


Marbled Salamander, August 2003.


A hatchling Black Racer, September 2003. This little guy turned up in our swimming pool.


Jason and a young Northern Watersnake, September 2003.


Pickerel Frog, October 2003. Photographed as found.


Northern Leopard Frog, March 2004. This species has a very limited distribution in southeast Ohio.


A young Jefferson Salamander, March 2004. It turned up in our swimming pool.


Calling Spring Peeper, April 2004. Photographed as found.


Redbellied Snake, May 2004.


Brian Horn went swimming to catch this Northern Watersnake, May 2004.


Italian Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis), in its native habitat. Trento, Italy, May 2004. Photographed as found.


Dice Snake (Natrix tessellata), Trento, Italy, May 2004. Do you think I could pass this off as a rufipunctatus?


Ryan and a Five-lined Skink, May 2004. The skink was found in the trash pile in the background.


Black Kingsnake, June 2004.


Jason photographing the above Black King.


Eastern Hognose Snake, June 2004.


Ryan and a Milksnake, June 2004. This photo, and the three preceding, were all from the same very good day.


A pretty Fowler's Toad, West Virginia, June 2004.


Ryan and me, West Virginia, June 2004.


Roxanne and a large Black Racer, West Virginia, June 2004.


Smooth Earth Snake, July 2004. The first I ever found in Ohio. Interestingly, I have never seen any more examples of this reddish color phase since this one.


Milk Snake, July 2004.


Redbellied Snake, August 2004.


Redbellied Snake, August 2004, another look.


Ryan and a Redbellied Snake, September 2004.


Broken-striped Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens dorsalis), eft, North Carolina, March 2005.


Mike, Andy, Trevor, and Ryan. April 2005. Ryan was not happy about the weather. It had rained all day. We did find several Four-toed Salamanders. I also remember hiking quite a long ways with Ryan on my shoulders. This was definitely the last year for shoulder rides.


Ryan and a Spotted Salamander egg mass. Same day as the previous photo.


Spring Salamander, April 2005.


Red Salamander, April 2005. Found with Brian Horne. It was a good day.


Red Salamander larva, May 2005. A rather oddly colored one.


Mud Salamander, May 2005. My first one. Just whetting my appetite...


Rough Green Snake, May 2005. Ryan found it after I had walked right past it. The first one I ever saw in Ohio.


Same snake as above.


Ravine Salamander, May 2005. Shown as found, chillin on our pool deck after taking a dip.


Spring Salamander, June 2005.


Redbellied Snake, June 2005.


Bob Folt and a Black Ratsnake, August 2005.


Jason and Brian, checking out a stream, August 2005.


We found several things, including this Mudpuppy.


Brian and the Mudpuppy.


A neonate Copperhead, September 2005.


Red Salamander Larva, November 2005.


Me, engaged in wintertime silliness with Jason, December 2005.


An oddly colored Norther Spring Salamander (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus porphyriticus), December 2005. I believe that it is anerythristic.


Brian doing a little off-season conditioning. February 2006.


Kentucky Spring Salamander (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus duryi), February 2006.


The crew that found the above salamander.


The same crew, +me, -Jason.


Some nice swampy habitat, April 2006.


Under the moss on the log, there was a Four-toed Salamander laying eggs.


I spotted this Brown Watersnake about 10 feet from the shore of a lake. North Carolina, April 2006.


I suggested to Ryan that he should try to catch it. Without hesitation, he waded out, grabbed it, and brought it back to shore.


Another look at the snake. It has a sizable meal in it.


Ryan, exploring the shallows.


Northern Watersnake, North Carolina, April 2006. Photographed as found.


Queen Snake, North Carolina, April 2006. Photographed as found.


Ryan and a Queen Snake, North Carolina, April 2006.


Me, North Carolina, April 2006.


An Eastern Gartersnake devouring a Fowler's Toad, North Carolina, April 2006.


Mud Salamander, April 2006.


Red Salamander, April 2006.


Mud Salamander, April 2006.


Spring Salamander, May 2006.


Doug and Jason, May 2006.


Ryan and his friend, May 2006. They were looking for fossils.


Me, photographing a little Cricket Frog, May 2006. This was the first one that I ever saw in Ohio.


Eastern Hognose Snake, June 2006.


Roxanne, Ryan, and my dad, June 2006. We were collecting the raw material that my dad will turn into walking sticks.


Eastern Hognose Snake, June 2006.


Eastern Fox Snake, June 2006.


Butler's Gartersnake, June 2006.


Roxanne and a Black Kingsnake, July 2006.


Ryan and me in some interesting man-made habitat, July 2006.


A broader view.


Some sobering history, photographed July 2005.


Jason and a Black Racer, July 2006.


Smooth Earth Snake, July 2006.


Common Musk Turtle (Stinkpot), July 2006. Photographed as found on the road.


Black Ratsnake, July 2006. Photographed as found on the road.


A cool barn, July 2006.


Roxanne and Ryan fishing, July 2006.


Jason with a very large Milksnake, August 2006.


Yonahlossee Salamander (Plethodon yonahlossee), North Carolina, August 2006.


I thought it was pretty funny how this cedar tree grew up through the tire. I have actually seen two examples of this. August 2006.


An attractive gray phase Copperhead, August 2006.


Black Ratsnake, August 2006. Photographed as found on the road.


Black Kingsnake, August 2006.


Milksnake, September 2006.


Rough Green Snake, September 2006.


Black Kingsnake, September 2006.


A ventral view of the above snake.


Ryan and a Black Ratsnake, October 2006. Note all of the "stick tights" that are stuck to his clothes. One of the perils of hiking in the late summer and fall.


Mud Salamander, November 2006.

That's it!