2013 highlights and 2014 targets (1 Viewer)

So another year draws to a close and unless something extraordinary happens, I'm unlikley to see any more herps in 2013.

Natterjacks were my highlight of the year, with adults calling and doing their thing in Dorset and lots of immatures seen in Hampshire.

So what is everyone looking forward to in 2014? Personally, I'll be making another attempt at the Boscombe green lizards and hopefully trying for more established exotics (edible frog, midwife toad). I also hope to take some better photos of our herps and do more local stuff, but finding decent ponds in our part of Wilts for spring amphibian work is increasingly hard.

Happy hunting one and all.

Cheers,

Paul

I shall be (weather permitting) putting in more hours on those chuffing Aesculapian Snakes and doing some photography. Natterjacks will be a target, I have no digital images of those.

I also really hope to encounter Prairie Rattlesnake during our summer trip to Yellowstone (Marion hopes the opposite!)

Good hunting all....sssss

John

Work commitments meant I didn't spend much time looking for UK herps this year (it was the same in 2012). I did manage a few visits to local snake sites with mixed results. Highlight was finding a very young Adder in an area where the species seems to be in decline.

Two trips to the USA provided plenty of other 2013 herp highlights. The best were Western Diamondback and Sonoran Sidewinder in Arizona and Scarlet Snake in Florida, plus loads of other reptiles and amphibians.

In 2014 I would finally like to find a Yorkshire Slow-worm. I have a couple of sites but they're far from common in these parts. A trip to Morocco and Western Sahara should also produce some new species.

I think my favorite herp of the year was a very pink Coachwhip in my yard. I also got San Diego Alligator Lizard in my yard, which was neat.

Targets for next year? Hmmm. Probably any rattlesnake, and more lizards since I'll be traveling to many different places.

Seeing my first Puff Adder in Uganda was a highlight. Only other snake I saw on this trip was one of the green snakes snatched from the ground beside the Kazinga Channel (I was on a boat at the time) by a Black-chested Snake Eagle.

Still need to see Natterjack to complete my UK native herps list. I'm guessing nearest to London are at Sandy.