Ontario Herpers

[ont_herper]

hey everyone,

I was just wondering what your snake specie total in Ontario was for 2003 and what your goal species, if any, are this year.
Last year was my first summer of serious herping and I found 11 species of snake. The snake that really skunked me last year was the E. Hognose, I spent around 30 hours of driving and hiking only looking for a Hognose with no luck. Hopefully luck will be with me this year lol.

[danh]

I had probably the best year for snakes / herping in general! The only other year I can think of when I saw even close to as many herps as I did this year was at camp in Georgian Bay.

Snake list for '03:
Eastern Garter Snake
Northern Ribbon Snake - First Ever!
Eastern Fox Snake
Northern Brown Snake
Blue Racer
Northern Water Snake
Lake Erie Water Snake
Eastern Milk Snake - First Ever!
Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake - First Ever!
Eastern Hognose Snake - First Ever!
Smooth Green Snake

My goal species (AKA the species I WILL see) for '04 are:
Boreal Chorus Frog
Pickerel Frog
Mudpuppy
Central Newt
Northern Dusky Salamander
Northern Two-lined Salamander
Stinkpot
Western Painted Turtle
Wood Turtle
Black Rat Snake
Red-sided Garter Snake
Butler's Garter Snake
Queen Snake

So far, 2003 has been my best herping year, but I plan to make 2004 even better!

dan

[Dom]

I have seen the following this year..

Eastern Garter snake.
Reb bellied snake
Eastern Milksnake
Black rat snake
Northern water snake

Hane only gone out for a total of maybe 25 hours.. and alwasy in the same erea..

Ottawa and east of Ottawa..

[Swampwalker]

Smooth Green
N. Ringneck
E. Garter
N.Ribbon
E. Fox
N. Brown
Blue Racer
N. Water
Lake Erie Water
Eastern Milk
N. Red-bellied


Check out this years field notes submitted by several Ontario & Canadian herpers ( and one American):

The Herp Journal (http://www.ontarioherpers.org/herpjournal/)

[Dozer]

Black Rat Snake haven is Frontenac Pro. Park.

[Swampwalker]

Black Rat Snakes are at the top of my must find list for 2004. Also on the list are Massassauga Rattlesnakes, Hognose and Queen Snakes

[Jeff Hathaway]

For me,
E. Garter
N. Ribbon
N. Brown
N. Redbelly
N. Water
Lake Erie Water
E. Fox
Blue Racer
Smooth Green
E. Hognose
E. Massasauga

For a total of 11. Just realized I never saw a milk snake this year; have to rectify that next summer.

Jeff Hathaway
Sciensational Sssnakes!!

[Jayson]

E.garter
N.ribbon
N.red bellied
N.water
lake eire water
E.milk
N.ringneck (First ever)
E.fox (first ever)
N.brown ( first ever)
Blue racer (first ever)
Hundreds of five lined skinks

2002,s find that were missed 2003 E. hog nose,smooth green

2004 main goals Massasauga,s black racers,

[Jayson]

2004 main goals Massasaugas, Black RATS!! LOL

[Ontario_herper]

Eastern Garter Snake
Northern Ribbon Snake Eastern Fox Snake
Northern Brown Snake
Blue Racer
Northern Water Snake
Lake Erie Water Snake
Eastern Milk Snake
Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake
Eastern Hognose Snake
N.red bellied

I spent most of my time looking for turtles this summer but this is my list. Of course my goals for next year are all of those that I missed this year LOL

I also really want to finish my turtles off... woods and stink's

[KristenM]

Tonnes of Smooth Greens
Northern Ribbon Snake
N. Eastern Garter Snake
Northern Brown Snake
Eastern Fox Snake
Northern Water Snake
Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake (Like over 50!!! I also saw a 8 babies with a mom, and tonnes of matings!)
Eastern Hognose Snake (I saw 13 hognose and 3 matings, and 1 egg laying :P)
N.red bellied
Eastern Milk Snake
Ringnecks (Lots of those too)

I also found some really cool turtles (some with the help of others) and a stinkpot shell (closest I've come to seeing one!). I saw tonnes of skinks, and a couple new amphibians, fowlers toads, mink frog, blue spot, and yellow spot sallys! Something else I saw this year that was really cool yet herp unrealated was 2 owls.

Kristen

[Herpsrus]

All of you people have had real good luck this past year. Where abouts are you finding the large colubrids (Black Rat, Fox, Milk, Hognose)? All four of these snakes are on my to see list. These are the animals I have seen this season.

Eastern Garter
Northern Ribbon
Smooth Green
Red Bellied
Northern water
Ringneck

Stinkpot
Blandings
Painted
Snapping

Mike

[carpetman]

The best spot to find Hognose is Apsley,Ontario,insane numbers in the hundreds nesting,Massasauga,s in Georgin Bay best place to find or near Lake Simcoe( Barrie side) ...Hope this helps
Carpetman

[Jeff Hathaway]

Geez, Kristen, good thing you didn't come to Pelee or you would have beaten Dave and I! So a three way tie for first with 11- anyone else beat that?

Mike, if you want to see fox snakes (and maybe racers), come to Pelee! Also, the 'Barrie side' of Georgian Bay is a little inaccurate- along the east side of the bay, massasaugas range from approx. Honey Harbour to the French River delta.

Carpetman- what constitutes 'insane' numbers? I'd agree that the Apsley area would be pretty good, but I'm curious how many you have seen there to make such an estimation.

Jeff Hathaway
Sciensational Sssnakes!!

[JD@reptiles]

E. Garters melanistic and normals
E Fox snakes
Blue racers
lake erie water snakes
northern water snakes
brown snakes
E. massassauga

Thats all for ontario.
Saskatchewan

Prarie rattle snakes (LOTS)
Bull Snakes
wondering garter snakes

Florida.

Black Racers
Cottonmouths

Thats all.

Jordan

[Swampwalker]

Jeff, I see it as a five way tie for the first with 11 Ontario snakes:
you, DanH, Kristen, Ontario Herper, and myself.

I've been struggling to come up with another that I may have missed, to take the lead but I think thats it.

[KristenM]

LOL Jeff I really wanna go to Peele again this year! Have you thought about what weekend your going down, so I can get the weekend off way in advance! :)
Kristen

[Swampwalker]

I do think that some of the people should have some species disqualified from the list because they where radio tracked. ;)

[JD@reptiles]

agree'd, lol

[KristenM]

I don't because I had to find them first, then they were implanted with radio transmitters! Nice try stewart LOL

[Swampwalker]

It was worth a shot, but how about DanH.

Stewart

[ont_herper]

I could cheat and take the lead with 12 species but the racer I found on Peele was DOR.

[Removed_2815]

Ontario:
Yellow-spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum)
Blue Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma laterale)
Eastern Redback Salamander (Plethodon cinereus)
Eastern Newt / Red-Spotted Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens)
American Toad (Bufo americanus)
Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)
Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor)
Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica)
Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens)
Pickerel Frog (Rana palustris)
Green frog (Rana clamitans)
Bull Frog (Rana catesbeiana)
Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)
Midland Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta marginata)
Five-lined Skink (Eumeces fasciatus) - 100's
Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis)
Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon)
Redbelly Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata)
Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi)
Eastern Smooth Green Snake (Opheodrys vernalis vernalis)
Northern Ringneck Snake (Diadophis punctatus edwardsi)
Black Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta)
Eastern Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum)

I think that's 23 for Ontario. Now, make this international and I am well over 60 species of herps for this summer!

Goals for 2004:
Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus catenatus)
Blue Racer (Coluber constrictor foxi)
Eastern Fox Snake (Elaphe vulpina gloydi)
Queen Snake (Regina septemvittata)
Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)

Cheers,
R

[Swampwalker]

I believe we are couting snakes, I havent added everything else up yet.

[Removed_2815]

Originally posted by Swampwalker
I believe we are couting snakes, I havent added everything else up yet.
Ha, sorry Stewart, you're totally right. I got a little sidetracked (I think other's posted other herps and that's what misled me)!
Anyway, add the rest of your herps up!
I guess that's 9 snakes then (I forgot to add a Ribbon Snake in there)....
Cheers,
R

[ChokeOnSmoke]

This was the worst year I can remember for not only snakes but frogs toads and newts up here in Thunder Bay.
I'm jealous of you all. All I saw this year were eastern garters but thats all we have. I'm most definitly coming down to southern ontario to go herping this summer. Is Pelee Island "the" place to go? Any other suggestions?

[Swampwalker]

Snakes (11):

Smooth Green
N. Ringneck
E. Garter
N.Ribbon
E. Fox
N. Brown
Blue Racer
N. Water
Lake Erie Water
Eastern Milk
N. Red-bellied

Turtles (5):

Snapping Turtle
Painted Turtle
Spotted Turtle
Blandings Turtle
Map Turtle

Amphibians (11):

American Toad
Bullfrog
Spring Peeper
Grey Tree
Leopard Frog
Wood Frog
Green Frog
Spotted Salamander
Blue Spotted Salamander
Red Back Salamander
E. Newt

Lizard (1):

Five-Lined Skink

I think that brings the total up to 28. I'm not sure if I should also include the Small Mouth salamanders on Pelee Island because they are some kind of hybrid. That would bring it up to 29. :)

I just took a look back at the Herp Journal (http://www.ontarioherpers.org/herpjournal/2003_04_01_archive.phtml) archives and it appears that many of us had 17 or 18 herps by April 22. Add to that the species found on the May 24 weekend on Pelee Island and that would bring the count up to at least 20. Thats a great way to start off the season. I can't wait for the warm weather.

[ont_herper]

Since everyone's been posting everything they saw here's my list for all Ontario Herps:

(11) Snakes
E. Fox Snake
E. Garter Snake
E. Massasauga Rattlesnake
E. Milksnake
L. Erie Water Snake
N. Brown Snake
N. Red-bellied Snake
N. Ribbon Snake
N. Water Snake
Butlers Garter Snake
Smooth Green Snake
Havent made it towards Ottawa for Black Rats yet

(7) Turtles
Blandings Turtle
Map Turtle
Painted Turtle
Snapping Turtle
Spiny Softshell
Spotted Turtle
Stinkpot
(Slider)
Looked for Wood Turtle with no luck

(8) Salamanders
Blue Spotted Salamander
Four Toed Salamander
Jefferson Salamander
Northern Dusky Salamander
Red Backed Salamander
Red Spotted Newt
Small Mouthed Salamander
Yellow Spotted Salamander
Tried to catch mudpuppies, didnt find any

(1) Lizard
5-Lined Skink

(11) Frogs and Toads
Am. Toad
Bull Frog
Chorus Frog
Fowlers Toad
Gray Treefrog
Green Frog
Leopard Frog
Mink Frog
Pickerel Frog
Spring Peeper
Wood Frog
Didn't make it north for boreal chorus frog.

Thats 38 species for this year, as you can imagine I put in a lot of hours though. 39 if you count DOR racer

[Ontario_herper]

Oh yea I forgot ring-necks.... that makes me 11

Does a burmese and retic from last year count? They should count as four species due to their large size and nasty temperment lol

[Swampwalker]

doh, the ringneck puts you into the lead with 12 Dave. Look at your list again, you have two species on one line.

[Ontario_herper]

Now I just need to learn how to count. I look forward to herping with some of you in the spring. More good times!

Perhaps I'll even see some of you muddog hunting in a few weeks.

[Jeff Hathaway]

Lots of great lists- hopefully I'll get a chance to get out more next year.

Kristen, the Pelee trip will be the May long weekend, which I believe is May 22-24 this year. I am reasonably sure that we will go ahead again this year. And Ryan, given your list of 2004 hopefuls you'd better plan to join us!

Choke on Smoke, Pelee is a great place to go for numbers of snakes and a few species which are hard to find anywhere else in Ontario. There are many other places with greater diversity, though. If you are interested in going to Pelee, you should come with us- you'll see a lot more than if you go by yourself. Also, it is much harder to find anything in the summer- by June the vegetation is grown up so much that you can't find things. Actually, even in late May it can be tougher than 3-4 weeks earlier.

Congrats Dave- it makes sense you'd see the most between Pelee, Roundeau, and Georgian Bay:-)

Jeff Hathaway
Sciensational Sssnakes!!

[Removed_2815]

Any Ontarians herp outside Ontario this summer?
Here's my total list (Ontario and North Eastern USA) for 2003:

Caudata: (9)
Yellow-spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum)
Blue Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma laterale)
Eastern Redback Salamander (Plethodon cinereus)
Marbled Salamander (Ambystoma opacum)
Four-Toed Salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum)
Eastern Newt / Red-Spotted Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens)
Cave Calamander (Eurycea lucifuga)
Northern Slimy Salamander (Plethodon glutinosus)
Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus fuscus fuscus)

Anura: (13)
American Toad (Bufo americanus)
Fowler's Toad (Bufo woodhousii fowleri)
Eastern Spadefoot Toad (Scaphiopus holbrooki holbrooki)
Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)
Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor)
Cope's Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis)
Blanchard's Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans blanchardi)
Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica)
Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens)
Pickerel Frog (Rana palustris)
Green frog (Rana clamitans)
Bull Frog (Rana catesbeiana)
Western Chorus Frog (Pseudacris triseriata triseriata)

Testudines: (8)
Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)
Midland Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta marginata)
Eastern Mud Turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum)
Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata)
Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina)
Ornate Box Turtle (Terrapene ornata)
Three-toed Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina triunguis)
Common Map Turtle (Graptemys geographica)

Squamata: (31)
Five-lined Skink (Eumeces fasciatus) - 100's
Broad-headed Skink (Eumeces laticeps)
Southern Five-lined Skink (Eumeces inexpectatus)
Coal Skink (Eumeces anthracinus)
Ground Skink (Scincella lateralis)
Six-Lined Racerunner (Cnemidophorus sexlineatus)
Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Western Slender Glass Lizard (Ophisaurus attenuatus)
Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis)
Plains Garter Snake (Thamnophis radix)
Northern Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis sauritus septentrionalis)
Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon)
Redbelly Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata)
Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi)
Eastern Hognose Snake (Heterodon platyrhinos)
Eastern Smooth Green Snake (Opheodrys vernalis vernalis)
Rough Green Snake (Opheodrys aestivus)
Northern Ringneck Snake (Diadophis punctatus edwardsi)
Prairie Ringneck Snake (Diadophis punctatus arnyi)
Black Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta)
Eastern Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum)
Red Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum syspila)
Eastern Worm Snake (Carphophis amoenus)
Northern Black Racer (Coluber constrictor constrictor)
Black Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getulus nigra)
Eastern Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getulus getulus)
Speckled Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getulua holbrooki)
Red-bellied Watersnake (Nerodia erythrogaster erythrogaster)
Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)
Southern Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix)
Northern Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen)

I think that's it! Those are off the top of my head, but I think I got them all. 61 species, there may be one or two more. My journal is back home right now. As you all know, I got some great photos of most of these animals. I think I only missed 6 or 7 of those species (when I was caught without a camera - I have been regretting not being able to take a photo of the Red-bellied Watersnake, she was a beast!).
By far, my best year (keep in mind I devoted a good 10 hours a day for about 40 days observing these species).
Cheers,
R
Edit: Here's a schematic of my field-herping route this summer:
http://home.cogeco.ca/~rbolton1/Folder/usa.JPG

[Nicky]

in 2003 and three i found

over 50 eastern garter snakes
5 red sided garters
one baby rat snake
one injured water snake
one eastern milksnake
10 bull frogs
1 baby painted turtle
2 snapping turtles
100s of leopard and piccaro frogs
an american toad
acouple of spring peppers
and a baby black bear with mama not far behind(not herp related but very scary meeting them face to face)

goals for this year

to find an eastern hognose snake
a black rat snake
a water snake
a milk snake
newts or salamanders more bullfrogs

saddly my herp spot which is near our cottage in a forest is now being cut down for more cottages:( so me and my cousins will have to find a new spot. Sad that such a beutiful forest will be cut down just for more people. what is this world comign too one day animals will just suddenly dissaper all togther:( its a real shame.
kayla

[Ontario_herper]

Yea I like to get around Jeff! lol

What was most amazing about this summer was the number of blue-spot salamanders and map turtles that I saw. On more than a few days I saw 190-200 blue-spots (none of these were re-captures). On my best day I saw 300-400+ map turtles, again no re-counts.

This particular spot (which I'd rather not name) was very rich in several species of herp.

[Removed_2815]

Originally posted by Jeff Hathaway
And Ryan, given your list of 2004 hopefuls you'd better plan to join us!
We'll see Jeff! So long as I am not rolling around catching five-liners somewhere down in the States at that time.
R

[ont_herper]

My 2003 overall list is to big and would take way to long to type out, but all together I had 95 species. I don't no if I'll ever be able to do this well again. All I know is I can't wait to get out herping again!!

[Removed_2815]

95 species?!? Wow, what places did you herp?
R

[Swampwalker]

That must be an amazing list Ont_herper, what are some of the highlights and where?

[Ontario_herper]

I too would be very interested to hear about your travels ont_herp.... You too Ryan... one day someone will pay me to travel the US and Canada in the search of herps!

[Ontario_herper]

Although, not a very "fancy" herping spot (infact sometimes considered downright dangerous), downtown Rexdale is considered a somewhat beggining spot for many herpers. I not only perfected my turtle catching abilites at the age of 5 but also many a herper has come fromt his area.

You know what I'm saying Jeff! :)

[Jeff Hathaway]

Hey Rexdale was pretty good to us ('98-'02). We had toads breeding in the creek behind us, and eventually green frogs in the backyard pond, plus garters and browns. The people who bought the place from us found a milk snake that summer, but we never did:-(

That turtle pond you go to is pretty cool, not to mention finding the occasional python...

Jeff Hathaway
Sciensational Sssnakes!!

[Removed_2815]

Originally posted by Ontario_herper
one day someone will pay me to travel the US and Canada in the search of herps!
Whenever I do decide to begin graduate studies and I need to form my own team for field studies, you'll be tops on my list Dave....
R

[ont_herper]

hey,

Although hard to believe I only spent 9 days herping outside of Ontario to compile my list from the mid-west and Carolina. I had 37 species of snakes, 24 frogs and toads, 15 salamanders, 13 turtles, and 6 lizards. Highlights were Timber Rattlesnakes, S. Copperhead, E. Kingsnake, Bullsnake, Mud Snake, 9 species of Nerodia. Marbled salamanders, Cave salamanders, Dark Sided Salamander, 10 inc Broad Headed Skink, Ornate Box Turtle, E. Spadefoots and one of the most thrilling species I caught was a Pine Barrens Tree Frog!!

[Ontario_herper]

Jeff... never knew of milks in the area. Now I have a mission in the spring!

Ryan... let me know if you ever need any help. I'm eager and willing. BTW I'm going to mail that herp CD this week!

[Wizwise2000]

I live close to Woodstock, Ontario. Not a whole lot of species of snakes around here. I'm told I'd need to travel more south. Oh well. Will do our best this year:)

Shane