Anybody in PA have tips for Herping this region?

melissaisdown · 04-11-12, 05:06 PM

Hello all, I'm new here, and new to herping and I'm just wondering if anybody from this area (Southwestern PA) and if you had any advice on the types of places to go in search of things. The trail I run on has given me a garter, a water snake and of course toads but I'm hoping to find something different like a Queen snake. I know they eat crawfish mostly but I know no place in my county where crawfish abound. Thanks in advance.

Bel5191 · 04-11-12, 08:12 PM

Hi there. I can't help you much there since I only got into herping at the end of last summer. If you want to see copperheads and possibly timber rattlesnakes the Ohiopyle State park has plenty of them (near Uniontown). I've run across a fair number of blacksnakes and garters there as well.

melissaisdown · 04-12-12, 11:52 AM

Thank you! I actually work not too far from Ohiopyle (though live 26mi from it) And was wondering how the snake pop is up there. I was also on the PA Hunting & Boat site and noticed that PA has a copperhead "season" from June to July--which is interesting.

As another herper in my same area, do you mind if I ask you, generally, what type of locales (streams, rivers, rock quarries, woods) you tend to find the most snakes? I'm just wondering if I should take time off from my river trail to go trolling in fields, or not.

Thanks again!

Will0W783 · 04-12-12, 12:01 PM

Hi there,

I live in Southeastern PA and I used to live in Northeastern, so I can give you some good pointers. In SE PA there is a place called Hawk Mountain- it is near the Cabela's outside of Hamburg. There are multiple rattlesnake dens there, as well as copperheads. In NEPA, if you go to the border region of Luzerne County and Wyoming County (Tunkhannock region), there are lots of copperheads and Timber rattlesnakes.

I used to find Dekay's brown snakes all over, but haven't seen them in about two years. Anywhere you can find a nice stream or pond, you are likely to find water snakes and garter snakes.

Good luck, and if you want to get in touch to do some field herping together, feel free to PM me.

Bel5191 · 04-12-12, 10:47 PM

I mostly go on hillsides and rock outcrops next to the Youghiogheny river. You can find them sunning themselves. Sometimes you'll see them laying in the middle of the hiking trails. I almost stepped on a garter 2 weeks ago :P

I actually have my venomous permit but I'm not a snake keeper and I'm not going to kill a copper or rattler because there's not enough around. I just have it in case someone would wonder what I'm doing, just to cover the bases.

melissaisdown · 04-14-12, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bel5191

I mostly go on hillsides and rock outcrops next to the Youghiogheny river. You can find them sunning themselves. Sometimes you'll see them laying in the middle of the hiking trails. I almost stepped on a garter 2 weeks ago :P

That's funny because the Youghiogheny & its trails are where I've been herping. I normally run on those trails but, like you, I've seen lots of garters and 1 water snakes out basking. Yesterday I went herping, found two garters, a ringneck and a bunch of salamanders. PM me if you ever want to meet up or something. It would be nice having an extra set of hands to lift the heavier rocks!