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Posted by Norman on April 07, 2002 at 12:23:30:
In Reply to: Re:Love to hear some of your experiences!! posted by Dwight Sayers on April 07, 2002 at 09:56:54:
I started herping that area as soon as I got my drivers license. I go back to the early eighties when you could pull off the Alley onto the paved roads west of st. Rd. 29. Back then I brought stuff to the Miami Serpentarium to meet my idol. I caught alot of very nice moccasins Haast was quite impressed with and needed at the time. He said he hadn't seen ones like them in a long time then. I gave him a hypomelanistic moccasin back before I ever heard the word before so it goes without saying I never noted temperatures and all that. I caught mostly venomous out there except for one yellow rat, a hognose which I didn't know existed that far south and a few other things. Indigos were always protected but I always regarded them as the top prize to find and loved seeing them. They were usually too fast to catch unless they were caught sunbathing. I noted mites on them and mostly red chins with white underneath. I also did find a DOR Brooks King that was real green almost like that dyed one in Reptiles Mag last year or so. There are two really different times out there- flooded and dry. I noted right after a light rain seemed to be the best for just road cruising- everything came up on the road for some reason and we never had to get out of the truck til we spotted something. We saw so many Pygmy rattlers we would just call out in a bored tone, "pygmy" and run right past it unless it was a whopper or something. I saw otters and everything imaginable like I said but I realized I never did see a gopher tortoise out there! I know of an Indigo from that area that was scary huge from a friend who photographed it and it was bigger than you would believe if I told you-without proof it does no good but I think it was over nine feet long. It was draped over the shoulders and touched the ground on both ends. I usually was there in broad daylight til evening and it really didn't seem to matter, I'd say everything was more active during hot dry times and harder to catch. Wet times seems like everything was slower but right by the roads- then they bolt into the water and are still hard to catch. There are times you could really get alot if you really tried out there, and days you spot an Indigo you could probably see more than one because they're moving around for whatever reason. You mention names that are old timers- you must be my age or so. I never collected for volume or money- just fun and to get into the Serpentarium for free! Wish we could go right now!
