Tried a new spot today...
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Posted by snakeguy88 on October 17, 2002 at 21:32:31:
I went with my friend to his stables, or where his family keeps its horse. There is a large bayou area. I flip a rock after about 10 min, didnt see anything under it, and set it back down. Then my friend yells that "You are crushing it!" I toss the rock aside and felt my spirits drop. I had set it back down an easily 15-18 inch long Nerodia. I believed that it was N.e.falvigaster at first, but now after closer examination, even tho the belly appears like a flavigaster, it has the dorsal pattern pretty well defined like a transversa. He was producing blood from his mouth, and I did not expect him to live much longer. I decided to collect him and try to see what I could do. He seems better now, is browsing his terrarium. He would not eat a small Leptodactylid frog (rio grande chirping) I found in the area, but the baby blotched scott gave me sure did. I found a large western ribbon which escaped into the loamy soil before I could grab it. On the way back, I see what I thought to be a cottonmouth. I tell my friend "Honest to God that is a cottonmouth." He figured it was a stick, but as we approach(we were a little short of maybe 100 yds) there was the trapjaw floating on the surface 10 ft from the bank. I step into the water (it was so murky and God knows how deep...) and my friend hands me the net. The thing gets pissed and heads right back at me! I was about ready to wet myself but tried to aim him towards the net. Not much you can do when you are up to one knee in mud about to slide down the bank. The cotton decided escape was a better idea, and slid through the root like water plants. I tried to run to other side of the creek to catch him (I ran flat out and just about died of exhaustion), but by the time I got to the area he was swimming for, he was gone. The spot is productive, that all took an hour. Anyway, Thanks for reading and I will get pics soon. SCott, if you read this, we can try this place out this weekend probably. It is MUY cool. Andy
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