# What's Your Coolest Herp Find In The Wild?



## SERRAPYGO (Feb 4, 2003)

Living in Wisconsin, we don't have a big variety...but, when I was 16 yrs old I was hiking through a state forest in the fall when I came upon the biggest garter snake I've ever seen. This mother had to be pushing four feet! The only problem...I had the family dog tied to my waist and she was pulling back as I kept lunging for the snake in tall grass. I never got it, and ended up beating the snot out of the dog! (no!)

Two years ago while fishing in a state protected water fowl preserve, I found a huge Blandings Turtle (endangered and protected) sunning itself on the trail. Very rare turtle in Wisconsin. As much as I wanted to take it home, I picked it up...kissed it, (no!) and put it in some deep grass off trail so other morons would'nt find it. Hmongs tend to come in there and take, catch and eat whatever they can!

And last year, my aunt called and told me she had a dangerous snake that's been hanging out in her yard. She took a photo of it...it was a Fox snake. Still kinda rare for WI. I would've liked to catch it.

In Wisconsin...I would still like to find a Ring Neck Snake, a Massasauga, and a Rough or Smooth Green snake. I forget wich one we have here. Maybe both.


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## Winkyee (Feb 17, 2003)

Coolest would be a Northern Ringneck, so small it was in a wood pile. There were newts in there too.
This was northern Ontario.


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## SERRAPYGO (Feb 4, 2003)

Winkyee said:


> Coolest would be a Northern Ringneck, so small it was in a wood pile. There were newts in there too.
> This was northern Ontario.


As a kid, the NRN was the first snake I kept other than local garter snakes. Gorgeous little smooth scaled snake! It reminded me (in mini form) of the Eastern Indigo wich I still really want! But, they our CITES.


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## Guest (Jul 8, 2010)

An Eastern Milk Snake. My dogs came upon it last year on our lawn which was unfortunate for the 3 foot long snake







I have never seen a snake that size in the wild before. It was gorgeous! To bad it got eatten







I saw them jumping around and by the time I got over there it was already dead.


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

In southern ontario there isnt really anythign rare that ive actually seen. Garter snakes are common, for amphibians theres salamanders. There used to be i think its called a missisauga rattle snake in the area though its not often seen.


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## sapir (Jun 20, 2008)

a baby sidewinder rattle snake was the coolest, i ended up keeping him for a few months. he was very picky and did not eat any pinkys only lizards


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

For amphibians theres also little brown tree frogs and pond frogs and toads, Are there even any lizards native to ontario?


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## SERRAPYGO (Feb 4, 2003)

> An Eastern Milk Snake. My dogs came upon it last year on our lawn which was unfortunate for the 3 foot long snake I have never seen a snake that size in the wild before. It was gorgeous! To bad it got eatten I saw them jumping around and by the time I got over there it was already dead.


DAMN DOGS!











> There used to be i think its called a missisauga rattle snake in the area though its not often seen.


"Massasauga"... yeah, we have them too, but I've never seen one.

I'm getting to the point where I'd like to find anything but a friggin' garter snake! I do find hognosed snakes every now and then but only in one certain area.

Where the hell are the Florida members? You guys should be finding evasive pythons and stuff!


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

half the species in florida are not even native probably. Everglades have tons of boas too. I think they even have a wild avicularia avicularia population.


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## SERRAPYGO (Feb 4, 2003)

CLUSTER ONE said:


> half the species in florida are not even native probably. Everglades have tons of boas too. I think they even have a wild avicularia avicularia population.


Florida is bombarded with invasive species. The Burmese Python is talked about the most, but, even South and Central American fish are showing up in canals...like the oscar, and Jack Dempsey. I haven't heard about avicularia, but I don't doubt it. Florida is prime turf for avics! I have heard of a breeding colony of redrump tarantulas down there, though. 
I'd love to get down there and go on a critter hunt!


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