Michigan Herp Trips
Herping Trip Reports from Across the Country
July 29, 2007: Summer in Southeast Michigan
It was the halfway of the summer and the herping year had been very productive. It was another warm evening in late July and I was out at my local stomping grounds doing some end of the day herping. There had been a good amount of rain over the previous two days, so herps were on the move everywhere. Toads, frogs, and snakes very out along the edges of the trails, and the evening light set the tone for an awesome night of herping.
Damp Woodlands in Washtenaw County, Michigan
As I was meandering throught the scenery on this trail, I saw movement ahead of me in the middle of the trail.
This good sized Eastern Garter was out on an evening hunt.
Where's the snake?
Dekay's Brown Snake
This Dekay's Brown was flipped under some concrete bricks near a creek. After flipping nothing more than a few Rollie Pollies, I headed back near some ponds which usually have good herp activity around them. From a distance, the habitat looks fantastic for herping.
Hello herp country!
While walking along the edges of the ponds, I found this healthy Garter on the prowl.
Eastern Garter Snake
As I finished photographing this gorgeous snake, I received a phone call from a friend that they had just encountered a nice adult rattlesnake at a site five miles from where I was that. So with that, I took off and met up with my friend who indeed had found a beautifully patterned adult Massasauga. The snake was about two feet in length and looked great, nothing wrong with seeing another of Michigan's venomous snake.
A beautifully patterned Eastern Massasauga
Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake
Another successful trip complete with Michigan's rattlesnake made the summer of 2007 all that much more special.
Species Observed:
- Eastern Garter Snake
- Dekay's Brown Snake
- Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake