The Luck Continues...NJ Pine Barrens

[NJSnakeMan]

I can't post a trip report without a picture of one of these little guys.... a neonate water snake. It's funny to watch them act like their adults.

Worm snakes have been under lots of cover this year, here are 2 of the many found thus far.

one of the bigger ones

During the winter time i layed out a dozen or so boards.... so far they've yeilded lots of redbelly snakes, and this time i fliped a 4 foot black racer. Never did i see a snake bring it's body up from the ground and try to attack your face.

It's about time i stumbled upon one of these gals-because i've been searching my butt off. She was found foraging alongside a creek, didn't try to bite one... loud hiss though!
Me with pine snake

Belly/side shot. She was black with little white speckling 1/3 of the way down. I also noticed some redish blotches on her side (visible in the picture)... is this typical in northern NJ pine snakes?

Well, that's it for now! Hope you guys enjoyed looking!
-Brandon

 

[uuglypher]

It's about time i stumbled upon one of these gals-because i've been searching my butt off. She was found foraging alongside a creek, didn't try to bite one... loud hiss though!
Belly/side shot. She was black with little white speckling 1/3 of the way down. I also noticed some redish blotches on her side (visible in the picture)... is this typical in northern NJ pine snakes?

Well, that's it for now! Hope you guys enjoyed looking!
-Brandon

Hey, Brandon; way to go! Congrats on your first pine snake! You've been overdue and deserving a nice one. Guess it hasn't been for lack of tryin', right?
As for the reddish blotches... I'm embarassed to say that I just don't remember that feature on pines I've seen of ANY provenance. I'd hate to think that I just didn't notice, priding myself on my powers of observation, 'n'all.... Live and learn!
And oh yeah! Those black racers can definitely be aggresive. My dad took some 8 mm movie footage of one I'd recently caught pursuing me across our lawn. One "over-the-shoulder" strike she threw at me took her completely off the ground in two of the frames of the movie.
Thanks for the great report.
Dave

 

[bobpbx]

All nice photos. Well done.

 

[swwit]

Belly/side shot. She was black with little white speckling 1/3 of the way down. I also noticed some redish blotches on her side (visible in the picture)... is this typical in northern NJ pine snakes?

The reddish blotches are not typical but not uncommon either. That's a nice pine though.

 

[dragoncjo]

Brandon, you have been due, congrats. About how big was she? I can't tell from the pic, she looks pretty long in your hands. After seeing that pic I now realize the one I came across was a really thick snake.
Chris

 

[NJSnakeMan]

She wasn't a monster- 4 1/2-5 ft long. She had some very interesting pattern on her stomach though- is that typical in all northernNJ pines?

 

[woodjin]

Wow! Great photos!

Jeff

 

[Teegate]

They are nice photo's. That shows what a macro can do when it works

Guy