has anyone found any wild herps yet?

[LeoLover1]

Very cool! Is that a snapper?

Yes, a Common Snapper. My neighbors when I was a kid would catch these and make soup. Bleh!!!

 

[Amanda1]

I used to find baby snappers a lot when I was a kid. They are too cute! My mom never let me keep them though, so back to the creek they went.

 

[kouneli]

Recently found a red racer snake in my backyard..along with the usual fence lizards. Fortunately I haven't found any rattlers in my backyard. Don't think my 14 year old dog would survive a rattler's bite. Of course, doesn't mean that they aren't there.

 

[Rylee]

Found 2 turtles recently (not too sure, but i think they are some kind of mud turtle).......they are my new little pets now

 

[LeoLover1]

Found 2 turtles recently (not too sure, but i think they are some kind of mud turtle).......they are my new little pets now

Pictures!! Maybe someone can help ID them.

When I was in college I had a softshell turtle I'd caught. I released him into the campus lake when I graduated. He was really neat!

 

[Jetfire]

I can id any turtle y'all can find, just post a decent pic

 

[Rylee]

I will post a pic later today.. i'll get one now.

 

[Rylee]

Here they are.. I think the bigger ones a female and the smaller one a male but i'm not sure. It would be awesome if they were, maybe a little later i could get some eggs! They are living in two plastic baby pools for now, with a bridge made of chicken wire across so they can go back and forth. They seem to like being in the same pool together better than being alone. All ive fed them is sliced turkey, ive only had them for a few days... any other ideas on what to feed them? The waters kind of dirty, i am going to change it today. Their shell is a light greenish\yellowish with black (it might be from algae or pond gunk or something like that) and their skin is black with faint dots or speckles. Both are eating and appear to be healthy.

 

[Jetfire]

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but those are both older male pond sliders. The males have a tendency to turn very dark (melanistic, actually). Also, the long fingernails are a dead giveaway as to them being males.

 

[Jetfire]

Older wild sliders mainly eat vegetable matter, try romaine lettuce (just tear a couple leaves into rough chunks) or pull some weeds out of your local pond or whatnot.they like crustaceans alot as well, try freeze dried shrimp or go catch some crawdads.

 

[Rylee]

Ok! Thanks for the information! I'll try some lettuce soon, and i'm always catching crawfish at a nearby creek.

 

[jess]

well the green & brown anole lizards are everywhere at my house, here in florida!!! we had a 3 day straight good rain & the tree frogs were everywhere, singin as loud as ever!!! cute lil guys! also been seeing a blue tailed skink here & there!!

 

[jess]

a blue tailed skink i caught 4 a day & than set it back free the next

some kind of snake i found on 1 of my plants pots

turtles that sit out on my lake's peninsula & bask in the sun daily

 

[Jetfire]

Cute little baby ratsnake. either a gray or yellow ratsnake, they both look the same at that size

 

[LeoLover1]

beautiful skink! I love how shiny they are

 

[jess]

beautiful skink! I love how shiny they are

yes indeed! skinks are so beautiful!!!! i wuz going 2 keep him, but decided it wud be wrong 2 take him out of his natural habitat. atleast i got 2 enjoy looking at him 4 a day! they are fast lil buggers 2!!

 

[Jetfire]

Jess, what part of "God's waiting room" do you live in? What kinds of geckos can you find around?
I ask because I have relatives in Citrus Springs, and i've found Mediterranean geckos (and at least 7 other non gecko lizard species) there. I know that the further south you get, the more species of geckos you could possibly encounter (especially in Miami, there's like4 or 5 species, last I heard)

 

[Josh2]

Wow some of you are really lucky to have so many wild herps around!

 

[jess]

Jess, what part of "God's waiting room" do you live in? What kinds of geckos can you find around?
I ask because I have relatives in Citrus Springs, and i've found Mediterranean geckos (and at least 7 other non gecko lizard species) there. I know that the further south you get, the more species of geckos you could possibly encounter (especially in Miami, there's like4 or 5 species, last I heard)

jetfire, i live in northern central florida. & if u mean wild gecko's i haven't seen ne where i'm at in fl! but i wudnt doubt there's some further south. that wud be awesome 2 see some wild gecko's tho, 4 sure!!!!

 

[LeoLover1]

I went down to the river today, but all I saw was a toad and lots of tadpoles!