Michigan Herp Trips

The swamps and bluffs of southern Illinois have become a more and more popular spot for herpers from across the country to visit each spring and fall. In early april of 2008, my dad and I had the chance to make another trip to the area. However, the weather forecast was less than inviting. With forecasted temperatures in the 40s and 50s with considerable clouds and even possible rain, we decided to grab a hotel near Anna instead of braving the cold windy nights along the Mississippi River at Devil's Backbone campground. A few guys I know planned on making the trip. Don & Sam from Iowa said they would make trip down, as well as Rob from Colorado and his son Nicholas.

Limestone Bluffs in Southern Illinois

On friday night, my dad and I met Rob & Nicholas at the southern end of Snake Road for a nightwalk. Temperatures were in the high 40s and it was windy, not exactly ideal conditions for herp movement. Although the other guys were a little worried about the weather, there were a few areas along the road I knew would hold some herps. First off we headed to a salamander spot in hopes of seeing some Cave & Longtail Salamanders. As we checked the spot, we weren't dissappointed. Several individuals of each species were found in wet crevices in the bluff walls.

Longtail Salamander

Cave Salamander

After seeing countless numbers of Cave & Longtail Salamanders, I took the rest of the group over to a well known Cottonmouth den. After searching the area with a flashlight, I didn't see anything. It was Nicholas who spotted our first snake of the trip. "There's a cottonmouth in this log!" he said, poiting his flashlight into the roots of a fallen tree. It was funny, because I had checked the log and sworn I didn't see anything. But sure enough, there coiled deep in the log was a nice little Western Cottonmouth. Here is the snake as Nicholas found it.

Cottonmouth in situ

Western Cottonmouth

After spending a short time with the Cottonmouth, we headed up Snake Road in hopes of finding some more amphibians under rocks, logs, etc. We turned up a ton more Longtail & Cave Salamanders, and spotted tons of Northern Zigzag Salamanders (Plethodon dorsalis dorsalis) as well. There was a particular creek that had lots of flat rocks along its banks which literally had a few salamanders under every rock. We also found a few Bronze Frogs (Rana clamitans clamitans) under rocks in the creek in large numbers.

Northern Zigzag Salamander

Bronze Frog

Longtail Salamander

Northern Zigzag Salamander

The weather began to get colder and so we called it a night. The next morning, my Dad and I met up with Rob, Nicholas, Don, Sam, Seth, and Bradley near at the Winter's Pond parking lot around 10:30 AM to take another run at Snake Road. The weather was even colder than the day before, and certain areas of the road showed how hard the area had been hit by weather a few weeks earlier.

The First Swampy Area at Snake Road

We weren't too far in when Don yelled that he had just flipped a little neonate Western Cottonmouth under a big rock. He brought it up onto the road and it was the smallest Cotton I've ever seen. The little yellow tail was no more than 6 inches long. But as with all neonate Cottonmouths, it was absolutely beautiful.

'Lil Yellowtail

Western Cottonmouth

After photographing the little Moccasin we found the road impassible due to high water, so we drove around to the south end of the road and go in from there. First off, we decided to go check the cottonmouth den. I was the first up the bluff and when I reached my head around the end of the fallen tree, there was a nice sized adult Cottonmouth moving out of the roots. Once everyone else made it up to the den, Don found and even larger adult coiled in the same spot Nicholas had spotted a sub-adult Cottonmouth the night before. Everyone circled around and spend a few minutes photographing some very cold Cottons.

Western Cottonmouth

The Group Photo Session with the Cottonmouths

 Shawnee Moccasins

This means he's a little upset!

Western Cottonmouth

After photographing the Cottonmouths, we continued our way up the road. With the weather being overcast and cold, we figured the majority of what we found would have to be flipped. So we continued to flip as many good looking rocks and rocks as we could in order to turn up some herps. Nicholas and I went up in the bluffs for a little while and flipped up a nice little Five-lined Skink.

Looking down on the Road

Five-lined Skink

Finally after a day and a half herping our rear ends off, I got a lifer. Sam flipped a nice Smooth Earth Snake (Virginia valeriae) under a huge rock. It was a nice change from the Cottonmouths and a very healthy little snake.

Photographing the Smooth Earth Snake

Smooth Earth Snake

Not much farther up the road, Don flipped another new species for the trip. It was an eft-stage Red-spotted Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens). These little amphibians are one of my favorites.

Red-spotted Newt

The real bummer of the trip was when Sam found a rarer snake species that inhabits Snake Road. This Midwest Worm Snake (Carphophis amoenus helenae) would have been an awesome find if it wasn't dead. We concluded that it had probably emerged early and then froze when the weather turned cold again. Too bad, it was a cool little snake.

Midwest Worm Snake

Sam also managed to catch this little Ground Skink before it got away.

Ground Skink

The weather began to turn colder and rain was coming, so we called it a day and headed back to the hotel for the night.

Don, Bradley, Myself, Nicholas, and Rob

The next day would bring the chance of finding one of my target species for the trip, one that was high on my to see list. Marbled Salamanders are in my opinion the most attractive of the Ambystomatids in exception to the Flatwoods Salamander (Ambystoma cingulatum) and the spot we were heading towards gave us a good shot. We met up with Rob & Nicholas in Anna and drove to our spot and headed out. The terrain and surrounding areas looked perfect for salamanders to be out, and the rain from the night before improved our chances.

Back up the Embankment after Flipping for Salamanders

We weren't far in when Nicholas flipped a large rock and proclaimed that he had two salamanders. They turned out to be a male & female Small-mouthed Salamander (Ambystoma texanum). These salamanders are endangered in Michigan, so it was awesome for my dad and I to get to see them.

Male & Female Ambystoma texanum

Small-mouthed Salamander

What you lookin' at?

After seeing two Sallies within the first ten minutes, things were looking good. Five minutes later as I was flipping some debris near a swamp edge, Nicholas called out that he had another salamander. I asked him what kind, and he replied, "I think it's a Tiger Salamander." This was sweet, I was thinking I was going to walk up and see a large Tiger in Nicholas's hands, but what I saw was a small black and white salamander about 4 inches in length. I couldn't believe it, a Marbled Salamander! This was the sallie I had wanted to see for such a long time, and there it was right in front of me.

Marbled Salamander

Ambystoma opacum

We continued our walk up the tracks and came across an unfortunate sight. We found this Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) along side of the tracks and he appeared to be injured, his plastron was cracked up pretty good. We moved him as far away from the tracks as posibble and let him go, I hope he made it.

Eastern Box Turtle

The habitat along the tracks was swampy and looked ideal for cottonmouths. It always seems so odd seeing cypress swamp in southern Illinois, when it looks like you're in the bayous of Lousiana.

Cypress Swamp

A little further up the tracks, I found my answer to whether or not Cottonmouths were found in the area. Before you freak out on this next picture, take a good look at the snake.

Me with a Cottonmouth

DOA Western Cottonmouth

We found the snake on the tracks, and it had clearly been hit by a train. It was dead as a dornail. Really kind of unfortunate, a very nice looking snake. We started to head back towards the entrance to our spot, but not before Rob found this nice little Ground Skink.

Ground Skink

On our way, we saw Don, Sam, Seth, & Bradley flipping some stuff along the tracks. They had two nice Marbled Salamanders and a large female Spotted Salamander.

Spotted & Marbled Salamanders

Spotted Salamander

Marbled Salamander

Rob, My Dad, & Nicholas Checking out the Marbled's and the Spotted

Me Photographing a Marbled Salamander

Despite the horrificly bad weather, we still managed to get out anf see some pretty cool herps. I managed to pick up two lifers on the trip, the Smooth Earth Snake & Marbled Salamanders. It was awesome to meet some new people, join again with other friends, and spend a weekend in the field with my dad.

Farewell for now...

Species Observed:

• Longtail Salamander
• Cave Salamander
• Eastern Zigzag Salamander
• Red-spotted Newt
• Small-mouthed Salamander
• Spotted Salamander
• Marbled Salamander
• Southern Cricket Frog
• Bronze Frog
• Ground Skink
• Five-lined Skink
• Eastern Box Turtle
• Midwest Worm Snake
• Smooth Earth Snake
• Western Cottonmouth

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