The Science of Summer Roadcruising: Driving Quiet Backroads in Search of Serpents in the South!

Рет қаралды 25,809

2 жыл бұрын

A few interesting nights of roadcruising for snakes this week, and some insight into what I believe constitutes a productive vs. slow night during midsummer.
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Пікірлер: 73

@StaceyS2388 2 жыл бұрын

I have learned so much about snakes in the last two months watching your videos that I have actually conquered my fear of snakes and I am now looking for them and handled my first one last week for the first time. It was a green smooth snake here in Central Missouri. The uneducated me would have said snake and killed it but now that I’m educated I didn’t kill it and I’m glad I didn’t because come to find out it’s a very rare snake. So Thank you! Keep documenting!

@RealAliAbbas 2 жыл бұрын

Same here

@chetchurchill9524 2 жыл бұрын

Good for you Stacy (and Ali)!

@LadyGeckoFoot Жыл бұрын

That angry little water snake was hilarious!

@stanleynich 2 жыл бұрын

Love the new light I can see better great catches I've got to get back to Road Cruising

@gregradford9530 2 жыл бұрын

Always enjoy watching your videos they are very educational keep it up the good work ✌❤🌍🙏

@eddieharris8547 2 жыл бұрын

I've been road cruising evening/night once this summer. Good cruise but I won't be getting back out till gas prices drop.

@Evandodge17 2 жыл бұрын

What an amazing Timber!

@RDCNATION 2 жыл бұрын

Regal moths are so cool. Their caterpillars are called Hickory horned devils and they are wicked looking. Huge and green with black and orange spikes.

@semiretiredtrucker3712 2 жыл бұрын

Great vid as always! Thanks!

@BigBass-xf5yi 2 жыл бұрын

Gorgeous Timber !

@Sushi2735 Жыл бұрын

Those water snakes are either biting you or trying to bite you. Even a baby wants a piece of you! I am constantly amazed at the sheer number of Copperheads there are in Georgia. It’s amazing I’ve never come across one!

@mikebruner6812 2 жыл бұрын

Your new night light looks great. Thanks for coming to my state, Alabama.

@MostMarvelousMOCs 2 жыл бұрын

Amazing title and amazing video bro

@OchoVerde 2 жыл бұрын

What light are you using? The temp window is much smaller in the late summer for sure.

@KeystrokePOSSoftware 2 жыл бұрын

The new video light kicks butt!!!

@petercarmeci8317 2 жыл бұрын

As always, awesome video, Noah.

@fly_speck_cafe 2 жыл бұрын

Loved that tree-lined road.

@cnnroutside 2 жыл бұрын

Very nice Garters!

@chetchurchill9524 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome video Noah. Beautiful patterns in several of the copperheads. I can’t remember ever seeing that much symmetry of pattern in all the contortrix I’ve found in TX. As many have noted, new light is fantabulous. Love the time captions. You are doing great field work, Noah! Keep documenting your findings and interacting with other herpetologists. Also, I would recommend you publishing your data on range extensions, etc. in whatever journals would receive it. It’s been decades since I sold all of my copies of Journal of Herpetology, Copeia, Herpetologica, and Herp Review. Roger Conant, Henry Fitch, Edward Taylor and so many other legends would be very proud of you and your work. 😉

@kevinsmith2774 2 жыл бұрын

I'm always curious about times and temperatures so I hope you keep doing that. Thanks for the vids!

@NKFherping 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the feedback! I’ll try to start including that info more often.

@Bigvic214 2 жыл бұрын

I thought I saw a ufo floating in the beginning of the video but then I realized it was just debris on my screen 😂😂 great video btw I truly enjoy watching and learning

@markdouglas8073 Жыл бұрын

Lovely horridus you found!

@paulk.6969 2 жыл бұрын

Great road cruising video as always. Well done!! 😎👍. The Moth you found was , as I knew it when I was growing up. Was a Royal Walnut Moth. I guess now it’s a Regal Moth. LOL . Too many name changes nowadays. I get confused sometimes.😂😂

@richardcruz102 2 жыл бұрын

I will never forget the night driving out to Grizzly Island there was a 150yd section of road covered with hatchling gopher snakes I had to stop and get them away from the Rd there was an owl and a hawk feasting on the dead one's I kept one for about 3 weeks then i brought it back to where I found it

@mikefalcon670 2 жыл бұрын

Man have many copperheads do you find! Outstanding. Wish they were that common in FL/

@ImHimOng123 2 жыл бұрын

Hope everyone that sees this has a good day

@cnjhendricks 2 жыл бұрын

thank you hope your day is awesome too!

@catafalquon4212 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks buddy

@kmagnussen1052 2 жыл бұрын

Nice pattern on the first copperhead. North Texas temps need to be in the mid 80s.West Texas Langtry temps in the upper 80s and most activity after midnight. The moon effects the activity because of owls. Owls don't eat transpecos rat snakes. Full moon river road found 27 transpecos rat snakes. The moon set no more rat snakes almost like a switch was thrown. There does seam to be a species effect where all of a sudden several to many snakes of the same species are found in the same area about the same time.

@wildlifephotography1337 2 жыл бұрын

Great videoI was recently roadcruising in NC and had a few ratsnakes and a dor mudsnake which might have been the worst thing I've ever seen.

@entity9742 2 жыл бұрын

Had 3 encounters with timbers recently One was a fresh DOR and we took it for processing and the other 2 were relocated since they were juveniles Lookikg forward to seeing diamondbacks one day though

@PaintedTurtle001 2 жыл бұрын

Nice copperheads! Nice herpin! 👍 I hope you make it back to NW AL. You only had an 11min vid the last time you were there. 🙂

@stefanostokatlidis4861 2 жыл бұрын

Nice second garter snake, toad and the timber rattlesnake finally.

@jenn1234 2 жыл бұрын

Great video Noah.......if you want some cooler nights come up to NY! Maybe it would be too cold?! I’m looking forward to you doing some more flipping, but I am happy with what ever you are doing! Keep up the great work and I look forward to your next video! Take care and stay safe!!! 😄💙🐬🐊🐍

@echofoxtrot2.051 2 жыл бұрын

Saw a Garter Snake yesterday that was about 5 inches long. Tiny lil guy.

@katiekirby1480 2 жыл бұрын

I want to start by saying that I love your videos!! I used to be terrified of snakes but after educating myself in recent years, I have started to “herp” some when on our farm, just to see what I could find. I love worm snakes, rings necks etc. I was starting to get discouraged after never finding anything but flipped my first snake today! Given it was a Copperhead, I now have myself freaked out about sticking my fingers under things to flip them 🤣😂 Can you suggest a good snake hook that I could use? I immediately started searching Amazon but didn’t want to get something that will fall apart the first time I try to lift something. Thanks in advance!

@stevenbellew2608 2 жыл бұрын

I agree you do not spend enough time on toads

@joshuahull9982 2 жыл бұрын

I've never really seen a toad that orange. One of my pet toads is really red though. I typically keep my pet toads outside in a really large Rubbermaid bin with my five lined skinks. I plant grass and flowers in my outdoor enclosures so they are as bioactive as possible. I also breed red runner and dubia cockroaches to feed to them. I saw a regal moth and a Pandora sphinx moth last night. They are attracted to my front porch light.

@jordand.773 2 жыл бұрын

what video light do you use? and does it work well as a photo light when you don’t have other equipment? i’ve got an area light from walmart that i use after dark but i’ve only used it for cellphone shots, not sure if it would work well with my DSLR

@TWHerping 2 жыл бұрын

Great video Noah!! Been road crusing a few times around dusk without any snakes this year. I still don’t know how you do it. Any tips for road crusing in TN?? I have similar temperatures relative to your area so I think the stuff in this video might help a lot.

@adamsims7391 2 жыл бұрын

I'm in north alabama hollar if you ever need need any help while you're over here great content 👌

@ProductResearchVirginia Жыл бұрын

Hi & great videos. Could you tell me your average or preferred speed when night cruising? Thanks, Bruce.

@calewarner06 2 жыл бұрын

First herp of the night, people

@jordand.773 2 жыл бұрын

any tips for cruising the southeast (west-central florida) as fall approaches? my current strategy is just to go out earlier/later in accordance w changes in sunset time & temperature

@Trails_trout_surf 2 жыл бұрын

i live in pa and the only thing i find is gartersnakes some times water snakes and ring necks but and the rare rat snake

@jessmontgomery5547 2 жыл бұрын

We've had cooler and wet weather come through in my area recently and I still haven't had any luck with cruising nor flipping. I haven't even seen any dor recently, which is good, but telltale of how little they're moving here.

@arashghasemi 2 жыл бұрын

That looks like close to lookout mountain?

@BeardOperator 2 жыл бұрын

Ever go snake hunting up here in Western North Carolina in the mountains?

@timwhiting6721 3 ай бұрын

Hot pavemnt , cool night temps = snakes on a road , not A plane.

@cipz7124 2 жыл бұрын

Hi Noah

@codyarcher1030 2 жыл бұрын

When do you think you’ll come back to Arkansas

@daveco1270 2 жыл бұрын

That first garter snakes movement was kind of weird, it seemed like he could move in a straight line without going from side to side like they normally do. How is that possible?

@Dynotop1a 2 жыл бұрын

Snakes have many large/flat ventral scales for gripping surfaces that they can move with specialized muscle and skeletal anatomy. Their locomotion is actually pretty complex. The scales essentially act like the legs of a centipede and so they can just move in a straight line. You’ll see some snakes even “scoot” (Check out this channel’s videos of Hognose snakes). It’s a very common behavior for snakes, but most people are probably more familiar seeing snakes that are fleeing or acting defensive which usually involves big, fast, and exaggerated movements. Edit: I’d have to actually reread some papers to confidently give a more detailed explanation of their functional anatomy with proper terminology that would hopefully be easy enough to understand, but I’m up for that if you say the word (unless NKF beats me to it).

@adamsmith3996 2 жыл бұрын

I have found black garter snakes in western N.Y where i live. Was wondering if its a subspecies or a color phase.

@chetchurchill9524 2 жыл бұрын

Probably just examples of a melanistic (i.e. excess of dark pigment).

@charleschi843 2 жыл бұрын

Where is the best place around Atlanta to find Copperheads and Rattlesnakes? Just moved to the ATL area from the West Coast and I am pumped to see some serpents! Thanks

@NKFherping 2 жыл бұрын

Copperheads are everywhere, but you have to get outside the city quite a bit to find Rattlesnakes. With very few exceptions.

@charleschi843 2 жыл бұрын

@@NKFherping Thanks. Do you have a specific road/park/ area that you recommend?

@landongilham5612 2 жыл бұрын

What part of Alabama were you in??

@calebjohnsonfilms6599 2 жыл бұрын

How do you find so many snakes????

@Alcochaser 2 жыл бұрын

A toad in the road...

@Spacey7 2 жыл бұрын

How big are copperheads then? 🐍💕🐍

@BeardOperator 2 жыл бұрын

They can get 3/4 ft easy and thick up here in the mountains in western North Carolina

@Spacey7 2 жыл бұрын

@@BeardOperator Thank you That's a lot bigger than they look. They look about the size of a Royal Python in videos I've seen. Gorgeous snakes though 🐍💕🐍

@herpermike_ Жыл бұрын

How stupid is it that the Midland water snake is no longer recognized as a viable species or subspecies lol?! Everything is now just lumped into the common water snake lol!

@shanemiller6982 2 жыл бұрын

I used to be all into snake hunting ...... Up until I started getting laid. Snakes just kinda went to the wayside. I imagine if dude gets an Ol Lady , the videos will slow waaaaaay down...

@NKFherping 2 жыл бұрын

Nah, I’m in a happy relationship and just more dedicated than you.

@Gavin-hh4dn 2 жыл бұрын

Who shit in your cheerios?