Here are some of the field herping activities and field trips I’ve been involved with in the past.

Pelee Island

Pelee Island Field Trip An expedition to Pelee Island has taken place every May long weekend; I attended the trips in 2001, 2002 and 2004. I’ve posted photos from the 2002 and 2004 trips, as well as a trip report from 2002.

Mudpuppy Night

Mudpuppy Every winter, Fred Schueler runs a weekly expedition to the dam at Oxford Mills to observe mudpuppies — possibly the only place where they can be observed during winter, and likely your only chance at field herping during that season. (Be sure to check out Fred and Aleta’s NatureJournal project.) I’ve been visiting most years since 2000; I’ve posted photos from 2004 and 2005.

Murphy’s Point

Lead-backed redback In 2002, we took part in an OARA field trip to Murphy’s Point Provincial Park. Our purpose was to look for black rat snakes, but we saw a lot of terrestrial salamanders instead. Photos from that trip have been posted.

Narcisse Snake Dens

Narcisse Snake Dens sign I visited the Narcisse Snake Dens twice in one year when I was eight years old — there are pictures of me from that time here and here — but didn’t return until August 2006. I’ve posted photos from that trip and have also written an article about it.

Spotted Turtle Survey

Installing a radiotransmitter Every spring, the spotted turtle survey takes place at or near an provincial park in Ontario, the name and location of which is kept quiet to discourage poaching. There’s no home page for the survey, but I did write an article about it in 2001, and I have some photos from the 2003 trip.

Life List

My life list is a list of all the species of reptiles and amphibians that I’ve encountered in the wild. I include both sightings and frog calls. It’s pretty heavily weighted toward southern Ontario and Quebec at the moment, a result of my lack of travel since getting into herping.

The life list indicates the first time I have seen a species in the wild — encounters with captives don’t count! Links are to photos of my first wild encounters with each species.

Snakes

Blue RacerColuber constrictor foxiiOntarioMay 23, 2004
Eastern Fox Snake Elaphe gloydiOntarioMay 19, 2001
Smooth Green SnakeLiochlorophis vernalisOntarioApril 19, 2003
Lake Erie Water Snake Nerodia sipedon insularumOntarioMay 19, 2001
Northern Water Snake Nerodia sipedon sipedonOntarioMay 6, 2000
Brown Snake Storeria dekayiOntarioApril 14, 2001
Northern Red-bellied SnakeStoreria occipitomaculata occipitomaculataOntarioApril 20, 2003
Northern Ribbon Snake Thamnophis sauritus septentrionalisOntarioApril 14, 2001
Red-sided Garter SnakeThamnophis sirtalis parietalisManitobaMay 1980
Eastern Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalisOntarioApril 14, 2001

Lizards

Northern Alligator Lizard Elgaria principis principisBritish ColumbiaAug. 1993

Turtles

Common Snapping Turtle Chelydra serpentina serpentinaOntarioApril 14, 2001
Western Painted Turtle Chrysemys picta belliiManitobaEarly 1980s
Midland Painted Turtle Chrysemys picta marginataOntarioApril 2000
Spotted Turtle Clemmys guttataOntarioApril 14, 2001
Blanding's Turtle Emydoidea blandingiOntarioMay 21, 2001

Frogs and Toads

American Toad Bufo americanus americanusOntarioMay 21, 2001
Gray Treefrog Hyla versicolorOntarioMay 2001 (heard)
Northern Spring Peeper Pseudacris crucifer cruciferOntarioMay 2001 (heard)
Western Chorus Frog Pseudacris triseriataQuebecMay 4, 2003 (heard)
Bullfrog Rana catesbeianaOntarioMay 2001
Green Frog Rana clamitans melanotaOntarioApril 8, 2001
Northern Leopard Frog Rana pipiensSaskatchewan1970s
Mink Frog Rana septentrionalisOntarioJune 10, 2001
Wood FrogRana sylvaticaOntarioJune 16, 2002

Salamanders

Blue-spotted SalamanderAmbystoma lateraleOntarioJune 16, 2002
Spotted SalamanderAmbystoma maculatumOntarioJune 16, 2002
Smallmouth Salamander Ambystoma texanumOntarioMay 19, 2001
Common Mudpuppy Necturus maculosusOntarioFeb. 2000
Red-spotted NewtNotophthalmus viridiscens viridiscensOntarioApril 20, 2003
Northern Red-backed Salamander Plethodon cinereusOntarioApril 14, 2001

Last updated: March 17, 2008.