Right out of Scofield, high up in the La Sal mountains, we came across our first F.O.R.D./D.O.R.. While this is a sad event for me, I try to learn the most and make the most from such a sad event. It was a beautiful male Great Basin Rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus lutosus).
As you can see, an amazing beautiful animal. The hard bit with road herping is the amount of F.O.R.D.'s you find and just how little time separates a live animal from your discovery. In this case, literally minutes before my discovery of this guy, this gorgeous animal was alive. I know this because the blood still hadn't coagulated:( If there was a happy ending to this encounter, it was that I was able to return this snake's body back to the earth that helped nurture and raise him up to this point. His body will help nurture the ground and raise future life. Great Basin rattlesnakes are the most common rattlesnake in Utah. they are found through out the top two thirds of the state from Nevada to Colorado. They are part of the Western rattlesnake complex (Oreganus complex) that includes the Midget faded rattlesnake (C. o. concolor), the Coronado Island rattlesnake (C. o. caliginus), the Grand Canyon rattlesnake (C. o. abyssus), the Arizona Black rattlesnake (C. o. cerberus), the Northern pacific rattlesnake (C. o. oreganus) and the Southern Pacific rattlesnake (C. o. helleri). Amazingly placid animals, I have never had one strike at me, even as I was man handling them. They are always more interested in retreating rather than standing their ground. They remain one of my favorite snake species as well as one of my favorite rattlesnake species.
We continued driving, stopping at what we thought were good herping spots, until we finally ended up in Green River. It was a beautiful day and a stark contrast from further north, where cold rain and thunderstorms made up the view. We herped in an old stream bed and found a few lizards. Mainly Sage brush (Sceliporus graciosus), Side Blotched (Uta stansburiana) and Whip-tails (Aspidoscelis tigris). This was too slow for us so that's when we decided to head on down to Moab. We were looking for a place called Mill Creek Canyon. While driving we founda first for me, a Great plains rat snake (Elaphe guttata emoryi intermontana). It was a F.O.R.D., but still an exciting find for me. 
As you can see, just an incredible animal, and a sad site. These intermontana subspecies are a distinct population from the other emoryi's. They are smaller, usually around 3', as this animal was. They are usually found in the Green River valleys of south-western Colorado and south-eastern Utah. They are a fantastic snake, with small shiny scales that make them very visible in the sun's rays. They are related to the common Cornsnake (Elaphe guttata), or red ratsnake. Some consider it it's own distinct species (Elaphe emoryi)while others consider it just a subspecies (Elaphe guttata emoryi). They mainly feed on rodents, however they have been known to feed on lizards. As their common name implies they are usually found in the grassy plains area of the mid-west. They also occur in rocky scrubs of the southwest and tropical scrubs of northern Mexico.
We continued driving until we found the Mill Creek Canyon entrance. This place was awesome! *(Thanks Nykol). There was a permanent water source, and thus a great abundance of life. There were lots of waterfalls, deep clear pools and gorgeous cactus species.
As you can see, just an incredible animal, and a sad site. These intermontana subspecies are a distinct population from the other emoryi's. They are smaller, usually around 3', as this animal was. They are usually found in the Green River valleys of south-western Colorado and south-eastern Utah. They are a fantastic snake, with small shiny scales that make them very visible in the sun's rays. They are related to the common Cornsnake (Elaphe guttata), or red ratsnake. Some consider it it's own distinct species (Elaphe emoryi)while others consider it just a subspecies (Elaphe guttata emoryi). They mainly feed on rodents, however they have been known to feed on lizards. As their common name implies they are usually found in the grassy plains area of the mid-west. They also occur in rocky scrubs of the southwest and tropical scrubs of northern Mexico.We continued driving until we found the Mill Creek Canyon entrance. This place was awesome! *(Thanks Nykol). There was a permanent water source, and thus a great abundance of life. There were lots of waterfalls, deep clear pools and gorgeous cactus species.
Well as we explored this canyon, night fell upon us so quickly. Shortly after dusk we found an amazing Red Spotted toad (Bufo punctatus). Gorgeous little guy and was found right on the trail! They breed in spring and summer, usually right after a rain Storm. They eat the abundant insect life and usually hide out the heat of summer days. During the breeding season, they are easily sexed as males will usually call when approached or grasped, they have enlarged throat sacs and may be found with calluses on their front feet. These calluses serve to improve their grip on females during amplexus.
Soon after that we found another first for me, a large, ferocious insect. They are called a Jerusalem cricket, (Stenopelmatus fuscus) and they can pack a punch! They have super powerful mandibles that can really deliver a potent bite! They are heavy crickets and are usually quite slow. They eat the normal plant matter associated with cricket species, however they one up this diet by eating other insects, including females eating their mates! Cool critter.
As we were heading out in the dark, we had some brilliant eye-shine from our lights. The eyes belonged to some huge American Bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana)!!! I scrambled to catch the largest of them, but ended up with only a "good" sized little female. These guys are not native to the western U.S. and have proven detrimental to the local eco-systems. These are the guys that make delicious frog legs.....might have to consider it??? You can tell she is a she by how large her tympanic membranes are. They are the circles behind the eye and serve as the outter ear. Males have tympanic membranes that are larger than their eyes while females have similar sized or smaller membranes, in relation to their eyes. Another indicator is only visible during the breeding season, when most of the male's throats turn a yellow color, while the throats of the females remain a creamy white.
Overall a fantastic trip. I can't wait for more blitz trips to Moab and St. George and beyond!
Until next time, from one student of nature to the next,
Luka Ohana
