Best weather for herping?

[sde]

Hey all!


So I was wondering what you guys think is the prime weather is for finding amphibians?

I think rainy weather is definitely the best but what kind? Do you think wind effects there activity? What about a light misting of rain rather than pounding rain? Or do you think they are most active after rains? How much do you think the cold effects them?

Obviously these thing will change depending on the species and the place but lets hear your opinion. Also what do you think the best time to search is ( the time that there most active )? Pleas include the species that you are talking about. :happy: -Seth

 

[Dyelon]

Like you said it will depend on the species and location. In my experience when looking for ambystomids, which is what I generally look for around where I live, the best whether is a warm spring rain past sundown. Other times many species seem to be most active around sun up and sun down. As for frogs I usually find them on a cloudy morning after it rained overnight. Just a few things from my experiences.

 

[Chinadog]

Theres an overgrown oxbow pool that i like to go to in the spring where i can see L. vulgaris and T. cristatus in their breeding colours by sitting quietly and waiting for them to swim up for air. Oddly enough the area around it is a nature reserve but the pool seems to be in a forgotten area of land between the reserve and the houses, i used to go there a lot with my friends when i was at school but nowerdays it's so overgrown with brambles that it takes real determination to get anywhere near it!

 

[sde]

Thanks for the responses guys! :happy:.

I too mainly search for ambystomids, they seem to be most active just after dark during or right after a good rain, and are most often observed when crossing to the breeding ground under the same conditions. -Seth

 

[Aplestris]

Hi
I find that newt larvae in my pond seem to disappear during heavy rain but reappear in large numbers afterwards. Frogs I find are usually sitting in my pond (and are easily seen) when the temperature is around 20 degrees Celsius to 26 but are usually hiding at any temperature different to that.
Oh and I know this probably doesn't help, but I find so many Slow Worms (Anguis fragilis) after rain in my garden and area

 

[sde]

Thanks for the reply Aplestris! Any other opinions? -Seth

 

[TristanClark]

For amphibians its spring and fall. Atleast that's when I habe the most luck. During or after rain is the best but spring and fall in general

 

[sde]

Yes I agree with that.


Spring is best where I am, but fall is almost as good.
Anyone else?