Trip down to Florida

B

brandon

Guest
I'm gonna be taking a trip down to Florida before Christmas this year and I'll be taking I-75 down. I plan on stopping along the way to do some herping. Anyone know the best stop (state park or county park) off of 75 to find some sallies?

Thanks

Brandon
 
What are you looking for? In the northern part of Georgia, most of the "spring lizards" will be hiding, if not actually hibernating.

South of Macon (affectionately known as the Gnat Line) you enter the coastal plain, where the "eels" and "waterdogs" may still be awake.

Once you get to Florida, my local knowledge fails.
 
I wanted to try and find the marbled salamander while i was down there because i've never seen one in the wild and they are scarce where I live... I thought maybe I'd catch a glimpse of one still guarding her eggs.
 
Try Red Top Mountain State park, just north of Atlanta. The nature trail runs along a quiet creek. And there's a lodge in the park that's a great place to spend the night if you're tired.

Down toward Valdosta is Reed Bingham State Park, good herp watching place.
 
thanks alot... I will definetly try and stop at those places.
 
What kind of other salamanders should i look for that I might see down in that region of the US?
 
If you are looking for opacum, just stop along any river bottom you cross in southern GA. They're up in full force right now, I saw a bucket load deer hunting the other day.

RUSS
 
Thats awesome... is it breeding season right now down there? or is that what is seen on a usual basis? How long does the breeding season last? I won't get down there til the 15th of dec.
 
They should be depositing eggs now. Avoid collecting any females brumating eggs.
 
Russ,

I wish I found A. opacum when I am deer hunting, all I find is rattlesnakes and dust.....
 
I wish I'd see a rattlesnake! All I've seen here so far have been DORs.

RUSS
 
When I went deer hunting I found a Ravine Salamander Monday and brought it back and still has not ate yet, but I didn't get a deer....yet!
 
It's good to know there are more hunters besides myself on the forum!
 
We're going back out Sunday but I don't hold high hopes. Here in GA I find myself watching the ground too much for caudate-cover instead of looking for deer!! When I elk hunt in CO I always have to pass by some pools where I know there will be tiger larvae (hoping to see an aberrant).
 
wait. so the deer were eating the newts?
"I saw a bucket load deer hunting the other day."- Russ

We can't hunt in L.A. for deer or newts. BOO!!
 
Hey whats the best trail in Reed Bingham State Park and Red Top Mtn... cuz the people i am going with arn't into herping as much as me and they will only allow me limited time.? (there car there rules) boo for them
 
I would suggest that further details not be posted on the website due to the risk of unscrupulous poaching and over collection...

Ed
 
John, do you know if the marbled salamanders will be active in that northern part of georgia, the first park you told me to check out? I looked at the temp lows for that area and it seems it gets down into the low 30s at night. Are the salamanders still active(hiding under logs) at the temp or have they burrowed down?

Russ, where abouts in southern georgia (county)?.. I bought a field guide the other day and it shows there range ending before southern georgia.
 
We're supposed to have record lows tonight and tomorrow (in the mid-20s) so I'd presume they'll be burrowing in pretty deep. I haven't seen any in my back yard lately, either.
 
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