2025 Hoosier Herpout - Soggy but Fun!

Our largest field outing was almost cancelled due to inclement weather conditions. Fortunately, some of the rain held off and we were able to get in a solid day of field herping.

Our group met at the shelter two parking lot and were all eager to get in the field. I was happy to see the many new faces in the group.

We had a few unfortunate situations. The lack of sunlight and warm temperatures combined with missing coverboards at our sites, kept our destinations at a minimum. But we pressed on and headed to one of our better sites. Upon arrival, we donned our boots and readied ourselves for a wet hike to the coverboards.

Among the first finds were two adult black racers. They were resting comfortably under a car hood. We admired them, took photos, and released them at the point of capture.

More reptilian finds at the site were ground skinks, eastern box turtles, and ringneck snakes. The amphibians included a red eft, several longtail salamanders, and three slimy salamanders. We had a well-seasoned birder among us and she helped us identify some of the many warblers. I learned a great deal about their calls.

The wildflowers were, as usual, amazing. The scarlet hues of Firepink and the purple/lavender Spiderwort captured the eyes and camera lenses of our group.

After this trip, we headed back to the shelter for the cookout. Roger Carter manned the grills with hamburgers, turkey burgers, and hotdogs. After lunch and some deep herp discussion among the group, we headed to our next and final destination.

This area is known for the eastern hognose finds. We walked the roadside searching the riprap rocks as we typically do but the clouds must have kept the snakes at bay. Up on the hillside, members turned cover boards but didn’t come up with much. A handsome eastern box turtle crossed our path. It was active (even in the hand) which allowed for some great photos. Yusnaviel Garcia pulled a young eastern snapping turtle from a ditch and soon it was surrounded by photographers.

Rick Marrs led us to a familiar pond in the area where he provided dipnets for the group. Several (presumed) green frogs jumped in as we traversed the edge. Plenty of frog and salamander larvae were revealed when the dipnets were checked. Spotted salamander larvae were about 2 inches in length and well on their way to metamorphosis. Yusnaviel provided clear containers for photographing the young aquatic amphibians.

Ticks weren’t scarce that day. In fact, a few of us knelt down to get close photos of herps and found that tiny ‘seed ticks’ were everywhere. Our pants were covered with them! Luckily, one of our members had bug spray and we coated our legs.

The rain that we’d evaded all afternoon had started and we all called it quits for the day.

Some of us hardcore herpers camped for the weekend. One of our traditions is a night hike to the campground bathrooms. Here, we scan the outside perimeter for insects and arachnids. A large centipede, some moths, and two black-widow spiders were photographed.

The night hikes to the campground ponds are always a treat. This year we easily found bull and green frogs around the perimeter. Katie Kulcon stepped in the pond and caught one of several midland water snakes. We admired them and released them at the point of capture. Redbacked salamanders were active on the roadway as we walked back to our camp, heavy rain forced us back to the tents early.

In all, another great event with wonderful people!

Until next year!