This adult Fer-de-lance is coiled in ambush position at the base of a tropical tree.

The Fer-de-Lance, Bothrops atrox, or Jergon (as it is known in the Iquitos, Peru region) is one of those well camouflaged venomous species that is everywhere and nowhere. There were times when we could walk all around the biological preserves and never see one, and there were other times when they were literally in all areas. The latter seemed especially true when rains had induced frog activity, and frogs are a favored prey item of the Jergon.

A dangerously venomous, crepuscular and nocturnal, species of neotropical rainforests, the fer-de-lance is primarily a terrestrial snake, especially when adult. Neonates are more inclined to access low shrubs and other vegetation. Adult size ranges between 3 and 5 feet. It ranges widely east of the Andes Mountains from Panama to Bolivia and northern Brazil. It also occurs in Trinidad.

A viviparous species, litters are large, often consisting of 25 to 40 (up to 80 have been recorded). The neonates have a light colored tailtip and utilize caudal luring.

A Dusky Pygmy Rattler basks on the roadside.
Dusky is an excellent descriptive for this little rattlesnake, Sistrurus miliarius barbourin. The ground color is usually gray and bears a profusion of even darker stippling that is heaviest dorsally. Oval, light edged, black dorsal blotches are larger than the lighter, often orange, interspaces separating them and there is smaller light edged lateral blotches. The tail is dark on adults but yellowish on neonates and juveniles, bears a tiny tailtip rattle that is broken easily, but that is barely audible even when entire. The crown is dark with an orange(ish) central stripe that extends onto the neck. The chin and belly are dark with scattered darker blotches. A nervous snake, if approached it will usually tilt the head upwards and twitch. The tail is often also elevated and shaken. The yellow tail of the juveniles serves as a caudal lure. Prey includes nestling rodents, frogs, salamanders, and arthropods.

Sadly, the young of many harmless snakes (most commonly hatchling racers, rat snakes, and hog-noses) are mistaken for a pygmy and are summarily dispatched.

As suggested by its common name, this small but heavy bodied snake is adult at 15 to 24 inches in length. The largest example I have seen pushed 33 inches. It is common to abundant in some areas but entirely absent in others.

A viviparous species, between 2 and 9 young are produced in each clutch. Neonates measure a rather slender 6 inches in total length.

This subspecies ranges in brushy to lightly wooded habitats from southeastern South Carolina to southeastern Mississippi, and throughout Florida excluding the Keys. It intergrades with both the Carolina and Western subspecies at the northern and western extremes of its range.

There is hardly any way to misidentify a hatchling Great Plains Skink.

There are in the USA 3 groups of moderately large-size (to 12+”, tail included) skinks. On the Pacific Coast there is the Gilbert Skink group with 5 subspecies, on the Atlantic Coast there is the 5-lined group with 3 full species, and in the Central States the subject of our discussion, the Great Plains Skink, Plestiodon obsoletus, a stand-alone species.

It is probable that the Great Plains Skink is the largest of the genus, having been measured at 13 ¾”. It also differs in several other respects. Although the male’s temporal area swells slightly during the spring breeding season, it does not assume the bright orange-red color of the males of other species. It is the only skink species in the USA that has the lateral scales in oblique (slanted) rows. And rather than the uniform warm brown that gradually supercedes the brightly striped dorsal pattern and blue tail of the hatchlings and juveniles of the coastal species, the adult of the Great Plains Skink is grayish-yellow to straw-yellow and may or may not have the dorsal and dorsolateral scales edged with dark brown that gives the impression of stripes. And the hatchlings are usually a jet black with a cobalt blue tail and bold white or orange labial spots.

Breeding occurs in the spring and in early summer the female lays and guards a dozen to 20 eggs (sometimes less, sometimes more) that hatch after about 60 days.

This is a skink of the wide open spaces, although populations are often concentrated near permanent water sources. It ranges from southern Texas to extreme southwest Iowa and southern Nebraska, southwestward to central and southern Arizona. It also occurs in northern Mexico.

This is a hatchling Russian Rat Snake

In bygone days the Russian Rat Snake Elaphe schrencki was the nominate subspecies, with the Korean Rat Snake, Elaphe schrencki anomala, being the second subspecies. Each were elevated to full species status several years ago.

Talking about this pretty constrictor should make all of the diehard wannbe users of the genus Elaphe, happy, because it, as well as several other Eurasian species, remain in that genus. Although commonly known as the Russian Rat Snake by USA enthusiasts, it is also commonly referred to as the Manchurian Rat Snake. The range of this white banded black snake includes Russia, Mongolia and Northern China (Manchuria).. Like other rat snakes, including those of the USA, the Russian Rat Snake’s preferred habitats include open forest, scrublands and farmlands. It is an agile climber and swimmer that does not hesitate to use lakes and streams as escape routes if harried.

As mentioned above, the ground color of this snake is black. This is interrupted by numerous widely separated narrow white (often dirty white) to yellow bands. The head is black but the labials are white to yellow(ish) with black interscale sutures. The venter is cream to pale yellow with numerous black spots. Adult size ranges from 4 ½ to 6 feet in total length.

Prey includes rodents and other small mammals, birds and their eggs.

Clutch size varies between 4 and 25+ eggs. Incubation duration is less that with other rat snake species, varying from 38 to 50 days. Ground color of the 10” long hatchlings is brown with black-edged lighter bars.