Herping in SE PA.
 

Hello all -

I just recently moved to just outside Philadelphia and would love to get the scoop on the local fauna that can be found without driving 4 hours to the middle of the state.

Thanks,

Kyle

i live in florida, but my grandparents live in Bethlehem. Ive done pretty good with herping up there. Heres a few things Ive found.

Eastern Milksnakes (i believe there protected up there now)
Black Rat Snakes
Northern Water Snakes
Northern Copperheads
Timber Rattlesnakes
Eastern Smooth Green Snakes
Eastern Massaugas (protected)

Thats everything ive found up there before. Your chances is to come down or right in the middle of the state to find the best herps.

-Jordan

also a wide variety of salamanders

smooth greens??

Iv never had any luck finding them :(

op, im a few hours south but often find rat snakes, ribbons, water, black and a few others.

I'm lucky if I see anything and I live in the woods!! Did help a friend get a northern water out of an engine last summer. I would die to find a nice black rat ::drool::

If you found an Eastern Massasaugas in Bethlehem then it was on vacation because they're only located in western PA, north of Pittsburg.

I've seen black rats but have either not gotten close enough for a pic, or got close enough but by the time I got my camera out, they were gone. I also have seen one copperhead, but it was before I had a camera or a huge interests in herps.

Herps I have gotten good pics of in SE PA (Bucks, Montgomery, Berks counties);

Garters and ribbons
Eastern milks
Northern ringnecks
North American water snakes
Northern water snakes
Eastern box turtles
North American woods
Sliders and painteds
Eastern muds
Common snappers
Several types of salamanders, including red and yellow backs and the huge (for this area) red salamander
Bull frogs
Green frogs
Pickerel frogs
Wood frogs
Common toads

There may be some I'm forgetting, but the one thing I really want to find that I have never seen around here is an Eastern king snake.

Oh and lots of brown snakes.

Look up the lancaster herp club, they meet once a month and should have good info for you.