First Herp of the year here in Kansas
 

:raspberry Hello everyone! I found a red-sided garter snake crossing the road today. The next week here its supposed to be in the 70s, so im going to do some early herping. Any locals intrested in looking for some critters? I am moving to Texas in a few weeks and I would like to show at least one person my spots. I would like to hear future stories of future finds in these spots. Anyone wanting to do some herping around Topeka-Manhattan Kansas, please email me at sppeavy@hotmail.com. I will be going out tommorrow, so let me know soon. Later all. :bolt01:

my only problem
 

is that you and I KNOW it's way to early to find anything substantial and in numbers going herping in KS this early. Night time temps are just to low to allow any numbers of herps to be out and except for a few strange sightings this early, they are definitely still in hibernation ! If you do the normal rock lifting now for finding herps, you can break ( I know, not that much moisture this year and entire state drought is upon us ) that seal that either keeps what little moisture under that rock or the temp. barrier. As you probably know a few days in the 70ties won't bring herps out yet. Several factors are involved. Mostly a week if not weeks of daytime temps in the 70ties and nighttime temps in the at least 60ties with barometric being stabilized.
So where in Texas are you moving to ?

I dont do any rock flipping this early
 

I just have some trash sites that produce in the spring and fall and dont produce at all in the summer. Mostly ringnecks and brown snakes and garters. Found some ringnecks and 2 racers and a yound black rat snake today. I save the rocks for a few more weeks. I am moving to San Angelo. It has been real warm down there, night time in the high 50s, so when I get there, it should be ripe. If it stays warm here, we will see early herps as i did today. We are packed to move, so Im not sure where the cam is, or i would post some pictures.

Okay, that sounds better
 

with going through trash piles oppose to looking under rocks. My earliest observation of herps in winter was several days way back finding several timber rattlesnakes out sunning with temps in the high 70ties. It was in January. Another time although much cooler was in very late November when a black rat was scooting down the road moved out of its hibernation den by some near by heavy construction.
San Angelo ? Hey. you will be able to take a weekend run to west Texas occasionally. That's the place to be for a multitude of diverse species of reptiles. I have ( poor me ) to drive that almost 1,000 mile one way trip several times a year. You probably know this but the latter part of May through early Sept looks good down there. Don't know what to expect though due to the re-instating of the drought of west Texas. It can't be any worse than here though at this time ! LOL !