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Herping in Minnesota

C. Reynolds

C. Reynolds

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I will be spending 3 days over July 4th weekend in a little town outside Mankato, Minnesota. Can anyone give me any tips as to where I might have soome success herping, and what I may find?
 
LOL,

My family is all from MN, and I used to go up there during summer vacations often. I've never found anything up there other than salamanders, frogs, turts, and red-sided garter snakes. That's not to say nothing else occurs there, only to say that I haven't ever seen anything but garters in the snake department there, but there's good amphibian hunting. I always went to White Earth Lake (Cedar Crest resort) in central MN and surrounding areas, but turned up little but LOTS of big healthy garters, but little else. -Eric Lago *MS Reptilian Hobbyists*
http://msreptilianhobbyists.fabpage.com
 
You bet it is!

I love to fish too, but have never actually herped in MN (while I have fished there before) The last time I was up there, it was still to cold for herps, and I hadn't been there before for almost 18 years.

All my mother's relatives live in MN (or darn near all) most in the Minneapolis area. I was just hopin in my limited time to be able to see SOMETHING herp related. :)
 
Yeah,

you'll see loads of red sided garters, some cool salamanders, frogs, and turts, but if you're a snake guy like me, there's just not much interesting up there, the garters get monotonous after awhile... From what I understand there are other species there, but I've never seen any personally. -Eric Lago *MS Reptilian Hobbyists*
 
Wow Eric, didn't realize you were familiar with the MN area too!

I was born and raised in Minnesota. But WAY North, as in, about 10 minutes from Canada.

Up there, we seldom say much more than salamanders, garter snakes, water dogs, and leopard frogs.

Around June, we had MAJOR leopard frog invasions. Like - the entire highway would be covered in frog slime for several weeks. I remember my last trip back to MN a few years ago - I actually had to wash frogs off my car. Nasty...
 
lol!

Small world indeed, isn't it :)? Yeah, my mom is from the Ogema area (20 Miles north of Detroit Lakes). I used to go up there as a kid all the time, my folks are actually going up on Friday to go stay at Cedar Crest resort on White Earth lake... Nice place, lots of rana frogs like you'd mentioned, and garters EVERYWHERE... The best place to look for the flame sides is on old farms with hay-bales that are stacked up, and as you move the bales, snakes just pour out everywhere, it's almost unbeleivable, but they're all the same kind :). -Eric Lago *MS Reptilian Hobbyists*
http://msreptilianhobbyists.fabpage.com
 
And,

If I'm not mistaken, aren't the leopard frogs Rana pippiens? I learned most of my frogs by scientific names, and I think that's the species that invades every year and they cover everything literally... Besides, it's been a few years since I've been up there, so I haven't really checked recently (of course with herpetology being a perpetually changing field as genetic research continues, a lot of names/ranges have changed ect. over the years since I possessed my first "Peterson" field guide, LOL! -Eric Lago *MS Reptilian Hobbyists*
 
I'm not sure on the scientific name of the frogs... They look like the typical leopard frogs I see in all the pet stores in Colorado. I've never cared enough about frogs to bother looking into it any further ;-)

The mass migration of Leopard Frogs was mostly seen around Roseau, MN.

Around Grand Forks (on the MN/ND border), we'd fill up 5 gallon buckets with salamanders in just a few hours.

All the barns around our property were good places to find snakes, as well as the grain bins. Grain attracts mice and rats, mice and rats attract snakes.

There are bull snakes running around the area as well, but I have never seen one.

Colorado isn't too fabulous for finding snakes, either. Most often, you'll see Western Terrestrial Garters. Occasionally, you'll find some nice Plains garters. Bull Snakes are extremely common all over, and Western Hognose are found occasionally, if you're lucky. We also have a few prairie rattlesnakes turning up here and there.
 
I have never seen a snake or salamander (or anything other than like 1 or 2 toads or frogs a year) in my life and ive lived in MN my whole life. NOTHING. People tell me that they have snakes in their backyards but I look everywhere and find nothing. I'm not looking in the wrong places I just have hideous luck. Beyond belief hideousness. T-T
lol
 
HA HA HA HA.. just don't even bother !!! :p

Garter snakes.. salamanders.. toads, frogs.. little skinks .. the occasional bull snake, the rarely seen rattlers in the far southern parts of MN..

baaaasically, don't waste your time :p

I can't remember the last time I found something reptilian that wasn't super boring (on the previous list).. And I have lived in this general area my entire life..


Um.. if you wanna go mosquito hunting.. well.. this is a good state for that :p
 
I just recently moved from MN, if you mean a reptile store, there is one in Burnsville. It is called Leaping Lizards, they have GREAT HERPS! All kinds; skinks, monitors, snakes, and LOTS of amphibians!

Hope this helps!
 
Miss Tuniwha said:
HA HA HA HA.. just don't even bother !!! :p

Garter snakes.. salamanders.. toads, frogs.. little skinks .. the occasional bull snake, the rarely seen rattlers in the far southern parts of MN..

baaaasically, don't waste your time :p

I can't remember the last time I found something reptilian that wasn't super boring (on the previous list).. And I have lived in this general area my entire life..


Um.. if you wanna go mosquito hunting.. well.. this is a good state for that :p
Click to expand...

HAHA THERE ARE A CRAZY AMOUNT OF MOSQUITOS THERE!!! When I lived there, it was hard to go outside near night-time during the summer. I lived in Eagan, were do you live?
 
Forget the loon, mosquitos are our state bird. ;)

But in all seriousness, there are a few species of snakes to be had. I dunno if you'll get up this way, but where I'm at on the north shore up Highway 61 past Duluth we have both tiny ringneck snakes and redbelly snakes in addition to the common garter.

Down around the cities you might be able to find a few fox snakes or a bull snake, and maybe even a milk snake or a water snake. There should also be smooth green snakes around - check in the grass! Hognoses are a possibility too. And brown snakes but they're boring lol. Then I know there's a couple rattler species in the far southeastern corner of the state, and the black rat snake is down there too but I think it's really rare.

Another rare species down there is the blue racer. How fun would that be to find!?

Check out this link for all the info ya need. I love herpin' in mah homeland. :)
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/reptiles_amphibians/snakes/index.html
 
Go to twin cities reptiles if you live near it
its on the campus of the u of m and they have everything (they just arent extremely knowledgable about rat snakes,which isnt good for me, and confused a blue beauty with a radiated lol)
i have aquired all of my snakes, ratsnakes and otherwise, from them and im not disappointed
GO THERE
 
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