My Field Journal

I headed down to Louisiana for my yearly trip to visit my good friend Brad "Bones" Glorioso. After making the 11 hour drive from Knoxville to Lafayette, Louisiana, on Friday. We got up fairly early Saturday morning morning and drove up to the Kisatchie National Forest (Kisatchie Ranger District) in Natchitoches Parish to do some herping. Weather was still rather cool, especially at night with overnight lows dipping into the upper 30s. Once again, we didn't hit conditions right to catch a lot of snakes but we did see a few things.

     Acris blanchardi (Blanchard's Cricket Frog) 5 adults

     Pseudacris crucifer (Spring Peeper) 30-40 adults, a few egg masses, TMTC calling and 5 pairs in amplexus

     Pseudacris fouquettei (Cajun Chorus Frog) 1 adult, TMTC calling

     Rana clamitans clamitans (Bronze Frog) 3 adults

     Rana sphenocephala utricularia (Southern Leopard Frog) 5+ adults observed and calling

     Ambystoma maculatum (Spotted Salamander) 100+ egg masses and a few larvae

     Ambystoma opacum (Marbled Salamander) 20-30 larvae

     Ambystoma talpoideum (Mole Salamander) 3 egg masses

     Eurycea quadridigitata (Coastal Plain Dwarf Salamander) 3 adults

Some photographs:

Sceloporus consobrinus (Prairie Lizard) juvenile (top) and adult male

Scincella lateralis (Ground Skink)

Ambystoma opacum (Marbled Salamander) larvae

Ambystoma maculatum (Spotted Salamander) recently hatched larva

Eurycea quadridigitata (Coastal Plain Dwarf Salamander)

Acris blanchardi (Blanchard's Cricket Frog)

Pseudacris crucifer (Spring Peeper) adults and amplexus

Pseudacris fouquettei (Cajun Chorus Frog)

Rana sphenocephala utricularia (Southern Leopard Frog) adult males and an egg mass

Other wildlife:

Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana)

Fishing Spider?