September of 2012 saw us lined up for a trip to Pennsylvania and North Carolina in hopes of seeing two east coast species of rattlesnakes. Unfortunately, York had to work so he missed out. But we met up with a bunch of friends from all over.

We started out in the D.C. area where Ed took us to a Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) den site in Maryland. It was a horde of us with Ed, Melina, Rob, Derek, Rebecca and myself. We got to the site a bit early but it looked great.

It wasn't too long before we spotted the first Timber. It was a beautiful dark velvetty male in a vertical crack.

As the temperatures got warmer, the Timbers began to emerge from the rockwork. Derek spotted this yellow snake a few minutes later. It was out from under the rocks but underneath a large web. It got tired of us and after a few minutes of us photographing it decided to return under the rock.

Shortly after we left the previous Timber, Melina hollered that she found one. It was this big brute of a snake out in a crack between two big rocks.

Ed - with his eagle eyes - spotted this young Northern Copperhead (Agkistrodon c. mokasen) on a ledge in-between two rocks.

What a great way to start a trip. Got to see some Timbers out at a den site. And they were all gorgeous animals to boot. The next day saw us going to visit an area that Melina was very familiar with - Huntley Meadows. Huntley is a wetland with an elevated boardwalk and is nearly 1,500 acres in size. Melina did a bunch of bird survey work there and gave us a tour around.

This wetland was a paradise for a variety of wildlife, especially birds, aquatic reptiles and amphibians. We quickly went out searching for herps and were rewarded with a nice variety. This Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) was a really neat find.

And it was always nice to see Marbled Salamanders (Ambystoma opacum) again.

This little Fowler's Toad (Anaxyrus fowleri) found itself a nice little home in a rotted-out log.

Melina and Rebecca are corralling a trio of Caudates found under a log. The difference in body structure of the two Ambystomatids versus a Plethodontid - Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) - is pretty clear.

We saw several turtles including this big hoss of a Snapper (Chelydra serpentina). I was able to sneak up a bit closer for some pics.

Lots of good spots for turtles and frogs to be hanging out.

Eastern Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta picta).

This log is prime real estate!

Big, chunky Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans).

Two color patterns of the Coastal Leopard Frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus utricularius).

What a great day to spend locally. Lots of good scenery and cool herps. The next day saw Derek, Ed and myself up in Pennsylvania. We went up to meet Bill, Rob and Rich (BRR) for some Timbers. Rob and Rich work with the state of Pennsylvania monitoring various Timber Rattlesnake populations throughout their section of the state and Bill is a friend who I met through Sistrurus interests and he introduced me to Rob and Rich. Rob and Rich had come out to Arizona just a month prior to our trip out to Pennsylvania and we had a good time finding all sorts of Arizona Crotalus. And the first place BRR took us to led us to some familiar habitat. If there is one thing I know how to do when out herping, it's walking talus slides!

It didn't take us too long to see our first target animal. A young Timber Rattlesnake.

Ed spotted this one in a nice horizontal crack.

Rob kickin' it on the slide while Bill works his way up to the top.

Derek and Ed working up the other side of this big slide.

Rob spotted this little youngster. It was very neat to be able to see a young one.

Rob found the next timber as well. He leaned over and saw this dark phase from above. Pretty cool to see one from above and have it just sitting there with not a care in the world.

We spent the next couple of days as guests at Bill and Kathy's place. It was gorgeous and they were great hosts. Unfortunately, it rained... and rained... and rained. There wasn't too much to do in the rain. But we did flip some tin Bill had laid out on the property and did what every herper does when it rains - go looking for amphibians! The tin turned up this nice Eastern Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum) which enjoyed chomping on my finger. Ed did much better than I did with it.

It wasn't difficult seeing amphibians. Green frogs (Lithobates clamitans) were abundant in Bill's pond. This one sat on an appropriate statue.

Two color phases of the Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus). Though small, Red-back Salamanders play a significant role in controlling predators of fungi such as ants. First is the leadback phase and the other is the classic redback phase.

We saw a few larval Desmogs in the creek - Northern Dusky Salamanders (Desmognathus fuscus). As well as a couple of adults.

After the rain slowed, we were able to head back out for some timberin'. But it seems like the last few days of rain kept most of the rattlesnakes under. This Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) was an omen for how the day was going to go herpwise.

The habitat looked great though. Ideal for timbers. And we found sheds skins, too.

Lots of Hickory Tussock Moth (Lophocampa caryae) catepillars around.

And finally, after a lot of peering under rocks, Bill spots this young timber. Just gorgeous!

Mysterious pile of bird remains. We were not sure if another raptor had picked off and pulled apart this raptor or what happened.

Maybe it was Derek who pulled apart this raptor :)

What an interesting way to end our tour of Pennsylvania timber dens. Next, it was heading south to North Carolina to try to find some pretty little rattlesnakes - Carolina Pigmy Rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius miliarius) - and whatever else we may find. After a tour of Derek's badass Atheris and Bothriechis collection and a great dinner hosted by Rebecca and her family, it was off to the coast.

Shortly after we arrived at our location, we were greeted with a pig! But it was a D.O.R.

But later that afternoon, there it was crossing an unpaved road. Not the prettiest of Red Pigmys but a Red Pigmy nonetheless.

We saw a few other neat herps while out as well. I wish I got better photos of this Eastern Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula getula) and this Corn Snake (Pantherophis guttata).

A spider with a cicada meal.

A nice green tree frog (Hyla cinerea) seen hanging out in the grass.

No matter where you are, it is always nice to see a box turtle of any kind. We saw a couple of Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene carolina) out cruising across the roads this afternoon.

I think the same can be said about green snakes. I have seen Smooth Green Snakes (Opheodrys vernalis) while log-flipping in isolated high-elevation montane meadows in New Mexico but somehow seeing a green snake crossing a road (whether dirt or paved) in the southeastern United States just seems so much more fitting. Rough Green Snake (Opheodrys aestivus).

Pretty neat to see an Eastern Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis sauritus). I definitely don't see these herping in the desert.

That evening scored us another specimen of our target species and this one was much more red.

I think Southern Copperheads (Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix) are typically fairly abundant where they occur but North Carolina had the largest Southern Copperheads that I have seen in my limited experience with them. This one was probably around 40 - 42" in length.

We spent the next day cruising around Hyde County checking out the scenery as it was our last day there. I loved this sign.

We saw quite a few bears but I was only able to get a photo of one from a distance.

Lake Mattamuskeet is the largest natural lake in North Carolina.

The Atlantic Coast is not something a left-coaster like me is used to seeing and being near. It's got a different feel than the Pacific Coast. Having spent most of my herping career in the desert, it is sometimes surreal to be out looking for herps and come across Fiddler Crabs. We saw a few of these Red-jointed Fiddler Crabs (Uca minax).

And even towards the end of the trip we saw a few herps. These three Yellow-Bellied Sliders (Trachemys scripta scripta) were kindly escorted off the roadway by the trio of Melina, Derek and Ed so that they did not get run over.

And that ended an epic trip where I knocked off two huge eastern Crotalids off my list. To be able to observe Timber Rattlesnakes in their natural habitat doing what they do was incredible and to see a sweet little red Sistrurus was equally awesome.