Field Report Sanderson: Herpers save stranded motorist

Friday night we headed east on I-90 with plans to herp the cuts and head to Langtry. That was until we came across a young girl who had run out of gas.

We started the night fairly early, which allowed for us to actually see a ton of lizards. We had Andy, a biologist from Texas Parks and Wildlife; Rom, a paramedic from Arizona; and a reporter and photographer from San Antonio joining us on our runs.

Jeff may have caught the first snake of our trip, but I spotted the first four lizards. Several side blotched lizards and Desert spiny lizards were out all evening. The snakes, however, were not. Or at least for our crew. I had a lot of concern going into this about my ability to spot things on the cuts, but after the lizards, I lost all doubts.

As we were headed towards Langtry on a very sharp and blind curve another herper flagged us down. A girl was trying to make the drive west and had hoped to make Sanderson before she ran out of gas and didn't quite make it. We didn't have gas, but we had a group of MacGyvers who attempted to create a siphon hose out of two camel backs. Unfortunately, we were a bit short. We escorted her as far as she could make it west towards Sanderson, left her at a rock cut with another herper who promised to keep and eye on her, and then ran to town to grab a few gallons to get her the rest of the way.

The oddest thing happened while we were talking. The girl turned out to be a turtle keeper who had never met herpers. She also had never met a woman who liked reptiles! But here she was stranded and we got to share a bit of our world with her. Right after she pulled off and got on her way, we herped the cut. Karma shined down on us, rewarding us with a Suboc that was found on the top of the cut directly above where she was parked! It turned out to be the only live snake of the evening.

We had planned on trekking 285 to the 2400 to look for something that rattles for me, but an accident prevent that route. We went west and worked a few cuts before heading up the highway. About this time Andy and I each grabbed a seat of our own and crashed. Walking the last cut, we both hit that exhaustion wall. It was 3 AM, after all!

Jeff and Ron kept searching and Jeff found his Sanderson grayband. Well, kinda. The organizers of Snake Days placed three plastic snakes on the cuts. Each one has a prize associated with it when we turn them in. As sad as it is for Jeff to not have found a live grayband, I think it is amazingly ironic that the man who started the Alterna Page and kingsnake.com is the man who found the grayband. Almost as if it was fate!

We were the last to roll in at 5 AM. Everyone else was asleep and we stumbled into our rooms leaving a trail of field gear from the door to the bed. We were up at 10 AM in the morning to make the talks and plan for the night.

Lead photo John Lassiter just before we hit the road, the orange vest is required when working the roads.

The first lizard I spotted, from 10 feet away from the rock cut wall. This lizard was no more than 4 inches.

Closer shot of the same lizard! So very wee!

Ron and Andy working their MacGuyver Magic. Or at least trying to. A manual fuel siphon will be added to the tool kit after this trip.

The closest I have come to seeing a rattlesnake, someone else's find. I need to find my own!