Howdy Herpers, 07/23/12
The monsoons have arrived here in Tucson, but thus far, it has been a mixed bag. Some places are getting pounded, some are not. Our beloved plot is receiving a fair amount of rain, it could be far worse. We THINK that there was a successful reproduction on the part of the spadefoot toads in early July. This would only be the third time in 11 years that this has happened--if it happened. On 7 July, we saw a big puddle loaded with their tadpoles. This was from the big 4 July rain we had. Another good soaker fell on 10 July, but by 14 July, the puddle was dry. As there wasn't the usual gelatinous mass of tads on the mud left over, we think they made it.
Before last weekend, we had 14 animals transmittered. We are now down to 13. Our female
atrox #87 appears to have become a plot biscuit for a mystery predator. We found the transmitter
on the ground yesterday. See image 5 for the last look of her that we will ever get.
Of the 13 animals now left, 10 have less than a year of seniority under watch. This means we
are unfamiliar with their home ranges, and are having an extremely difficult time keeping on top
of them. The 4 new tiger rattlesnakes are the biggest surprise, as both males and females are traveling WAY out into the bajada. We have 2 new male molossus, and they are also tearing
up my knees.
We have noted explosive lizard activity, and signs that many of the common lizard species are going into a second breeding season. All in all, this years' monsoon is showing signs of being a well-needed winner.
We'll let the pictures tell some of the story.
Image 1: A zebra-tailed lizard in full mating colors, 7 July 2012.
Image 2: A Sonoran whipsnake, found by Marty Feldner during a combination road cruise and hike we made in the northern Suizos, 7 July.
Image 3: Regal horned lizard, also a Marty find, 7 July.
Image 4: Our pregnant female atrox CA133, also 7 July. She had 6 kids last year, and appears to be ready to go this year as well.
Image 5: This is the last look we will have of female CA87. Note the healthy body girth on this snake. She dropped 12 kids last year, and was looking dismal health-wise before the monsoons set in. She had regained her mass, and everything appeared to be looking better for her. We had hoped for many more years from this snake, but we don't always get our way...........
Image 6: This was our first look at the newest male molossus, CM14, "Marty the Prick" since he was captured and released. The colors on the rattle tell us he has just shed his skin. He is now merrily bopping around Iron Mine Hill, giving us fits.
Image 7: A gophersnake encountered on 11 August--note the aggressive flattened-head posture. I only see this kind of behavior rarely.
Image 8: The remaining images are all tigers. This is CT8, "Zona," the longest-running tiger in the study.
Image 9: Male CT10, "Jeffery." He is by far doing the best health-wise of any tiger on our plot. When found, he was tracking down a pocket mouse that he had just nailed. He apparently nails a lot of them.
Image 10: Female CT11, "Steven." He is one of the two most wayward tigers on the plot.
Image 11: Female CT12--currently without a name. This is the first decent in situ shot we've had of her, and it appears that she is digesting a meal.
Image 12: This is one found at Sabino Canyon. Note the color difference between this one and the others above. Steve Ressel and I found it in the exact spot where Jeff Moorbeck and I found a tiger very similar in color over ten years ago. I've been too lazy to backtrack and match the photos. It also appears to have been marked--note the white on the rattle. I suspect it was from Matt Goode's study, back in the day when Danny Brower was scouring the area.
Well, there is much, much more to tell. But it will all have to wait. Best to all, and looking forward to seeing many of you in the days ahead.
roger
