An Appreciation of Field Herping Finds

The last five years I've had opportunities to travel a lot and see explore many interesting places. I was also afforded time to look for (and find) many herps. Over those years I've traveled to Borneo, Costa Rica, Belize, Honduras, and the Peruvian Amazon among other places. I've tracked down some, such as the Jade Tree Frog and Hogg Island Boa, and stumbled across others; see: almost stepping on a Bushmaster! All in all, I've done a lot of preparation and had a lot of luck. I owe a lot to the advice of others I've e-mailed with and spoken to in person.

Here are some of the great finds I've made, and been fortunate enough to photograph, on those travels:


Two Common Costa Rican finds: A Green-and-Black Poison Arrow Frog (Dendrobates auratus) and a Gladiator Tree Frog (Hypsiboas rosenbergi).

A Jade Tree Frog (Rhacophorus dulitensis) tracked down while walking transects at night at Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) in Sabah, Borneo.

Brown Bullfrog (Kaloula baleata) doing pull-ups in Borneo.

Campbell's Rainforest Toad (Bufo campbelli)@ Gale's Point, Belize. 

A Northern Redback Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) of NY.

Canyon Tree Frog (Hyla arenicolor) in Sabino Canyon State Park, Arizona.

Spectacled Caiman (Caiman crocodylus) caught by hand in the Rio Sierpe, Costa Rica.

Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) in the Kinabatangan River, Borneo.

American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) in Costa Rica.

Common Sun Skink (Mabuya multifasciata) basking on a dead tree in Borneo.

One of my favorite finds, a baby Water Monitor (Varanus salvator) found
 in Tunku Abdul Rahman National Marine Park.

A big Bushmaster (Lachesis stenophrys) that two other people walked right past before I almost stepped on it!
El Zota Biological Field Station, Costa Rica.

Central American Coral Snake (Micrurus nigrocinctus) found
during the day at El Zota Biological Field Station, Costa Rica.

Dog-toothed Cat-eyed Snake (Boiga cynodon) resting on a branch at DGFC, Borneo.

Not a field find, but a King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) at Lok Kawi Wildlife Park, Borneo.

A big Reticulated Python (Python reticulatus) in Borneo.