Just finished a Herpetological Survey where I work--PICS ADDED

I just did a 3 hour herp survey where I work and found the following:
Lots and lots of box turtles
Wood frog
American toads
Worm Snakes
Garter Snakes
Black Racers
Common 5-lined skinks and some other frogs calling. I will post pics as soon.

Looking forward to the pictures

What is a worm snake? Guess I'll see when you post pics. I look forward to them.

PICS...PICS...PICS

POIDH!!! but really thats awesome cant wait for pics

Nice, I need a job like yours.

Where do you work? I would love a job where I am interacting with nature and different animals all the time.

I work at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Janelia Farm Research Campus a 500 million dollar research facility.
http://janelia.org/

It is a non-profit science research facility and I run the Biological safety and Laser Safety Programs. We are a world-class self sustaining fundamental neuroscience and cell imaging research facility in Ashburn, Virginia (near leesburg). It is not uncommon to be chatting with Nobel Laureates here.

We sit on about 680 acres of land; all mixed woods, fields and wetlands with a bout 2 miles of Potomac river front. Since many of the scientists here share many hobbies, I thought I'd share mine at work. I started a Nature Club here where my specific area of expertise is herpetology. So this was our first annual Janelia Farm Herpetological Survey. There will be more and the response to this was very positive. It is very rewarding to me when a world renowned neuroscientist tells me how much they've learned. I will be posting pics later tonight.

Pics: more later.

Box turtle



Worm Snake (bad pic but it's all I got for now)


Garter snake





Black Racer

Nice, I've seen a lot of worm snakes over the years. Always wondered are they a slug and bug eater?

smd58 wrote:

Nice, I've seen a lot of worm snakes over the years. Always wondered are they a slug and bug eater?

Primarily, they eat worms, but will eat any soft bodied insect they can fit in their tiny mouth.

Enjoyed your photos.

Speaking of worm snakes, this month 2 albino eastern worm snakes were found in Virginia. The first one in James City County and the second one in Fairfax County. Prior to this, the last report of an albino eastern worn snake was from Arlington County in 1945.

jw wrote:

Enjoyed your photos.

Speaking of worm snakes, this month 2 albino eastern worm snakes were found in Virginia. The first one in James City County and the second one in Fairfax County. Prior to this, the last report of an albino eastern worn snake was from Arlington County in 1945.

Excellent, did this report come to the VHS?

Yes. The James City Co. field note will appear in the upcoming issue of Catesbeiana. The Fairfax field note will appear in the Fall issue.

There is a photo of the Fairfax albino wormsnake on the VHS Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/vaherpsociety