Hunting Herps LbNA #23595 (ARCHIVED)
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Add Location| Owner: | Adoptable |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Jul 8, 2006 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Oxford |
| County: | Chenango |
| State: | New York |
| Boxes: | 4 |
| Planted by: | Songchick  |
|---|---|
| Found by: | Banjoman (3) |
| Last found: | Oct 8, 2011 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFFFFU |
| Last edited: | Jul 8, 2006 |
*** This series is currently listed as unknown/missing as reported to me by several letterboxers ... I will try to get out to Bowman Lake at some point this spring/early summer to verify the status. At this point, please consider it missing. But if you do search and find any of the boxes, please let me know and I'll update accordingly
Herpatology is the study of reptiles and amphibians. Although once confined to scientists and naturalists, the raising and keeping of herps has branched out to the general public, and many people now enjoy having members of these families as pets. Despite the obvious lack of fur, herps can be very people-oriented and affectionate towards their owners, and many herp clubs have sprung up across the US, allowing herp owners and enthusiasts the chance to get together, compare knowlege, and show off their animals. This series highlights some of the more popular herps that can be found as pets in many homes.
The series is located in Bowman Lake State Park, an absolutely beautiful state park outside of Oxford, NY. It features a small lake with boating, fishing, and swimming, lots of camping areas, and plenty of nature trails to hike. It's location is WAY off the beaten path, so I would suggest bringing a map with you just in case you end up on the wrong country road.
Directions to Bowman Lake State Park
* route yourself to Oxford, NY
* from Oxford, take a right on route 220. Follow this route for approximately 6 miles
* from Rt. 220, follow the signs to Bowman Lake State Park.
Directions to Hunting Herps (a park map will help you with your starting points for each box!)
Box #1 - gekkonid
* Locate the Nature Center. There is no nearby parking, but there is a lot within a short walking distance. Park here and walk to the Center.
* Find the NW corner of the Nature Center building, and put your back to it.
* Take 13 paces NW to a pair of pine trees. Walk around these and stand with your back to the farthest one.
* Take an additional 12 paces due W to a large pine tree. In a nearby stump the gekkonid lies sleeping.
Box #2 - pyxicephalus adpersus
* In the camping area, find site #39. Across from the sign you'll see a path. Take this path.
* Almost immediately you'll spot a brown building. Walk towards this building until you come to an intersection. At the intersection, take a right and walk along that grassy path.
* Keep walking until you see a big rock right in the middle of the path. Stop at this rock, and face the road.
* To your left slightly off the path is a big fallen log. At the far end of this log, under some rocks, is what you've been looking for. Be very careful with this one, as you're within view of several campsites and the road. Hide it well and head to the next box.
Box #3 - geochelone pardalis
* Walk back to where you initially parked your car, and move it to the parking lot by the swimming area (or leave it and keep walking if you want a longer hike).
* Head towards the swimming area, but instead of entering the beach, head south along a small grassy path that runs along the lakeshore.
* Keep on this path until you reach the "car top boat dock". Walk to the brown sign and stand by it.
* Within view is a man-made object, mosaic-like, with a large opening. Walk over to this structure and stand in front of the opening.
* Peer into the opening to see where you'll be going, then walk across the top of it to the other side. Carefully climb down and face the opening on that side.
* Look along the bottom of the structure. On the far left, hidden by some weeds, is a small pile of flat rocks. Under the rocks is where geochelone pardalis calls home. Hide him back carefully so he won't get wet.
Box #4 - python regius
* Return to the parking lot by the swimming area. Find the north corner and walk towards it.
* As you approach the corner, you will see an opening into the woods that's actually the start of several trails through the woods. CAREFULLY climb down the small hill onto the trails. These trails are very well marked with various colors of paint on the trees.
* Cross the first small wooden "bridge" (actually more like planks) that you come to.
* After crossing this bridge, look for and follow the trail marked in red. You will continue on this trail for a bit, crossing 3 additional plank bridges.
* After the last bridge, keep walking along the red-marked path until you see a large yellow square ski trail sign nailed to a tree. Bear right on a new path.
* Walk until you reach "Kopak Whaley", then continue another 28 paces up the trail. Stop here.
* Leave the trail and walk 9 paces south to a large tree. Find the large pile of rocks at the base of the tree, then find python regius curled up under the rocks, where all good python regius like to be. Replace carefully, and return back the way you came, or go back to the red trail and continue around the lake for a longer hike.
I hope you've enjoyed this series. It was placed during the annual Upstate Herp Association's annual picnic, and we had lots of opportunities to see various lizards, frogs, toads, and snakes as we were planting these.
Herpatology is the study of reptiles and amphibians. Although once confined to scientists and naturalists, the raising and keeping of herps has branched out to the general public, and many people now enjoy having members of these families as pets. Despite the obvious lack of fur, herps can be very people-oriented and affectionate towards their owners, and many herp clubs have sprung up across the US, allowing herp owners and enthusiasts the chance to get together, compare knowlege, and show off their animals. This series highlights some of the more popular herps that can be found as pets in many homes.
The series is located in Bowman Lake State Park, an absolutely beautiful state park outside of Oxford, NY. It features a small lake with boating, fishing, and swimming, lots of camping areas, and plenty of nature trails to hike. It's location is WAY off the beaten path, so I would suggest bringing a map with you just in case you end up on the wrong country road.
Directions to Bowman Lake State Park
* route yourself to Oxford, NY
* from Oxford, take a right on route 220. Follow this route for approximately 6 miles
* from Rt. 220, follow the signs to Bowman Lake State Park.
Directions to Hunting Herps (a park map will help you with your starting points for each box!)
Box #1 - gekkonid
* Locate the Nature Center. There is no nearby parking, but there is a lot within a short walking distance. Park here and walk to the Center.
* Find the NW corner of the Nature Center building, and put your back to it.
* Take 13 paces NW to a pair of pine trees. Walk around these and stand with your back to the farthest one.
* Take an additional 12 paces due W to a large pine tree. In a nearby stump the gekkonid lies sleeping.
Box #2 - pyxicephalus adpersus
* In the camping area, find site #39. Across from the sign you'll see a path. Take this path.
* Almost immediately you'll spot a brown building. Walk towards this building until you come to an intersection. At the intersection, take a right and walk along that grassy path.
* Keep walking until you see a big rock right in the middle of the path. Stop at this rock, and face the road.
* To your left slightly off the path is a big fallen log. At the far end of this log, under some rocks, is what you've been looking for. Be very careful with this one, as you're within view of several campsites and the road. Hide it well and head to the next box.
Box #3 - geochelone pardalis
* Walk back to where you initially parked your car, and move it to the parking lot by the swimming area (or leave it and keep walking if you want a longer hike).
* Head towards the swimming area, but instead of entering the beach, head south along a small grassy path that runs along the lakeshore.
* Keep on this path until you reach the "car top boat dock". Walk to the brown sign and stand by it.
* Within view is a man-made object, mosaic-like, with a large opening. Walk over to this structure and stand in front of the opening.
* Peer into the opening to see where you'll be going, then walk across the top of it to the other side. Carefully climb down and face the opening on that side.
* Look along the bottom of the structure. On the far left, hidden by some weeds, is a small pile of flat rocks. Under the rocks is where geochelone pardalis calls home. Hide him back carefully so he won't get wet.
Box #4 - python regius
* Return to the parking lot by the swimming area. Find the north corner and walk towards it.
* As you approach the corner, you will see an opening into the woods that's actually the start of several trails through the woods. CAREFULLY climb down the small hill onto the trails. These trails are very well marked with various colors of paint on the trees.
* Cross the first small wooden "bridge" (actually more like planks) that you come to.
* After crossing this bridge, look for and follow the trail marked in red. You will continue on this trail for a bit, crossing 3 additional plank bridges.
* After the last bridge, keep walking along the red-marked path until you see a large yellow square ski trail sign nailed to a tree. Bear right on a new path.
* Walk until you reach "Kopak Whaley", then continue another 28 paces up the trail. Stop here.
* Leave the trail and walk 9 paces south to a large tree. Find the large pile of rocks at the base of the tree, then find python regius curled up under the rocks, where all good python regius like to be. Replace carefully, and return back the way you came, or go back to the red trail and continue around the lake for a longer hike.
I hope you've enjoyed this series. It was placed during the annual Upstate Herp Association's annual picnic, and we had lots of opportunities to see various lizards, frogs, toads, and snakes as we were planting these.