Hiking is one of the most fun and effective ways to find herps. It is especially good when looking for lizards, of which the vast majority are diurnal, and can be seen basking on rocks or trees or skittering across the ground. Most lizards are active on warm sunny days. Some desert lizards can be found in blistering hot temperatures of over 100. In general, lizards don't seem to be so picky with their activity patterns; if it's warm and sunny you should see them. The most effective way to catch these fast lizards is with a noose pole, which can easily be made by acquiring any long, thin, light weight pole (an old fishing pole is ideal), and tying a simple noose with waxed dental floss at the end. To tie the noose, get a piece of floss about seven or eight inches long and tie one end to the tip of your pole. Tie a small secure loop about two millimeters in diameter to the other end of the floss, then pinch the floss about midway down and push it through the loop. You should have a very simple noose that opens and closes very easily. To noose a lizard you slowly inch your noose around a lizard's head then lift up gently to tighten. This method does not injure the lizard in any way. Noosing is often the only way to catch a lizard that won't let you get very close to it. I used to never be able to catch large beautiful collared or leopard lizards, but with my noose I can now catch these lizards almost every time.
Often hiking near water will reveal the most snakes. In the east, watersnakes and cottonmouths can often be found looking in reedy areas near waterways. Turtles and frogs can also be seen in such situations frequently. In the west, hiking along dry washes and along rock outcrops often brings success. Snakes are generally more picky than lizards about when they will surface. They seem to prefer more moderate temperatures between seventy and eighty degrees, and many species are especially dependent on rainfall.
Hiking in the Sky Islands of Arizona and New Mexico is an especially fun way to herp, because of the magnificent diversity of snake species as well as the beautiful scenery. Hiking around stream beds and using your snake hook to poke into leaf litter and holes can turn up some magnificent snakes:
Next... check out our section about flipping rocks and debris for snakes and lizards.
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