# First herping trip



## viciousred (Sep 13, 2011)

Also my first time bush walking alone, had an awesome time tho, although I'm going to be bloody sore in the morning lol
Had my first ever encounter with a wild snake and it just happened to be a gorgeous eastern brown (i think) crappy photos but i found him in a bit of a tight spot on the trail and was trying not to fall off the edge and take photos at the same time, he was flattening his throat at me but just casually moving away, at a 45 degree angle to my face and having zip experience with elapid's i kept my distance to a certain extant.
It was so beautiful, i think I'm in love 
Also saw a few skinks, crabs and what I think was a lia bird but it was black.... Either way, fell in love with snakes all over again, its rather awesome seeing them in the wild. Kinda humbling too, you get that rush of omg its a snake yay! and then your just wow, and everything kind of goes quiet....that sounds incredibly silly. But it is what it is... now for a hot bath!!


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## jedi_339 (Sep 13, 2011)

Where did you go?

Nice pictures, and I know what you mean, it's fantastic rounding a corner on a trail and stumbling across a nice big elapid


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## viciousred (Sep 13, 2011)

Kuring Gai Chase National park  And the photos were taken with my phone, if only i had it set on shutter mode!! hind sight is a wonderful thing... Will definitely be out herping more tho!
I think he was maybe 5 feet? hard to tell as he was never straight, nice and fat tho that's for sure, only saw him for about 2 mins before he disappeared up the hill


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## bluewater (Sep 13, 2011)

Very cool, I gotta get out there and have a look some day!


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## hrafna (Sep 14, 2011)

i hate you! I have been out 2- 3 times each week for the past month and still have not found my first snake. Lots of dragons and skinks but no snake. Congrats on your find and i hope you find more.


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## Elapidae1 (Sep 14, 2011)

viciousred said:


> Either way, fell in love with snakes all over again, its rather awesome seeing them in the wild. Kinda humbling too, you get that rush of omg its a snake yay! and then your just wow, and everything kind of goes quiet....that sounds incredibly silly. But it is what it is... now for a hot bath!!




Love it, doesn't sound silly at all. 
When I first started herping all I wanted to see was Elapids but as I started learning more about the smaller skinks ETC my interests in herps expanded. Now I get the same feeling as you describe when I spot anything that I can't ID immediately.

As a final note, especially when your alone keep pressure bandages handy and know how to apply them. Remember no photo is worth a bite!!!


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## viciousred (Sep 14, 2011)

lol my bag had 3 different types of bandages, super sticky bandage, band aids, a compos, a torch, a swis army knife, my every day flick knife plus half a medicine cabinet  My husband so to speak directed me as to what i should take considering i was going bush alone and i added a few bits and bobs. Can't wait to go again, hoping to see a dragon next time too 

Oh and a 1.5 litre bottle of water... THAT was annoying although it was invaluble on the trip back up, had to stop every half an hour for a drink and to rest my legs. climbing a bitch when your out of shape


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## Kimberlyann (Sep 14, 2011)

I went herping for the first time today too and seen nothing but garden skinks and little sparrow like birds  very lucky


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## striker321 (Sep 14, 2011)

Kimberlyann said:


> I went herping for the first time today too and seen nothing but garden skinks and little sparrow like birds  very lucky



1st time aswell today, i can find more in the backyard then what i saw out there


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## GeckPhotographer (Sep 15, 2011)

It might have been said already, or you might know, but I just wanted to let you know the skinks pictured are Eulamprus quoyii Eastern Water Skinks. 

Nice pics of the skinks, getting out and about to see herps is great.


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