updated:  01/18/04

Enough people have asked me about information on collecting this species, that I thought I'd include a summary of my collecting experiences. The first thing that anyone reading this data must understand, however, is that there is no trick to finding alterna! Each snake below represents countless hours of patiently driving the roads and walking the road cuts of west Texas, staying up many nights until dawn! While some people seem to be able to drive down and catch a snake their first trip out, most do not. It is far less expensive to buy a baby than to catch one.

Where applicable, I've included a photo of each of the animals collected. Click on the thumbnail to see a larger image.  NOTE: all of the animals collected were collected legally with a Texas Hunting License.  

# Date Location Notes

Photo
1. 06/16/87 TX: Val Verde Co; 9 mi N of Baker's Crossing on Tx 163 found Dead on Road (DOR), blair's male

2. 06/17/87 TX: Val Verde Co; 4.3 mi N of Baker's Crossing on Tx 163 a young male found Alive on Road (AOR) at 0050 hrs. 82 degrees F

3. 06/17/87 TX: Val Verde Co; 1.1 mi W of Shumla picnic area on US 90 DOR male, too badly mangled to preserve; no photo

4. 06/17/87 TX: Val Verde Co; 6.4 mi N of Langtry on Pandale dirt road a dark phase gravid female AOR at 2115 hours (dusk). 90 degrees F; laid 5 eggs on 07/24/87

5. 07/17/87 TX: Jeff Davis Co; ca. 2 mi S jct fm 1832 on Tx 17 DOR female, just been hit

6. 07/16/91 TX: Val Verde Co; 0.2 mi N of Loma Alta on US 277 ~3ft male AOR, light alterna phase found at 2120 hrs

7. 08/04/91 TX: Terrell Co; 9 mi N of Sanderson on US 285 18" female found on cut while walking, 2215 hours

8. 05/28/92 TX: Brewster Co; 6.1 mi NW of La Linda on fm 2627 ovulating female found AOR at 2214 hours, 72 degrees F

9. 06/04/92 TX: Presidio Co; 4.6 mi W of the Big Hill on fm 170 18" male AOR at 0210 hours

10. 06/29/92 TX: Val Verde Co; 1.8 mi N of Baker's Crossing on Tx 163 adult male AOR at 2240 hours; barely on road, got into grass and almost lost him

11. 06/30/92 TX: Val Verde Co; 8.8 mi S jct fm 189 on Tx 163 light phase blair's male AOR at 0805 hours - had apparently been hit by car in early a.m., but survived

12. 07/25/92 TX: Terrell Co; 7.4 mi N of Sanderson on US 285 very flat DOR, papery dry

13. 07/08/93 TX: Brewster Co; 6.8 mi NW of La Linda on fm 2627 30" male AOR at 2320 hrs, full moon had just come up

14. 07/10/93 TX: Terrell Co; 2.8 mi W of Sanderson on US 90 a 14" female found on cut by Marla while walking at 0030 hours, full moon had just come up

15. 05/21/94 TX: Val Verde Co; Dollen Creek Road, W of Loma Alta a 30" female found on hillside along road while walking at ~2230

16. 06/04/94 TX: Terrell Co; 3.2 mi W of Sanderson on US 90 26" male black alterna morph found on cut at ~0130 hrs (walking)

17. 06/12/94 TX: Terrell Co; 7.2 mi E of Sanderson on US 90 20" male unattractive blairs found while walking cut at 0420 hrs

18. 06/01/95 TX: Brewster Co; 22.9 mi NW of La Linda on fm 2627 16" male found AOR at 0155 hrs; beautiful dark blairs

19. 06/22/95 TX: Terrell Co; 4.0 mi N jct fm 2400 on Tx 349 12" dark blair's female found while walking towards road cut in gravel near road; 2300 hrs

20. 06/25/95 TX: Terrell Co; 2.6 mi W of Sanderson on US 90 20" dark blair's male found on cut at 0115 hrs

21. 06/25/95 TX: Terrell Co; 2.4 mi W of Sanderson on US 90 28" stunning light phase alterna female AOR at 0120 hrs

22. 06/01/97 TX: Presidio Co; 10.7 mi W of the Big Hill on fm 170 26" buckskin blair's male found AOR at 0246 hrs

23. 06/07/97 TX: Presidio Co; 2.3 mi W of the Big Hill on fm 170 28" silver and black alterna morph female AOR at 0340 hrs

24. 06/07/97 TX: Presidio Co; 8.0 mi W of the Big Hill on fm 170 20" alterna male found AOR at 2244 hrs

25. 06/08/97 TX: Presidio Co; 2.9 mi W of the Big Hill on fm 170 28" speckled male found AOR at 0051 hrs

26. 06/08/97 TX: Jeff Davis Co; 7.6 mi NE of Ft. Davis on Tx 17 28" light alterna male found DOR

27. 06/11/99 TX: Terrell Co; on Fm 2400, 1.5 mi W jct TX 349 32" light phase alterna female found on cut at 0327 hrs; ovulating

28. 06/11/99 TX: Terrell Co; on Fm 2400, 1.5 mi W jct TX 349 38" light phase blairs male found on cut at 0405 hrs; same exact spot as female above

29. 07/10/99 TX: Presidio Co; 2.0 mi W of the Top of the Big Hill on Fm 170 32" light-to-medium phase alterna female AOR at 2252 hrs

30. 08/03/99 TX: Terrell Co; on Fm 2400, 11 mi W jct Tx 349 20" screaming light phase blairs male on cut at 0050 hrs

31. 07/02/00 TX: Brewster Co; on Fm 2627, 3.0 mi NW of La Linda 28" dark phase alterna morph male, with 16 orange bowties and extensive white AOR at 0010 hrs

32. 05/20/01 TX: Brewster Co; on FM 2627, 10.7 mi NW of La Linda 10" medium to dark phase blair's morph female with 17 clean orange bands and a few alternates, found on cut at 0325 hrs

33. 06/23/01 TX: Val Verde Co; on US 90, 0.3 mi E of Pecos River Bridge 24" medium phase blairs male with good orange, at bottom of cut at 0152 hrs

34. 5/24/03 TX: Val Verde Co; on US 277, 0.2 mi N of Loma Alta 13" light muddy-orange blairs male on cut at ~0100 hrs

35. 5/25/03 TX: Val Verde Co; on US 277, 12.8 mi S of Loma Alta 25" light blairs male, DOR

36. 5/25/03 TX: Val Verde Co; on US 277, 9.0 mi S of Loma Alta 30" silver and black alterna male w/stub tail - on cut at 2332 hrs

37. 5/25/03 TX: Val Verde Co; on US 277, 10.1 mi S of Loma Alta 32" black-headed light blairs on cut at 2338 hrs

38. 6/28/03 TX: Val Verde Co; on US 277, 1.8 mi N of Loma Alta 24" silvery light alterna female on cut at 0147 hrs