Cinco De Mayo in Central Ohio 2012

On the first weekend in May I joined 19 high school students on a trip to a place near Zanesville.

Our first outing was a freshwater field study.

We used seines and nets to catch fish, crustaceans and mollusks.

I caught a Northern Water Snake.

Here's a bigger one caught on the following day.

We had a wood shed on the campgrounds and in the evening this Eastern Garter Snake was hanging out there.

We went on several hikes.

And we found cool stuff, like this American Toad.

Here's something which I've never seen before: American Carrion Beetle.

Northern Ringneck Snakes were the most commonly seen reptile.

A very tiny (but very cute) Red Eft.

Mr. Maretka, Independence High School's biology teacher and Graham turned a few logs.

Eastern Garter Snake in a tree.

The same snake photographed on a tree stump.

Spring Peepers were calling, as well as Grey Treefrogs.

In the afternoon I gave a presentation on the reptiles and amphibians we had found. We stayed in tents on stilts (like you see in the background) called yurts.

Lily is a foreign exchange student from New Zealand - they don't have snakes there.

Tanner checking out a water snake.

He decided that he liked snakes so much that he put a ringneck on his head.

Steve checks out a water snake.

Everybody loves Ringneck Snakes.

It was a great weekend for hiking and herping.