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Night Driving
When I first started road cruising, I often contemplated stopping by my warehouse on the way home to grab local snake for proof that I had actually been out collecting. It took some time to figure out where and when to go. Just because I had the opportunity to go didn't mean it would be worthwhile.
Finding a good road is the difficult part. You want to find a road with as little traffic as possible. You will be traveling slowly, and may hopefully be making frequent stops. Doing this on a busy road can be irritating and dangerous. Find an area with water, mixed vegetation, and no or very few houses. Driving by the same house over and over usually creates suspicion. Explaining to the police that you are snake hunting can be time consuming, especially if you have no snakes for proof (which was often the case for me). Also, stay out of State and Federal Parks.
Because of the heat in Florida, many of the snakes that are diurnal (active during the daytime) in the northern states are nocturnal and/or crepuscular (active during the twilight) here. It is not unusual to catch Garter Snakes and Ribbon Snakes well after dark. I must emphasize, right before and right after dark is the ideal time to hunt.
Always shine the snake with a flashlight if you can't see it's markings. A small pygmy rattlesnake gives off the same silhouette and shine as a common water snake at night. It's always good to know what you are picking up. Cruise the same road on several different nights to prove that it is a dud or not. If the conditions are right and you still strike out several times then find a new spot. The oil companies have enough money. After wasting countless gallons of gasoline and endless hours of lost sleep I have come up with a set of rules that will help improve your "Road Cruising" experience.
Like anything else, I have found that the best Road Cruising is usually best when you have no gas or snake bags. Many a time I have walked into my house wearing no socks but also wearing a grin! Enjoy! |
"Night Driving" or "Road Cruising" is one of the easiest and most enjoyable ways
of collecting snakes, frogs, and toads in Florida. Remember, I said easiest and
most enjoyable, not most productive or cost effective. It is a "hit or miss"
method that can be just that. One night you can have great fortune and catch
snake after snake. On a seemingly similar night, you will be wasting gasoline
and losing sleep. This wasn't so bad in the "good-old-days" when one could
actually afford gasoline for "Road Cruising".
Driving in the safe air
conditioned confines of your car can make collecting snakes easy, no
need for smelly bug repellent or long pants. Just a good flashlight and a few
snake sacks and you're off. Don't forget to fuel up the car though, otherwise
you may wish you had brought along some smelly bug repellent and long pants.
Hand cleaner is also a plus, toads excrete toxins from their skin and a snakes
have two defenses...their heads and their butts! I deem the second defense the
worse of the two by far.
When you think you may have
found the right road you need to test it. April, May, and June are the best road
cruising months in Florida. That's because it's getting warmer at night and it's
also breeding season.
You need to get to your spot 1/2 hour before dark and stay no later than 1 1/2
to 2 hours after dark. You need to pick a night that the air temperature is
above 72 degrees Fahrenheit. The more humidity the better,... this is usually not a
problem in Southwest Florida in June. Rain or drizzle can work, mostly for amphibians, as long as it is not the result of a cold front moving in.
And if it's breezy out, go rent a movie and stay home. There will be better
days.
You need to pre-pick what you think is the best section of the road before dark.
Pick a good looking stretch of road, from a block to a
couple of miles long. You want to work the best areas as
thoroughly as you can. Pick landmarks that you can recognize after dark for
turn-around points. Drive between 25 and 35 miles per hour, any faster and you
may not see smaller snakes. Alert snakes will also be gone by the time you get
the car stopped and run back to them. Ideally, stopping with
the snake still in the headlights is best. Also make sure your vehicle is out of the
way of possible traffic.