Costa Rica Herping: GIANT Fer-De -Lance, a New Coral Snake (2024)

[@tkreitler]

That was a cool group of animals. The Allen's Worm Salamander was awesome with its very long tail.

[@OchoVerde]

We are very fortunate to have all 3 species of sally's on our property in the southern zone. Its always a treat to see them on a night hike! The Allen's salamander is an excellent climber. Sometimes I see them 10 or 12 feet up on a tree.

[@smetlogik]

The "normal" snakes down in CR are so cool. That Bird/Puffing, how cool to see it in action. Love that coral. Dig that ending with the lizard meal, nice capture. Mimi ever get into trouble or is she wary of snakes?

[@OchoVerde]

Mimi usually does not follow me into the jungle at night. If she does, she responds to "Casa casa" and heads back to the house. This is the first time that I have seen her respond to a snake. All dogs in Costa Rica loathe iguanas... more than cats. So I hope she never confuses a snake for an iguana. Snakes can be slow eaters... so once I started holding the phone over my head... it went on and on for over 6 minutes. I was dying there at the end from trying to hold it steady in the dark for so long.

[@katerothrafleming4905]

So cool, love the musky Cat-eyed snake!

[@OchoVerde]

Your bamboo attracts all kinds of creatures! 🐈👁️🐍

[@Dangerdilan]

What part of Costa Rica are you in ?

[@OchoVerde]

The Southern Zone near Golfito

[@tonylion1332]

Hello Frank! Thank you so much for yet another fascinating post much appreciated, the coral snake was in incredible!! Those Fer Der lance are incredibly stunning creatures but I won’t lie those guys scare me!! Great to meet Mimi!! 🐕 Very impressive salamander 🦎 well it’s 10pm here in Kent England very warm today not compared to Costa Rica I’m sure!! I’m 58 today Frank and this has been a lovely ending to my birthday thank you for bringing us so much pleasure excitement and joy stay safe please Frank I wish you every success keep up the great work thanks Frank take care mate 👍

[@OchoVerde]

Thank you. Tony. Have a great Birthday weekend in Kent!

[@Stop4ThemSneks]

Awww! I guessed blunt headed… awesome video!

[@OchoVerde]

That was a very good guess... Thanks for watching and I'm glad that you enjoyed it!

[@ProjectSimusFlorida]

Good stuff as always!

[@OchoVerde]

Appreciate that! I got a yearling canebrake today... and 2 racers. Perfect day here...just not very much moving.

[@mandyhertel8776]

I LOVE the little ant with his giant leaf marching blithely past one of the most venomous snakes in the world. Thanks for sharing!!

[@OchoVerde]

YES! That was so cool. The snake definitely noticed it! Have a great weekend!

[@iberianwildlife]

Excelente video

[@OchoVerde]

Muchas Gracias!!

[@dirkswildworld]

Great one! Man, what would Frank be without his head-lamp?!😂 And how I miss these night walks...hopefully soon we'll return to CR...Pura Vida!

[@OchoVerde]

Thanks, Dirk! I did record a few seconds of the Orange Mouthed Tarantula, but it didn't make the cut!

[@dirkswildworld]

@@OchoVerde oh too bad😅, would love to see a further spider video soon

[@RianP.-oe9ru]

That’s a confident, deadly snake. Lachesis and Bothrops have a certain demeanor and power that I’ve never seen in any other species. It’s like they won’t start the fight but they will finish it. They’re both fascinating species that tend to get looked over by venomous African and Asian snakes.

[@OchoVerde]

You are correct! They are quite impressive!

[@gotalon]

Nice Coral👍

[@OchoVerde]

Thanks,,,, whats is happening?

[@gotalon]

Just hangin in Florida, leaving for CR at the end of the month.

[@OchoVerde]

@@gotalon ok... kate and I will be there in early July.

[@mckayorton1470]

Have always enjoyed your videos-- both SC and CR locations. Liveing in south Georgia we encounter many of the same species and habitat types as those you showcase in SC. In fact weve documented 34 herp species in our yard. Now were going to herp CR at the end of June! Keep up the good work!

[@OchoVerde]

Thank you! I really enjoyed my trip to S. GA a few months ago. I hoped to see an Indigo snake there, but I couldn't find one. 😬 34 species!!!! Incredible! End of June is a great time for CR! We are hoping to go back in early July. Have a fun trip! Thanks for the comments!

[@comfortablynumb9342]

Awesome video. I lived in Costa Rica for 9 years and I miss it. What an increíble place. I found lots of snakes there, some in my house. Edit, those river shrimp/prawns can get pretty huge and they're the best shrimp I've ever eaten. And I grew up catching shrimp in Florida. In CR we speared them at night. Their eyes glow pink when light hits them at night and they were easy to get (and slightly illegal, but I didn't know at the time).

[@OchoVerde]

I love house, yard, and driveway snakes. 9 years! How much fun was that? Yes.... you can actually see a little eye shine in this video. We see the people getting the shrimp about once a year from our creek on the trail cameras. Some use a machete/gig, which is fine with me. However... some use a poison which wipes out almost everything in the creek for a while. Thats not good and is very illegal.

[@comfortablynumb9342]

@@OchoVerde I hate it when they use "veneno" in the river. Or anywhere really. I used a frog gig, and my friends made spears with bike wheel spokes and a stick. It really was fun living there, especially at the beach in Pavones down by Panamá. I love it there.

[@OchoVerde]

@@comfortablynumb9342 Wow.. Pavones is close to us. We are near Golfito, which is now only about an hour from us. They have paved a lot of the road to Pavones and Zancudo.

[@comfortablynumb9342]

@@OchoVerde that must be nice. It was awful in 09-12 when I was in Pavones. One night I heard an ambulance come and go up the mountain and later it left. In the morning at sunrise I went to the beach to fish. A Tico friend and I watched a guarda costa boat doing circles off the beach with 2 officers. Then one swam ashore and told us a kid was bitten by a terciopelo at night and left in the ambulance. He lost his leg. His uncle was looking for the snake in the morning and it bit him too. The boat was there to take him to Golfito. We loaded him up, and I've never seen anyone in that much pain before or since. His ankle must have been 10" around and his toes looked like a swollen mass. It was a little traumatizing to see. DO NOT get bitten by one! Please! The kid lost his leg from the hip down. He's Guamei indigenous and lived way up in the reserve. I hope that road is better, he had a rough walk on crutches. What do you do down there? Do you need the help of a trustable American who speaks Tico Spanish fluently? I can garden, fish, translate, build stuff, maintain things, and I know how to live cheap and happy there. I had to come back to care for my mother but my sister took over now and I am free to go. I grew up in Florida, catching fish and reptiles. I fished and farmed in Costa Rica. I miss living there! So if you need reliable help I'm available.

[@SuperJox]

Have you ever seen a black milk snake there?

[@OchoVerde]

I have never seen one in person. They are in our area according to Twan Leenders' book. I just looked at the Snake ID page on Facebook, there are probably less than reported sightings on it. I think they are more common in the higher altitudes.

[@terry2310]

Quick question about the coral snake - would the very dark red (almost black) and its size indicate increased age? Love your videos! 🐍

[@OchoVerde]

It could be, but I have seen no evidence that it is a contributor. They have been looking at the dark red-ringed coral snake for several years in this part of Costa Rica. I think in late 2023 some folks recognized it as a new species!

[@terry2310]

@@OchoVerde Thanks so much for answering my question. From Canada 🇨🇦

[@Richard_and_Heather]

My wife guesses cat eye and I'm guessing/hoping cribs. Richard and Heather from Arkansas

[@Richard_and_Heather]

SHE WAS RIGHT!

[@OchoVerde]

Yes, she was ----shout outs coming in the next herping video! Y'all have a great weekend!!

[@joehenriod]

Cat eye snake

[@OchoVerde]

Correct.... big ole shout-out coming in the next snake video! Congrats!