WINTER HERPING
It has been the warmest winter on record here in the Greater Cleveland Area. Here's some of the stuff I found this year prior to March 21st.

Painted Turtles were the first herps of 2012 for me. I started seeing them out basking in February.

A nice group of them from a Metropark.

A "flying" Painted.

Amphibians started migrating around the middle of March, if not, a bit sooner. Jefferson Salamander:

Spotted Salamander.

Redbacks are one of two types of salamanders that I can find in my backyard.

A friend wanted me to take her kids herping, so I did.

Here's the habitat we explored:

The children were stoked when we hit the "salamander jackpot" - four Spotteds and one Smallmouth under one log.

Smallmouth Salamander.

Ryland was happy.

Avery now wants to be a herpetologist.

Wood Frog.

Darker, floating Wood Frog.

Spring Peeper.

On March 14th I saw my first "lifer" of the year - Blanding's Turtle.

Bullfrog.

Big Ol' Snapper.

Medium-sized Snapping Turtle, sporting some orange.

Black Squirrel

A little bit after the Peepers and Wood Frogs, Western Chorus Frogs and American Toads started calling.

Western Chorus Frog.

American Toad.

Big toad carrying a sign. Somebody told me that it wasn't real, but I want to believe.

On March 17th I went looking for my second "lifer" of the year. Along the way I saw this Northern Brown Snake.

And some Green Frogs.

And I found my "lifer" too - Spotted Turtle.

Northern Water Snakes were the first snakes I saw this year, but they proved to be tricky to get shot of.

Leopard Frog on a log.

Pickerel Frog on a log.

On March 20th it seemed there there were Eastern Garter Snakes everywhere. A few males courting females were seen. Here's a little male with a large female that appeared to have recently eaten a frog.

And here's one from another location.

Red-spotted Newt in "suspended animation."

Newt out of the water.

It's been an interesting winter!