2021 Southeastern colorado bash

The story of CO PARC's 2021 SE CO bash begins at the Vogel Canyon Picnic Area. Ever since it was constructed, this location has been a commune for the herp enthused. Many spectacular (and just as many not so spectacular) days of herping have began and ended at this exact location. In very little time, the sleepy parking lot filled up with passionate folks who only had one goal in mind, that being finding herps! After an introductory speech by our co-chair, Hunter Johnson, the parking lot emptied once again, as the CO PARC crew took to the roads to see what the night had in store! Conditions on this night gave the group a fantastic chance to observe an amazing display of diversity. Some areas stayed dry, allowing herpers to search for many of the snakes that are endemic to the area. Other parts saw heavy rains, which summoned a hoard of toads and salamanders! Overall, the conditions were such that just about any nocturnal amphibian or reptile in the region was up for grabs!
The first night of road cruising may be one of the most epic displays of amphibian and reptile diversity witnessed in this area in recent years. As was previously stated, climatic conditions on this night allowed for some areas to be surveyed for amphibians, while other areas produced mostly reptiles. CO PARC collectively recorded 110 observations of 22 species on the first day of the survey. Frankly, these are astounding numbers, as most of the group didn't begin recording finds until after the sun had already gone down for the night! Finds on this night ranged from species as common as Prairie Rattlesnakes or Woodhouse's Toads to some species as rare and sought after as Speckled Kingsnakes, Green Toads, or Longnose Snakes. 
Full observation list for day one
After a long and extremely productive night of road cruising, the group woke up early and returned to Vogel Canyon Picnic Area for the first hike of the survey. With the hike beginning at 7:30 AM, one would assume that attendance would be low, as herpers rested up after a late night of road cruising. However, attendance at this hike was great and a large group of Colorado's herp faithful made it out to look for the reptiles and amphibians that call the canyons of southeastern Colorado home. Once again, the group was able to turn up and document a number of different herps on this hike, many of which had not yet been documented on this particular survey. Additionally, this hike was a great opportunity for everyone to get together and make some new friends! Bringing people together to share a love for reptiles and amphibians is what CO PARC is all about! 
After the hike, most of the group returned to town to stock up on supplies, find a bite to eat, and rest up before another great night of road cruising. An adventurous (and not to mention tireless) few set out to find some of southeastern Colorado's river denizens. While most of SE CO consists of barren grasslands, river corridors hold a few species that cannot be found anywhere else.
Full observation list for day two
After sleeping the midday away, the CO PARC group met back at Vogel Canyon to kick off another night of road cruising. While everyone was enjoying each other's company, late-comer Graham Zephirin found a particularly attractive Western Hognose Snake crossing a road as he went to meet up with the rest of the group. Western Hognose Snakes are one of the most charismatic species of snake that Colorado has to offer and pretty soon a traffic jam of herpers and their vehicles met on the lonely road, as folks gathered to take a look at the snake. After this, the group took to the roads once again. To the west, an ominous storm made its way across the Great Plains. Conditions were similar to the first night. Initially, the roads stayed dry and a number of different snake species were documented as they made their way across the road. As the night progressed, isolated thunderstorms moved through the area. Once again, this allowed the group to observe, enjoy, and document the wonderful amphibian diversity that exists in southeastern Colorado. Overall, the second day of the 2021 CO PARC Southeastern Colorado Bash saw 33 species of reptiles and amphibians being documented on 153 observations. For perspective, that is over 71% of the total species count for this region of the state.
The final morning of the 2021 CO PARC Southeastern Colorado Bash was fairly dismal as far as reptiles and amphibians go. By this point in the survey, the group was spent. Staying up all night takes a big toll! Still, the group spent the morning together enjoying each other's company. From all of us at CO PARC, thank you to everyone who made it to the survey. Together, we documented 297 individuals. 37 different species were found, meaning that the group effectively documented over 75% of this area's total herp diversity in less than three days.​ Linked below is a YouTube video cataloging the survey from one attendee's perspective.
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The CO PARC group gets together for a group photo just before leaving for home.
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Visit our parent organization, Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC), for more information on national conservation efforts and other regional groups.
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