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RE: Carolina pygmys
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by Chris_Harper on October 8, 2003
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Needles in the proverbial haystack. Carolina pigs tend to occur in isolated pockets of ideal habitat. Once you find one in an area, you should probably stick to it, or at least mark it on a map. Since they are so small and cryptic, they are extremely difficult to see when in their natural cover. Most would say "impossible" to see.
Pigmies are usually only found while road cruising. That means that whatever habitat that they live in they have all to themselves. One of the best field herpers that I personally know says that he has NEVER found a pigmy under debris, only crossing roads. There are exceptions, but that's the general rule.
Look for remote habitat that borders swampy or wet areas. Whether or not they exist in that area you will have to determine for yourself. Carolina pigs are one of the most elusive species you could possibly be looking for. Most people just go road cruising and consider themselves lucky if they happen upon a Carolina pig.
~CH
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RE: Carolina pygmys
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by Wollers on October 9, 2003
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I have always been curious why the Carolina pygmy population runs so thin throughout its range. My next trip up to S.C. I plan on putting them at the top of my list to look for. Of course, here where I live down in Florida, I can take a nice leisurely walk at dusk around my pond out back and spot 5 to 10 Duskys in a half hour! I have never found their color/pattern to be very cryptic, its just that when they're in a coil they appear so small you really have to train your eye. I never get tired of photograghing these little guys and my long term captive pygmy remains my favorite.
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RE: Carolina pygmys
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by PIGMAN on October 9, 2003
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The carolina pigmy is a ellusive snake but can be common in certain areas despite their ellusivness.
I spend most of my time researching these little guys in the field as well as eastern d-backs, Timbers and canebrakes. To find pigmies productivly there are a few small gaps throughout the summer one can find them in numbers. If its not hot and dry you will probably never see one If you choose the easiest way which is road crussing for them then you will need to pick nights in later June through end of September when night time lows only are in the upper 70's if it drops below 75 you probably want see one. The dew point has to be 62 or higher and if it rains you most likely want see one either unlike ratsnakes copperheads and canebrakes that often move durring late evening summer showers. Day time highs need to be well into the 90's or higher to really get them to move. Rainy cool years limit the amout of pigs a person will see through the methods of road crussing. Then one has to take to stumphole searching This meathod is a bit more challenging since pigmies are hard to see in habitat. Once you get an eye for them then you will see more than you would ever now was there. I cant give away my localities but areas or counties that do have considerable amounts of pigmies in SC is Berkeley, Sumter, Lancaster,Chesterfield, Marlboro, Dillion, Florence, Darligton, Horry, Hampton, Lexington, Edgfiled, Abbeville, Aiken, Allendale, and McCormick is just loaded with them. I have found pigs in all those Counties except Lexington and thats next years project . Hopefully this will help and good luck, If I had never found a pigmy before, I would start in Aiken or McCormick counties those would be your best bet in getting to see one or up in the South Carolina Sandhills near Cheraw is good too. As my nickname states I just love pigmies and enjoy doing geographical range mapping on them since so little seems to be known about sistrurus miliarius miliarius. Also Northeast Ga east of Atlanta is home to lots of ellusive polymorphic pigmies even though in many areas they may be the most common snake believe or not people hardly ever see them or even know of local colonies due to the nature of the snake. Now that it has cooled off I would look for areas of sandhills that may have been burned in the middle of the day and then look around various holes. Also night hunting with a high powerd flashlight in pine flats is productive too on hot humid nights of August through September when one often finds several males in a night out mate searching. Good luck in your searches. Also keep an eye out for opened canopy habitats that often is thick with wire grass. Hope you get to observe a pigmy.
Zach Orr
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RE: Carolina pygmys
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by PIGMAN on October 9, 2003
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I noticed that your from Darlington area try crussing the rural roads near the PeeDee River that cut through upland sandridge habitat. and boarders swamp you should have some luck concentraiting on a road or roads that go through that type habitat .. Road crussing can still be good this time of year aslong as its in the 5-7 o'clock range. Hope this helps
Zach
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RE: Carolina pygmys
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by Chris_Harper on October 10, 2003
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PIGMAN! You just wrote an article for the SHHS newsletter! Email me - webmaster@VenomousReptiles.org
~CH
PS - I'll be out of town until Sunday, Oct. 12th.
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RE: Carolina pygmys
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by swampwoogie919 on October 13, 2003
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Chris and Zach,thanks for all the information.Sorry it took so long to reply but I went herping for pigs again with no luck.I found 2 canebrakes,6 cottonmouths,3 copperheads,1 king,1 rainbowsnake,but no pig.I have found every type of snake in S.C. except the carolina pygmy.Maybe oneday it will happen.Thanks again,Robert.
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