2025 VHS Events

June

2025 HerpBlitz

** Registration has closed. The survey is full **

When: Saturday June 14th (9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.) and Sunday June 15th (9:00 a.m. - noon)

Location: Crooked Creek WMA in Carroll County

2025 VHS Toby's Point and
Land's End WMA Herpetological Survey
Survey Summary

At the VHS Land’s End and Toby’s Point Survey we had 29 volunteers find 150 individuals of 23 species. Highlights were an Eastern Copperhead hanging out in the middle of a swamp, Eastern Spadefoot (VA Tier IVc), Woodland Box Turtles (VA Tier IIIa), and an Eastern Mud Turtle which is a new county record for King George Co.

A special thanks to the Land’s End WMA and the Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge (Toby’s Point Unit) for letting the VHS survey. The National Wildlife Refuge also gave VHS permission to install an acoustic recorder to see if we can get any new species of frogs calling that we weren’t able to hear on the survey. As I went back after the survey to install the recorder, the copperhead that was in the swamp was caudal luring to catch frogs.

Group Photo

Spotted Salamander

Eastern Musk Turtle

Little Brown Skink

Do you see the Copperhead?

Eastern Copperhead

Eastern Copperhead using its tail-tip as a caudal lure to entice prey.

Red-spotted Newt

Woodland Box Turtle

May

Spring Meeting & Survey with the
North Carolina Herpetological Society
Summary

The VHS partnered with the North Carolina Herpetological Society this past weekend (May 18th–19th) for the annual spring survey event in Staunton River State Park + Staunton River Battlefield State Park in Halifax County, VA. The Saturday full-day Survey was attended by over 40 participants, with multiple groups covering different sections and contributing to a comprehensive species checklist for the park. On Sunday, 16 individuals contributed and were able to capture more of the parks' diversity during this half-day event. We are grateful to all of our survey participants––we are able to put together these incredibly useful checklists through your continued contributions and support, and we hope to see you again at future VHS herp survey events!