Snake in the road!  We were very near the spot where our trip started five days ago, and here was a second Massasauga, and a good-sized one at that.  We managed to get the snake to coil up on the side of the road so we could take a few pictures.  This one appeared to be a bit underweight with the skin hanging a bit loose - perhaps it hadn't gotten a good meal yet after coming out of hibernation.  It was great to see a second specimen of this species, especially since we were running out of time.  The sun was low in the sky but the temperature hadn't fallen much yet - 93F when we found this snake.

We let the snake continue on its way and we did the same.  Up and down the hilly roads we drove, looking for rock outcrops and junkpiles as we went.  We stopped to photograph an old ruined building (church? schoolhouse?) and as we made to leave Tracey spotted a young adult Black Ratsnake crawling up the road.  None of us had seen it, being too absorbed with the man-made structure.

We rescued a large female Ornate Box Turtle as it attempted to cross the road.  The sun was definitely dropping fast now.  We revisited the spot where we found the first Milksnake of the trip, but nothing was stirring, not even a Ringneck or Great Plains Skink.  We could feel the great Kansas field trip winding down now.

Sunset found us on top of a large hill and in the company of cows as we worked a final series of rock outcrops.  Someone found another Ornate Box Turtle dug in under a large flat rock, and that was it, the last herp in the last hour of the last day.  Now it was time to turn the vehicle east and head for home.  By all accounts this had been a fantastic trip, with so many great herps, a number of which we were seeing for the first time.  We had also made some new friends and had a great time herping with them.  We drove home happy and satisfied.

Ornate Box Turtle (Terrapene ornata ornata)
Western Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta belli)
Redeared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)
Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)
Great Plains Skink (Eumeces obsoletus)
Eastern Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus collaris collaris)
Prairie Ringneck Snake (Diadophis punctatus arnyi)
Black Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta)
Central Plains Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum gentilis)
Western Plains Garter Snake (Thamnophis radix haydeni)
Western Massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus tergeminus)