As others had to report back to work after our Kisatchie National Forest trip, I camped and herped my way back north, spending most of my time in southwest Arkansas.  I didn't really have a script; just decided things as I went along.  In the end, I didn't really see too many herps that I couldn't have also found in northwest Arkansas, but I did have a few highlights...none of which I would consider spectacular.

Spectacular NON-finds
* No Coralsnake 
* No Lined Snake    (...but I have an idea now about where one might turn up in AR.)
* No W. Diamondback Rattlesnake    (...kind of missed my "window" of opportunity with the weather and time; only had about 2 hours to look at a suspected location.)
* No Fourche Mountain Salamander    (...my own fault; I wanted to look for them, but drove through the location too late in the day to bother looking and I didn't want to backtrack so far.)

Great Finds
* American Alligator  (Yes, I know it's no big deal for some of you, but finally seeing my own in AR was a big deal to me.)
* Three new county records. (Mud Turtle, Eastern Hognose Snake, and Copperhead)
* Gulf Crayfish Snake (Rare species.)

Good Finds
* Western Worm Snake (Rare species for area - Hempstead Co.)
* "Leadback" variety of Southern Redback Salamander
* Found all three kingsnakes (Speckled, Prairie, and Milksnake) on the same day.
* Found a "Moccasin crossing" where I noted 2 Cottonmouth and 3 Copperheads crossing the road in about the span of two headlight lengths.
* Visited a couple of places where AHS may want to hold field trips in the future.

Near Misses
* Two would-have-been county records. (Upland Chorus Frog and Common Musk Turtle)

Bad Finds
* Poison ivy! (Probably from LA; luckily the blisters stayed pretty much on one hand/wrist and didn't hamper me too bad.)
* Clear cutting! (I thought the urbanization of northwest Arkansas was bad, but now I think it pales in comparison to the damage being done in southern Arkansas.  I spent a good bit of time in Miller County and found pretty much nothing in the way herps; the whole area it seems has been logged to oblivion.)

Species List - Doing this by memory...so no guarantees on perfect accuracy
Southern Copperhead - ~10
Western Cottonmouth - ~3-4
Eastern Racer - 1, ~3 DOR
Prairie Kingsnake - 1
Speckled Kingsnake - 1, 1 DOR
Milksnake - 1
Western Rat Snake - 2, ~2 DOR
Western Worm Snake - 1
Plainbelly Watersnake - 1 DOR
Gulf Crayfish Snake - 1
Western Ribbon Snake - ~4
Western Earth Snake - 1
Eastern Hognose Snake - 1
Eastern Fence Lizard - ~3
Northern Green Anole - ~3-4
Five-lined Skink - ~3-4
Ground Skink - ~10+
Red-eared Slider - ~10+
Mississippi Mud Turtle - 2
Common Musk Turtle - 1
American Alligator - 1
Dwarf American / Fowler's Toad - 20+
Northern Cricket Frog - 10+
Cope's Gray / Gray Treefrog - TMTC (Calls only)
Spring Peeper - TMTC; Calls only
Upland Chorus Frog - TMTC (Calls only)
Eastern Narrowmouth Toad - 1
Bullfrog - ~2-3
Southern Leopard Frog - ~2, TMTC (Calls)
Western Slimy Salamander - 1
Southern Redback Salamander - ~5-6