Reptile hunting

[drewtiger13]

Anyone know anything about using lights or blacklight for spotting wildlife at night? Especially reptiles/ snakes??
I'm often out and about local rivers at night, and around the Coosa River valley, there's a LOT of wildlife of all kinds, many of which are NOT shy of people! Examples: I've turned around at one local fishing pier, & on the edge of the road about 25-30 yards away sitting on their butts or a pair of coyotes watching me to see what I might get. And SEVERAL times I have dumped my cast net of the pier, and had just time enough to have baited and set my rod before hearing a soft swoosh behind me. I turn in my chair, and see a LARGE owl swallow a 2nd shad from my bait pile, then looking at me like "Got something to say bud?"
At any rate, I've noticed that there are just as many that my spot would Not light up there eyes as those that would. One bowhunter suggested I try UV lights to spot those that don't reflect regular lights.

 

[hsa]

If your white light won't light em up then UV won't either. They are missing the reflective component in their eyes. Different animals have different colors though.

 

[fulee9999]

UV is great for spotting scorpions and geckos, but not particularly great for other animals... from night fishing memories I'd suggest a lantern you have next to you always on for some area light and nice throwy flashlight to check out if you see or hear movement

 

[hsa]

A headlamp will easily reveal eyeshine with very little output because it is "on axis" with your line of sight. Walk through short grass in the summer and the sea of sparkles visible are spiders. Moth eyes glow orange.
I didn't know about UV and Geckos. Cool.