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hippieherper.bsky.social
Tucker Heptinstall
@hippieherper.bsky.social
1.7K followers 510 following 44 posts
Herpetology. Ecology and Evolution.
SDSU- PhD Student.
Auburn U., Clemson U.- Alum
All views are my own. He/Him.
🐍🦎🐢🐸🐊
Posts Replies Media Videos
hippieherper.bsky.social
Hard to beat a San Diego ruber 🐍
A red diamond rattlesnake sits coiled in a defensive striking position amidst brown grass
August 25, 2025 at 5:34 AM
hippieherper.bsky.social
Adding in some diversity 🐍
Large yellow and black striped Elaphe quatuorlineata on rocks. Juvenile E. quatuorlineata sporting its grey and black striped pattern Solid black (melanistic) Natrix natrix Small male viper on a rock, with contrasting blue sky background
June 20, 2025 at 6:47 AM
hippieherper.bsky.social
Can’t stop, Addicted to the shindig (catching snakes)
Grey Vipera ammodytes peers at the camera Large grey and black vipera ammodytes sits on brown rocks Grey and brown splotched cat eyed snake sits in a tree branch with the sky and mountain behind it Vipera ammodytes showing off its horned nose looking directly at the camera
June 12, 2025 at 11:41 AM
hippieherper.bsky.social
I hope you all love V. ammodytes as much as I do.
Grey and brown viper close up Tan and brown viper close up A top down view of a striking black and grey viper A top down view of a brown and grey viper
May 27, 2025 at 8:50 PM
hippieherper.bsky.social
Keep em coming
A small horn nosed viper being held my snake tongs with a cliff and ocean view in the background A viper sits on a lichen colored rock with a wide view look at the Cyclades in the background
May 22, 2025 at 12:42 PM
hippieherper.bsky.social
Drooling.
Black and gray nose-horned viper sits in front of rock. Brown phase viper sits hidden in a rocky crevice.
May 20, 2025 at 8:05 PM
hippieherper.bsky.social
Νάξος
The gate of Apollo at sunset Sand boa close-up Sand boa on a hill side overlooking lower farmland and water Small village in the fog on Naxos
May 19, 2025 at 5:36 AM
hippieherper.bsky.social
Not a bad spot to conduct dissertation field work.
Flowers on the island of Naxos with Melanes in the distance Temple of Apollo on Naxos. Paved path lined by ancient rock walls. First data point of my dissertation! Sand boa (Eryx jaculus)
May 14, 2025 at 8:44 PM
hippieherper.bsky.social
Nothing better than a snake filled Saturday
Red diamond rattlesnake (C. ruber) tucked away in the grass.
April 12, 2025 at 8:17 PM
hippieherper.bsky.social
I love the desert.
Desert big horn sheep chewing on some grass in a rocky desert Collared lizard peering over a rock edge Collared lizard on a red and brown desert rock
March 17, 2025 at 5:41 PM
hippieherper.bsky.social
Winter Wildlife of the Southeast 🦎🐋📸
A pair of Sandhill Cranes flying over ~15,000 other Sandhill Cranes at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in Decatur, AL. Portrait of a Sandhill Crane in Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in Decatur, AL. A green salamander (Aneides aeneus) climbing down a rock face in New River Gorge National Park. The dorsal fin of a humpback whale breaching the surface off the coast of Virginia Beach, VA.
January 3, 2025 at 12:41 PM
hippieherper.bsky.social
August 15, 2024 at 10:05 PM
hippieherper.bsky.social
I think I could get used to SoCal life.
August 15, 2024 at 10:04 PM
hippieherper.bsky.social
Tucker Heptinstall, M.Sc.

Thanks to everyone who played a role in helping me get here. On to the next!
July 8, 2024 at 6:05 PM
hippieherper.bsky.social
Don’t worry. The herps were still plentiful.
Cane toad sitting on roots of a tree Red-headed agama on a tree root Brown basilisk peering towards the camera above the grass Green sea turtle cruising over a coral reef
June 18, 2024 at 12:13 AM
hippieherper.bsky.social
Took a little dip into the deep blue of Jupiter, FL this weekend
Sandbar shark swimming in the deep blue ocean Carribean Reef Shark swimming in the deep blue ocean Sandbar shark swimming in the deep blue ocean Goliath Grouper hanging out between some coral covered legs of a light marker in the ocean.
June 18, 2024 at 12:11 AM
hippieherper.bsky.social
Showtime in Clemson
Aurora borealis over Lake Hartwell. Clemson, SC, USA Aurora borealis over Lake Hartwell. Clemson, SC, USA
May 11, 2024 at 1:44 PM
hippieherper.bsky.social
Now that all the paper work is filed, I’m excited to officially announce I’ve accepted a PhD position at San Diego State with @doc-brock.bsky.social beginning this fall! Stay tuned to see what we can uncover about urban evolution and ecology of reptiles! 🐍
April 26, 2024 at 8:18 PM
hippieherper.bsky.social
Some of the other encounters!
American crocodile at dusk. Barred owl peering at the camera while perched in a cypress tree. Close-up shot of a Florida gar swimming in clear blue water of a Florida spring Scarlet kingsnake resting on a brown log.
March 23, 2024 at 10:48 PM
hippieherper.bsky.social
How do herpetology graduate students celebrate spring break?

Herping the Everglades of course. 🐍🐊
Mud snake crawling along the bank of a tannin-stained canal Yellow rat snake with its large, orange eye peering at the camera. Vibrantly orange corn snake climbing from one tree to another. Adult male Veiled chameleon perched on a limb and peering at the camera
March 23, 2024 at 10:42 PM
hippieherper.bsky.social
Salamander season doing its best to hold me over until snake season gets into full swing. 🐍🦇
Close up shot of a Gray-cheeked salamander resting on a pile of green moss. Zoomed out shot of a Gray-cheeked salamander resting on a pile of green moss. Close up of a gray-cheeked salamander resting on an orange rock. Unknown bat species tucked away in a rock crevice.
February 11, 2024 at 9:09 PM
hippieherper.bsky.social
Starting 2024 off with a revised manuscript submission and a Sigma Xi GIAR. Cheers to more money for garter snake research!
Eastern garter snake on a moss covered rock
January 6, 2024 at 8:02 PM