Alex Menez wrote:
>
> In difficult terrain, it's near impossible to sample safely in the dark. Even with a good torch, you can't map the area in your mind to make it safe.

* I haven't done much specifically malacological collecting at night,
but I've never thought of it as different from nocturnal herpetology,
which I've done all across Canada, and often in near-wilderness
situations. With Amphibians, as with many Gastropods, everything of
interest happens at night, and if you don't consiously navigate,
remember landmarks, and (now) carry a GPS, you may get lost. As much as
possible, follow linear features such as a road, path, shoreline,
stream, or scarp, so you just have to follow it back to retrace your
steps. If it's a clear night, and you're in the open, frequently check
the stars, so you maintain your geographic orientation - in settled
areas the lights and sound of traffic on roads can serve the same
purpose. Also, use a headlamp instead of a torch, so your hands are free
to pick up specimens or to write notes.

> However, these dangers don't apply to your garden, or easy to access sites (such as grass fields etc.).

* and Aleta has just put up an account of such from across the street:
http://www.pinicola.ca/cepaea1.htm

fred.
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           Bishops Mills Natural History Centre
Frederick W. Schueler, Aleta Karstad, Jennifer Helene Schueler
      RR#2 Bishops Mills, Ontario, Canada K0G 1T0
   on the Smiths Falls Limestone Plain 44* 52'N 75* 42'W
     (613)258-3107 <[log in to unmask]> http://pinicola.ca
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