Catching Up In California

As you can see, it's been a while since I've posted here. This is because I've moved back to California and don't get out snaking too much. But when I come across a snake, I usually pick it up and photograph it. What follows are a few of the snakes I've encountered this year in San Mateo County on the San Francisco Peninsula.


05/25/2009 @ 7:08:20 PM PDT
This is a large Pacific gopher snake (Pituophis catenifer) found next to a bike trail that runs alongside the west shore of San Francisco Bay in San Mateo. It was probably close to 5 feet long, if not a bit more. I saw a few people looking at something next to the trail. I figured it was a snake, so I got off my bike and grabbed it, which created a minor sensation among the folks walking and riding on the trail. It was quite healthy, so after I took a few pictures I placed it a bit more away from the trail and continued on my way.


07/12/2009 @ 2:47:31 PM PDT
This little western terrestrial garter snake (Thamnophis elegans) was found in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park in Boony Dune, CA.


09/13/2009 @ 1:03:14 PM PDT
This baby gopher snake was found on a country road near Half Moon Bay in coastal San Mateo County. I do a lot of road cycling on these roads and find these fairly regularly this time of year, although I see two or three dead ones for every one found alive. A few weeks before this picture was taken, I saw a dead rubber boa, which was almost disappointing as what you are about to see next.


10/18/2009 @ 10:51:16 AM PDT
On another ride on Skyline Road (CA Highway 35) I found this still beautiful piece of dead jewelry, a coast mountain kingsnake (Lampropeltis zonata multfasciata). This is the first mountain kingsnake I've seen in California. I passed a dead california kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula californiae) earlier, but didn't stop for a picture. This I had to stop for. This is probably America's most beautiful snake, and when this one was alive, it was a beautiful example of the species. I hope to find a few of these before they get pancaked on the road, but it's looking like I'll have to wait until next spring to make that happen.

Mexican Roommate

12/23/2007 @ 3:48:24 PM MST
This Mexican spinytail iguana (Ctenosaura pectinata) greeted me outside my room upon arrival at the villa where I'm staying in Sayulita, Nayarit, Mexico. I decided not to catch it as I didn't want to break its tail.

Recent Rescues

07/27/2007 @ 10:05:08 AM MDT
Today I caught a terrestrial garter snake (Thamnophis elegans) that had eluded two other rescuers, as well as myself yesterday morning. I hate that "almost got it" feeling after missing a good capture. The snake had taken up residence in a Santa Fe resident's koi pond. It came out to sun itself on the same spot every morning it was sunny. I had to belly crawl up to it and reach over a depression in the rock wall along the pond. The resident was quite pleased I was able to get the little bugger, which I released downstream of the sewage treatment plant along the Santa Fe river. Note the wound near the snake's neck, which could have been caused by a cat, raptor or perhaps a close call with an automobile.


07/16/2007 @ 9:57:40 AM MDT
Last week, rescue volunteer Christian called me to accompany him on a rattlesnake rescue. The snake was conveniently waiting for us at a home south of the Eldorado residential development southeast of Santa Fe.


07/16/2007 @ 9:59:33 AM MDT
Christian moved the decent-sized prairie rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis) into his box and we released it in a sparsely populated area between Galisteo and Cerritos, NM, under a scrub oak bush.


07/16/2007 @ 10:56:57 AM MDT


07/16/2007 @ 10:57:13 AM MDT

Baby Texan

A baby western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) found on the road near Woodson, Texas, after a day of intense storm chasing.

Wildlife Center Open House

On Saturday, May 12, the Wildlife Center held an open house. I spent the day hanging with CJ Carmen as he demoed snakes for the folks who visited. Here he holds a snappy great plains skink (Eumeces obsoletus), a common yet not commonly seen lizard in northern New Mexico.


CJ's portable herpto-menangerie.


A striped whipsnake (Masticophis taeniatus), the less common local cousin to the widespread coachwhip snake.


CJ pulls a prairie rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis) out of its box.


Visitors get up close to a western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox).


A close up of the western diamondback.

Coffee Cup Crasher

This prairie lizard (Sceloporus undulatus) was found lounging in this coffee cup in my sink. I have no idea how it got there. It's the second one this year, the first got stuck in a dog bowl.