Pituophis catenifer if I am correct. Common Gopher snake. These are still one of my favorite colubrids. If I had a nickle for everyone that has vented,bit, or poohed on me I'd be rich. I have collected a few from your area Steve. You have some large numbers of crotalus viridis oreganus (Northern Pacific rattlesnakes) in your area also. If you ever want to see nature at work travel some back roads on nights when the temps have been in the 100's during the day. You'll see all sorts of herp fauna on the roads, especially snakes digesting their meals on the still warm roads. I used to drive around taking them off the roads, taking pictures, loging unusual finds, etc.
Renee and I have been out salamader hunting, the frog eggs are hatching now so we are going to cath some tadpoles.
Back when...I used to enjoy herpotology and became proficient as a teenager at identifying and collecting all sorts of creatures. But the interest faded over the years. At the age of 16, my friend and I collected rattlesnakes for a lab in Los Angeles. They were making antivenom, and we got $1 a snake. He is now a commercial breeder of Sand Dragons. I still have to defend snakes and lizards, etc from those who would destroy them. Ignorance is deadly for snakes.
Good luck on the collecting!
ps...I borrowed the picture of the gopher snake from Google.
Pituophis catenifer if I am correct. Common Gopher snake. These are still one of my favorite colubrids. If I had a nickle for everyone that has vented,bit, or poohed on me I'd be rich. I have collected a few from your area Steve. You have some large numbers of crotalus viridis oreganus (Northern Pacific rattlesnakes) in your area also. If you ever want to see nature at work travel some back roads on nights when the temps have been in the 100's during the day. You'll see all sorts of herp fauna on the roads, especially snakes digesting their meals on the still warm roads. I used to drive around taking them off the roads, taking pictures, loging unusual finds, etc.
ReplyDeleteRenee and I have been out salamader hunting, the frog eggs are hatching now so we are going to cath some tadpoles.
Great picture
Back when...I used to enjoy herpotology and became proficient as a teenager at identifying and collecting all sorts of creatures. But the interest faded over the years. At the age of 16, my friend and I collected rattlesnakes for a lab in Los Angeles. They were making antivenom, and we got $1 a snake. He is now a commercial breeder of Sand Dragons. I still have to defend snakes and lizards, etc from those who would destroy them. Ignorance is deadly for snakes.
ReplyDeleteGood luck on the collecting!
ps...I borrowed the picture of the gopher snake from Google.