The Bay Area oreganus extravaganza

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azatrox
Posts: 793
Joined: June 9th, 2010, 6:51 am
Location: Arizona

The Bay Area oreganus extravaganza

Post by azatrox »

I grew up in the Bay Area...Lived there for 16+ years...I can remember as a kid fantasizing about the rattlesnakes in the hills...I very distinctly remember seeing my very first wild rattlesnake (hiking with my mother) curled up under a big patch of poison oak when I was 8-9 years old....

And then I moved out to Arizona at 18 to attend ASU...In the years since I've seen just about every AZ venomous critter that exists. But I still have a soft spot for that oreganus coiled up under that big patch of poison oak...

I recently drove an 18 wheeler across the US every week with a partner for a few years...We'd go from Stockton, CA to Burlington, NJ every week. We'd do our 34 hour resets (the time period where you are legally obligated to get out of the truck after working for 70 hours in an 8 day period) back in my old stomping grounds in the Bay Area. My folks still live there, so it was an opportunity for us to get out of the truck, stretch our legs a bit, get some home cooked meals and (for me) to do some Bay Area herping.

What follows is an assemblage of C. oreganus pics I took while herping an area in the Bay Area. I saw quite a few other cool critters, but since I'm a "crote head" at heart I was really only concerned with the buzzworms. If you see what looks to be the same animal in numerous pics, it's because it likely is...a hands off approach allowed me to observe and photograph this population of animals doing a variety of natural behaviors, from eating to breeding.

Anyway, enjoy the oreganus overload....

- Kris
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Nicholas
Posts: 45
Joined: February 16th, 2017, 7:19 pm

Re: The Bay Area oreganus extravaganza

Post by Nicholas »

Sweet finds! Especially the horned lizard and whipsnake! I've never found a Blaiville's fully buried like that before. Very cool observation.
Nicholas
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the_cw1
Posts: 138
Joined: April 2nd, 2015, 8:30 am
Location: Utah
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Re: The Bay Area oreganus extravaganza

Post by the_cw1 »

Oreganus are very special snakes. Thanks for sharing the love. :)

Best,
-Derek
mark buck
Posts: 102
Joined: March 30th, 2015, 11:01 am
Location: Bakersfield, CA

Re: The Bay Area oreganus extravaganza

Post by mark buck »

Great post dude!

Oreganus are definitely my favorite species of rattlesnake,
so variable in pattern/color and they hang out in some awesome habitat
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azatrox
Posts: 793
Joined: June 9th, 2010, 6:51 am
Location: Arizona

Re: The Bay Area oreganus extravaganza

Post by azatrox »

Thanks!

I dig 'em for sure....one of those critters that not many people target, but I'd personally rather see a nice oreganus than a zonata any day!

-Kris
Jimi
Posts: 1955
Joined: December 3rd, 2010, 12:06 pm

Re: The Bay Area oreganus extravaganza

Post by Jimi »

I'd personally rather see a nice oreganus than a zonata any day!
Lake County, CA my friend. Ha ha ha. You might hit a pesky zoner or two, but you will definitely see some nice NorPacs!

Thanks for all the pics. Nice variety, nice commentary. No overload whatsoever.

You still driving?

cheers
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