So I'm doing some part-time monitoring at a spot in coastal San Mateo County. The parks department is attempting to remediate a site that used to be a shooting range, so there's lots of lead in the soils. This means they have to strip off all the veg, dig down a couple of feet and consolidate all that contaminated material. So since there is a tiny, tiny chance for San Francisco Garter Snake and California Red-legged Frog, the project requires a monitor. So basically my job is to intensively search this site and relocate whatever I find off-site and be available in case someone sees a SFGS or CRLF.
So in the course of my searching yesterday I turned up a couple of handsome snakes that I thought I'd share. I'm still working on the composition of my snake photos, so if anyone has any advice, I'm open to criticism.
Coast Garter
Rubber Boa
Oh and a little treefrog - I seem to neglect taking photos of common species. As such I have no photos of common species (NO WAY!) so I'm trying to shoot common stuff more often now for vouchers and such.
Another day at the office...
Moderator: Scott Waters
Re: Another day at the office...
I think that California Red-sided is actually Coast Range.
The dead giveaway to me is how high up the sides the red goes - all the way to the dorsal stripe.
Other clue is 8 upper labials on photo where I can count them. T sirtalis usually have 7, but can have 8.
Does the belly have red blotching?
The dead giveaway to me is how high up the sides the red goes - all the way to the dorsal stripe.
Other clue is 8 upper labials on photo where I can count them. T sirtalis usually have 7, but can have 8.
Does the belly have red blotching?
- Chad M. Lane
- Posts: 567
- Joined: June 7th, 2010, 4:40 pm
- Location: Manteca, CA
Re: Another day at the office...
Yes that is a Coast Gartersnake.
Great photos Rob! Thanks for posting these.
Cheers,
Chad
Great photos Rob! Thanks for posting these.
Cheers,
Chad
Re: Another day at the office...
nice find with that rubber boa! looks pretty scarred up! Hope they don't hurt that place too much!
- Fieldnotes
- Posts: 1474
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- Location: Anaheim, California
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Re: Another day at the office...
Looks like "when it rains, it pours boas." Congrats After i found my first boa, I broke the curse and now find them everywhere, often in multiples, even when I’m not looking for them.
Re: Another day at the office...
I think we found 7 or 8 in two nights a couple of weeks ago. Not huge, but OK for this area this time of year. After finding my first one, it definitely rained boas...John
Re: Another day at the office...
Well ain't that some sh!t. I'd better get my jump to conclusions mat out - snakes are obviously not my strong suit in a number of ways, evidently. Thanks for the correction.FunkyRes wrote:I think that California Red-sided is actually Coast Range.
Will, Yeah it was odd - totally not expecting to flip a Rubber under that board. I would have preferred an SFGS, but the Rubber was pretty cool too.
Re: Another day at the office...
It probably happens to everyone except fieldnotes.Schell wrote:Well ain't that some sh!t. I'd better get my jump to conclusions mat out - snakes are obviously not my strong suit in a number of ways, evidently. Thanks for the correction.FunkyRes wrote:I think that California Red-sided is actually Coast Range.
Since joining this board I've missed ID on several occasions, and before joining this probably a lot more often without ever knowing it.
Yes, I've only found two in my life (long time ago) and I use to live where other people have a knack for turning them up.Will, Yeah it was odd - totally not expecting to flip a Rubber under that board. I would have preferred an SFGS, but the Rubber was pretty cool too.
One was found at the dump of all places, the other crawling out on a trail during a 6th grade class camping trip to a regional park I had herped countless times before and after.
I want to find one again.
- Chad M. Lane
- Posts: 567
- Joined: June 7th, 2010, 4:40 pm
- Location: Manteca, CA
Re: Another day at the office...
I only looked for Boas a handful of times this year, and I'm at 34. Found more boas than Cal Kings this year!
It's ok Rob, we've all made mis ID's before, even Will.
Cheers,
Chad
It's ok Rob, we've all made mis ID's before, even Will.
Cheers,
Chad
Re: Another day at the office...
Never found a boa before April of this year, but I've seen 9 this year, including both species.
- Ross Padilla
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Re: Another day at the office...
Nice shots.