Need a snake ID please

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Deng09
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Joined: June 7th, 2015, 9:21 pm

Need a snake ID please

Post by Deng09 »

Last night was the new moon, and with recent rains in the area I had great success finding 14 total snakes!! Easily my best night so far.

One in question is this dead rattlesnake I found. I was thinking maybe a speckled rattlesnake?

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There was one more dead I was unsure about, but was thinking it might be a gopher snake. It had some very dark brown bandings around the neck, then they faded to almost no bandings at all the bottom 3rd of the body near the tail:

Image20150814_225236
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MarcLinsalata
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Location: Los Angeles / New Jersey

Re: Need a snake ID please

Post by MarcLinsalata »

Sidewinder.

Coachwhip.
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ricrabt
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Location: Santa Clarita

Re: Need a snake ID please

Post by ricrabt »

It is a sidewinder (unknown sub species ). The last one is a coachwhip.
Deng09
Posts: 47
Joined: June 7th, 2015, 9:21 pm

Re: Need a snake ID please

Post by Deng09 »

Thanks guys. After I posted I did find this picture of a San Joaquin Coachwhip on Californiaherps.com that I think he looked pretty similar to. Also, can I ask what characteristics you used to determine the other one was a sidewinder? Thanks again!!

Image
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ricrabt
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Re: Need a snake ID please

Post by ricrabt »

It's not a S.J. Coachwhip. It's a common red racer (juvenile or young adult). Unless you know exactly where to find a S.J. Coachwhip, they are very hard to find.
Deng09
Posts: 47
Joined: June 7th, 2015, 9:21 pm

Re: Need a snake ID please

Post by Deng09 »

ricrabt wrote:It's not a S.J. Coachwhip. It's a common red racer (juvenile or young adult). Unless you know exactly where to find a S.J. Coachwhip, they are very hard to find.
So with age it would have gained red coloring?
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MarcLinsalata
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Re: Need a snake ID please

Post by MarcLinsalata »

They don't necessarily get red. Some stay that brownish color even into adulthood, I think it depends on maybe their locatality. Some of the California natives can chime in with better info than me I'm sure. As for the sidewinder characteristics, well, it's just a sidewinder. You can see the horns above the eyes, and the markings/pattern is just a sidewinder :)
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ricrabt
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Location: Santa Clarita

Re: Need a snake ID please

Post by ricrabt »

Yes, for the most part it will go from a blotched brown newborn to a very red and black blotched neck snake. Adult coachwhips can reach lengths of over 6 feet. Some are a brilliant red while others are more of a dull brownish red but as the name sake implies "red" racer. There are other types of coachwhips throughout the southern states but out here in California most are red racers with exceptions being the S.J. Coach and the Baja Coach. Hope this helps....John
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ricrabt
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Re: Need a snake ID please

Post by ricrabt »

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