Mono County - Needs Work

Dedicated exclusively to field herping.

Moderator: Scott Waters

Post Reply
Taylor Henry
Posts: 273
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 8:28 pm
Location: Southern California

Mono County - Needs Work

Post by Taylor Henry »

The following records for Mono County may be incorrect:

Barred Spiny Lizard (possible taxonomic confusion)


Mono County has 59 records, but only 33 of them are vouchered. 14 of those vouchered records were from 2011 and were the only records since 2009. There is a variety of species that have the potential to be occur in Mono. This is definitely a county that could use quite a bit of work.


Here are the species that have been recorded in Mono County


Sierran Treefrog (only 2 records)
Great Basin Spadefoot (only 2 records)

Great Basin Collared Lizard (only 4 records)
Northern Sagebrush Lizard
Barred Spiny Lizard (possible mis-ID)
Great Basin Fence Lizard
Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard (only 1 record)
Western Side-blotched Lizard (only 2 and not certain about subspecies)
Northern Side-blotched Lizard (only 4)

Northern Rubber Boa (only 1)
Desert Striped Whipsnake (only 1)
Great Basin Rattlesnake (only 2)
Panamint Rattlesnake (only 3)
Desert Nightsnake (only 2)
Great Basin Gopher Snake
Mojave Patch-nosed Snake (only 1)
Mountain Gartersnake (only 2)
Wandering Gartersnake (only 2)


These species may be found in Mono County, but haven't been recorded in the database

Barred Tiger Salamander (introduced?)
Mount Lyell Salamander

Northern Leopard Frog?
Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog
Yosemite Toad
California Toad
American Bullfrog (introduced?)

Sierra Alligator Lizard
Long-nosed Leopard Lizard
Western Zebra-tailed Lizard
San Diego Alligator Lizard
Panamint Alligator Lizard
Desert Banded Gecko?
Northern Desert Iguana?
Common Chuckwalla?
Southern Desert Horned Lizard
Skilton's Skink
Western Red-tailed Skink?
Nevada Side-blotched Lizard
Great Basin Whiptail
Desert Night Lizard?

Western Yellow-bellied Racer
Red Racer
Sierra Mountain Kingsnake?
California Kingsnake
Long-nosed Snake
Variable Groundsnake
Sierra Gartersnake
Valley Gartersnake
Southwestern Threadsnake
User avatar
jonathan
Posts: 3689
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 8:39 am
Contact:

Re: Mono County - Needs Work

Post by jonathan »

And a big percentage of the records are from Will's trips, though it looks like Lemm and Andreas and a couple other people have been up there too....all SoCal people, interestingly enough.

So what's the closest population center to Mono County? Who would want to go herping there? Is this something we should advertise with the Nevada guys? :lol:
Taylor Henry
Posts: 273
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 8:28 pm
Location: Southern California

Re: Mono County - Needs Work

Post by Taylor Henry »

Bishop and Mammoth are the main population centers nearby. I have family that lives in Bishop, so that's the main reason I go up that way. Besides visiting any family or friends, most people would go up there to ski and fish, but often that isn't at the best time of year to herp...

Look at Lassen county... Only three records and I have two of them. Now that's a county that is out of the way...
fangmaster
Posts: 80
Joined: March 12th, 2011, 12:40 pm

Re: Mono County - Needs Work

Post by fangmaster »

There's a lot of great basin rattlesnakes in mono county, as well as striped whipsnakes. I have found found desert horned lizards and long nosed lizards nearby around pyramid lake nevada, which isn't far from the california border.
User avatar
David Tobler
Posts: 59
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 8:52 pm

Re: Mono County - Needs Work

Post by David Tobler »

Looks like I need to add my records.. I have records for 7 great basin rattlers, 1 mojave patchnose, 1 cal king, 2 wandering garters, 1 striped whipsnake, 1 GB gopher and 1 GB spadefoot for Mono County.
User avatar
Brian Hubbs
Posts: 4735
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 11:41 am
Location: "Buy My Books"-land

Re: Mono County - Needs Work

Post by Brian Hubbs »

We would love to see your records added...especially your z's...
User avatar
nightdriver
Posts: 427
Joined: August 24th, 2010, 9:34 pm
Location: Los Angeles County

Re: Mono County - Needs Work

Post by nightdriver »

I go up regularly for 5 or 6 weeks a year. it's my second home..... literally and figuratively. I have a number of things to add to the database, but I seem to be very lazy lately. :roll:

nightdriver
User avatar
jonathan
Posts: 3689
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 8:39 am
Contact:

Re: Mono County - Needs Work

Post by jonathan »

David Tobler and nightdriver - that's awesome to hear that from both of you. Half the reason I started doing these things was so people would be motivated to herp less-herped spots. But the other half of the reason was to encourage people who had data for less-herped spots and species to see how important their data could be in filling gaps. All that eastern-California stuff is definitely underrepresented in the database.
User avatar
nightdriver
Posts: 427
Joined: August 24th, 2010, 9:34 pm
Location: Los Angeles County

Re: Mono County - Needs Work

Post by nightdriver »

OK. Let’s see if this works. I copied Taylor Henry’s post and updated the best I can. Just a little commentary. ;) Not in taxinomic order....Mono now has 243 records, 206 vouchered.

“The following records for Mono County may be incorrect:

Barred Spiny Lizard (possible taxonomic confusion)

Mono County has 59 records, but only 33 of them are vouchered. 14 of those vouchered records were from 2011 and were the only records since 2009. There is a variety of species that have the potential to be occur in Mono. This is definitely a county that could use quite a bit of work.”


Here are the species that have been recorded in Mono County

Yosemite Toad(3 records)
Sierran Treefrog (4 records)
Great Basin Spadefoot (13 records)

Great Basin Collared Lizard (5 records)
Northern Sagebrush Lizard
Barred Spiny Lizard (possible mis-ID)
Great Basin Fence Lizard
Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard (5 records)
Western Side-blotched Lizard (4 no subspecies, 3 elegans)
Northern Side-blotched Lizard (3 stansburiana) now “elegans”?
Nevada Side-blotched Lizard (3 records)
(Being on the split area, these guys are bound to be entered variably.)
Sierra Alligator Lizard (3 records)
Long-nosed Leopard Lizard (4 records)
Western Zebra-tailed Lizard (8 records)
Southern Desert Horned Lizard (1 record)
Great Basin Whiptail (3 records)
Desert Night Lizard (1 record)

Northern Rubber Boa ( 15 records)
Desert Striped Whipsnake (8 records)
Great Basin Rattlesnake (10 records)
Panamint Rattlesnake (18 records)
Desert Nightsnake (3 records) I was seeing them every year, now none since 2011
Great Basin Gopher Snake
Mojave Patch-nosed Snake (only 1)(1 Western needs to be fixed…Debbie)
Mountain Gartersnake (7 records)
Wandering Gartersnake (6 records)
Sierra Gartersnake(1 record)
Red Racer(1 record)
California Kingsnake( 1 record)I actually have seen 2 but don’t remember the date on the second an no photo.
Long-nosed Snake (5 records) – more common than you might think at the very southern part of the county.

Mississippi Map turtle(1 record- introduced)

These species may be found in Mono County, but haven't been recorded in the database

Barred Tiger Salamander (introduced?)- I know where they are supposed to be, but no luck so far.
Mount Lyell Salamander

Northern Leopard Frog? CalF&W records, possibly extirpated.
Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog - I keep looking.
California Toad
American Bullfrog (introduced?)

San Diego Alligator Lizard
Panamint Alligator Lizard
Desert Banded Gecko? - I've had them as far north as Big Pine in Inyo
Northern Desert Iguana?
Common Chuckwalla?
Skilton's Skink
Western Red-tailed Skink?

Western Yellow-bellied Racer – one of my goals for 2014, likely at the Northern end of the county.
Sierra Mountain Kingsnake?
Variable Groundsnake
Valley Gartersnake
Southwestern Threadsnake
Mojave Desert Sidewinder – I know a spot, but no luck yet.
Nevada Shovel-nosed Snake - I added this, I think there's hope for this one

-nightdriver....monodriver :beer:
User avatar
mattg
Posts: 284
Joined: December 7th, 2011, 9:14 pm
Location: Rancho Cucamonga, Ca

Re: Mono County - Needs Work

Post by mattg »

nice work! :thumb: i have a rubber boa, sierra alligators, sierra garters, mountain garters, treefrogs,and some other stuff i could add but i dont have vouchers, i would have to go dig through my parents old photo albums, i used to go backpacking up there every summer :beer:
User avatar
AndrewZ
Posts: 30
Joined: March 29th, 2013, 11:15 pm

Re: Mono County - Needs Work

Post by AndrewZ »

yeah great work up there nightdriver. :beer: i have some relatives that own property in mammoth and bishop so i usually go up that way a couple times a year (mostly to fish) but i haven't really done much proper herping, although i have come across a couple mountain garters and insignificant lizard finds like utas and granite spinys.

how likely do you guys think it is that zonata exist in mono county? that part of the sierra is pretty cold and high in elevation but who knows, in hubbs common king book the highest elevation record for a getula was found in that area. maybe historically the zonata were just unable to disperse up and over the extreme climate and terrain of the sierra crest. on naherp there is an inyo county zonata record from the white mountains (which extend into mono county) and those mountains are pretty dang dry and rugged so i guess it is possible they could exist, maybe in suitable microhabitats? otherwise how else would zonata have made it to the white mountains? remnant population that came from the southern sierras and traveled across the owen's valley during a much wetter time period? dunno, i haven't even seen a zonata yet so my thoughts probably don't mean much lol. just thinking out loud.
User avatar
nightdriver
Posts: 427
Joined: August 24th, 2010, 9:34 pm
Location: Los Angeles County

Re: Mono County - Needs Work

Post by nightdriver »

It wouldn't surprise me at all if zonata were in Mono, and I'd be happy to voucher the first one in the database 8-)

-nightdriver
User avatar
Fundad
Posts: 5721
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 7:11 am
Location: Los Angeles County
Contact:

Re: Mono County - Needs Work

Post by Fundad »

You are doing great work up there Keith..

:thumb: Thank You and keep them coming.. :)
User avatar
Owen
Posts: 1924
Joined: June 11th, 2010, 12:35 am
Location: San Jose', Northern Catcrapistan

Re: Mono County - Needs Work

Post by Owen »

monodriver... I like it, but if it were monohiker 8-)

Thanks for all the good work out there.
User avatar
Fieldnotes
Posts: 1474
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 6:12 pm
Location: Anaheim, California
Contact:

Re: Mono County - Needs Work

Post by Fieldnotes »

Valley Garters, contrary to many field guides this snake does not occur in Mono or Inyo Counties. The idea that is does, possibly originated from miss identified Thamnophis e. elegans.

A reliable source informed me that they have found Banded Gecko, Chucks, Blind Snake, and even Lyre Snakes at special places in Mono County.
User avatar
nightdriver
Posts: 427
Joined: August 24th, 2010, 9:34 pm
Location: Los Angeles County

Re: Mono County - Needs Work

Post by nightdriver »

Fieldnotes wrote:Valley Garters, contrary to many field guides this snake does not occur in Mono or Inyo Counties. The idea that is does, possibly originated from miss identified Thamnophis e. elegans.

A reliable source informed me that they have found Banded Gecko, Chucks, Blind Snake, and even Lyre Snakes at special places in Mono County.

I had my doubts about the Valleys, but I'll keep looking anyway :thumb: I'm certainly expecting to find a Banded Gecko one of these days and I know of a reliable Lyre report as well. I haven't specifically looked for Chucks. I'll have to give it a try, maybe find a good lava flow somewhere.

-nightdriver
User avatar
nightdriver
Posts: 427
Joined: August 24th, 2010, 9:34 pm
Location: Los Angeles County

Re: Mono County - Needs Work

Post by nightdriver »

Mono is now up to 411 records. I have some more to put in, but not enough to get to 500. At least 4 new species were added this year, 3 of them amphibs. :thumb: I'll try to do a list update after I get my stuff in. Debbie House has been a big help in adding numbers and species to the list. She beat me to the sidewinder :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

My herp highlights for the year were:

- my second Rubber boa east of the 395
- my first spadefoot west of the 395
- my first Sierra Garters
- a county first Southern California Toad(2), and
- 7 Rubber boas in 45 minutes one night, nightdriving, and
- spending quality time with good friends.

I probably put in a good 2 or 3 thousand miles(or more) this year in Mono county alone.

- nightdriver
User avatar
Fieldnotes
Posts: 1474
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 6:12 pm
Location: Anaheim, California
Contact:

Re: Mono County - Needs Work

Post by Fieldnotes »

I'm replaying to an old post but since Mono County is such an interesting place, I thought I'd post a fresh replay to see if any new discoveries have been made. Also the below, might help clarify a few loose ends about Mono Counties herps. Nightdriver, congrats on the boas, that's a considerable number to be found. :thumb:

Barred Spiny Lizard: That record is a Sceloporus occidentalis

The distribution of Uta is tenuous and open for debate. One idea is, Uta in Mono County be labeled U. s. nevadensis and anything south of there, in Inyo County be U. s. elegans, until more details are available. I sure would like to see a research paper (PDF) about their distribution, if one is available.

Lithobates pipiens: the historic records are from Inyo County.

Elgaria multicarinata: Isolated population reported from Grant and Silver Lakes, Mono County.

Dipsosaurus dorsalis

Sauromalus ater: An account from White Mountains where Basin Sagebrush Scrub dominates.

Tantilla hobartsmithi: ?

Thamnophis sirtalis: So far, all accounts that I have witnessed south of Alpine County represent miss identified T. e. elegans, and I imagine it never truly reached Mono County as some books predicted.

Rena humilis: A statement from north of Bishop in Mono County exists.

Chionactis occipitalis I would say, “no way.” However, if a person asked me if I thought Trimorphodon lyrophanes exists in Mono County, I too would have responded “no way.” Yet, a declaration of Trimorphodon in Mono County does exist. So with that shocker, anything is possible.
User avatar
Fundad
Posts: 5721
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 7:11 am
Location: Los Angeles County
Contact:

Re: Mono County - Needs Work

Post by Fundad »

- nightdriver, Fantastic Work!!! :beer: :thumb:

"Thank You"

Fundad
Post Reply