Year of the Snake - No. 8 Gopher Snake (Young)

Pituophis catenifer

One evening on our way back from checking on our neighbor's chickens, I found this guy stretched out on the dirt road. He is the first Gopher Snake I have found this year. He is 24 inches long.

Although he was mellow when I first caught him, he sometimes acts aggressively. He coils and strikes, vibrates his tail, opens his mouth wide to try to intimidate. These are supposed to be very common, but I have not found that many.

Year of the Snake - No. 7 California Kingsnake (Adult)

Lampropeltis getula.

We found this California Kingsnake around 5 p.m. on May 5, it was climbing up the side of a wash. He is the biggest Kingsnake I have seen yet -- 4 feet long. We kept him for a week then released back where he was found.

This snake is longer than Sean.

Year of the Snake - No. 6 Diamondback Rattlesnake

Crotalus atrox

Walking the path along the creek on May 1, I spotted this guy stretched out on the trail. He was very large, at least 4 feet long, although I wasn't able to measure him exactly. This is the first rattlesnake I have found this year. This one never rattled at all. He sat coiled for a long time in a stand of bamboo before he moved off down a hole. I must have watched him for more than an hour.

The circular openings below the eyes are the heat-sensitive pits. His nostrils are above the pits and more slit-like.

P.S. The conditions for snakes must have been very good that day. Clara saw another rattlesnake disappear into the bushes before we could photograph it. I also saw a gartersnake in the water and would have caught it if my dog had not jumped right on top of it.

Year of the Snake - No. 5 Smith's Black-headed Snake

Tantilla hobartsmithi

I found this snake under a rock near a wash. I was on my way back from getting sand for the Nightsnake. It was less than an hour after I'd found the Nightsnake. He is really small, only 3.5 inches long, resembles an earthworm and is very fast. These snakes are mildly toxic.

This little snake is so fast we had to put him in a yogurt container to take the photos.

Year of the Snake - No. 4 Nightsnake

Hypsiglena torquata

I found this snake on April 19 under a rock in the wash near our house. This nightsnake (Hypsiglena torquata) is 8 inches long, not yet full grown. They can get up to 23 inches. They have a mildly toxic venom and mostly eat lizards, snakes and their eggs. They are mainly nocturnal. A very beautiful snake.

Lizards of Note - Western Banded Gecko & Alligator Lizard

Coleonyx variegatus

I found this Western Banded Gecko under a large flat rock in the wash on March 20. This is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful lizards.

On March 27 on a trail near the creek, Evelyn spotted "something slimy" go running under a rock. She thought it might be a skink (even though skinks are not slimy) and ran back to find me. Instead, it was a Madrean Alligator Lizard, only the third I had seen at that time. I've seen a few more since then. He was very gentle and spent hours on my aunt's shoulder. (P.S. This guy is not slimy either.)

Elgaria kingii

Year of the Snake - No. 3 Wandering Garder

Thamnophis elegans posed against the white background of a snake bag (pillow case).

Walking with my friends, I found this Wandering Garder (a subspecies of the Western Terrestrial Garder) crossing a trail near the creek. It was late in the afternoon of April 5. He was full grown, about 27 inches. Like all the Wandering Garders that I've found, he had lots of damage to his belly scales.