was under a metal sheet (see second photo). was relatively warm, but still cool to the touch. It was partially cloudy at the time of the observation and it rained heavily earlier in the week. The temperature under the metal was 63.1 degrees F and the humidity was 55.7% RH.
Red snake with black and white stripes, not immediately apparent in image. Estimate it was 30cm long.
Two night snakes under one rock. Possibly a male and a female.
Yes, this snake was found on January 2nd. I don’t know how and I was very confused in seeing this baby zonata on my hike. First snake of 2020
was under a metal sheet. I was incredibly lucky that, despite it being very warm out, he remained motionless for a while after flipping the metal sheet. I then tried to catch him, but he quickly escaped into the bushes. The weather was sunny and warm with some notable gusts of wind. The was a misty marine layer in the morning. It was mostly cloudy for the two days before, sunny three days before, and rainy and completely cloudy before that. The temperature under the metal was 80.0 degrees F and the humidity was 29.7% RH.
Found under a pallet of wood. Once I put it in the bucket it flattened its body out and coiled itself up covering its head.
This year has been crazy as far as snakes go; every time I think I have seen the last one for the year, I get a wonderful surprise. This guy was just crawling around in the open on the edge of sage scrub and chaparral. It was super docile and never rattled or hissed. It didn't even assume a defensive coil or try to slither away at haste. In fact, it never made any sudden movements. It was almost as though this snake was searching for something, as it kept slithering around in the open and even put its head down a hole at one point (photo 3). It certainly did flick its tongue, but not in an overly active fashion. I eventually persuaded it to slither into the nearby bushes, but it was clear from its behavior that if I left, it would return to the open. I left after that point, so I did not see what happened next. Maybe it was searching for a rodent trail. It is also possible that this was a female that had given birth recently and was now looking for food to fill her up. It also had a piece of shed skin stuck around its rattle. The weather has been hot and dry recently with occasional days with morning fog. The air temperature at the time of the observation was likely in the high 80s.
This guy was very small!
Photo courtesy of Mason Allport.
Flipped under a rock
Flipped under artificial cover. About 72 degrees Fahrenheit.