Gophers and Racers 2009

[Steven@HumboldtHerps]

During my employment here at Redwood National and State Parks, I have had countless opportunities to discover all kinds of herps in the field. I have already posted my garter discoveries so far, and I hope to have more soon after our coming 5-day camping trip (atratus hydrophilus!).

Here, however, I have decided to contribute a couple of other regulars I often stumble upon out on the prairies: Pituophis c. catenifer and Coluber constrictor mormon; the Pacific Gopher Snake and the Western Yellow-bellied Racer...

Different shades of brown colors seem to be the norm up in the Bald Hills. Mountain and Coast Garters, Northwesterns, Racers, Gophers, and Rubber Boas all are well disguised amidts the prairie grasses, oaks, and douglas firs. Gopher Snakes here often have subdued patterns and look rather bland.

http://www.humboldtherps.com/images/20090421HCHSimage-Pacific_Gopher_Snake_GPS-HIOUCHI-PITCAN-01_3_.JPG
P. c. catenifer (subdued pattern) Hiouchi Flat, RNSP
(Del Norte County) April 21, 2009


http://www.humboldtherps.com/images/20090608HCHSimage-Pituophis_c._catenifer_GPS-AIRSTRIP-PITCAT-01_.JPG
"gnarly ol' dude" - Lower Airstrip Prairie, Bald Hills, RNSP (Humboldt County) June 8, 2009


http://www.humboldtherps.com/images/20090617HCHSimage-Pacific_Gopher_neonate_GPS-COYOTE-PITCAT-01_.JPG
juvenile P. c. catenifer - Upper Coyote Creek Prairie, Bald Hills, RNSP
(Humboldt County) June 17, 2009


http://www.humboldtherps.com/images/20090624HCHSimage-Pacific_Gopher_Snake_GPS-COYOTE-PITCAT-03_4_.JPG

http://www.humboldtherps.com/images/20090624HCHSimage-Pacific_Gopher_Snake_GPS-COYOTE-PITCAT-03_.JPG
"Beauty!" - Upper Coyote Creek Prairie, Bald Hills, RNSP
(Humboldt County) June 24, 2009

[Steven@HumboldtHerps]

http://www.humboldtherps.com/images/20090423HCHSimage-C._c._mormon_GPS-HIOUCHI-COLUBER-01_2_.JPG
C. c. mormon - Hiouchi Flat, RNSP (Del Norte County) April 23, 2009


http://www.humboldtherps.com/images/20090623HCHSimage-Coluber_c._mormon_GPS-COYOTE-COLUBER-02_.JPG

http://www.humboldtherps.com/images/20090623HCHSimage-Coluber_c._mormon_GPS-COYOTE-COLUBER-02_4_.JPG

http://www.humboldtherps.com/images/20090623HCHSimage-Coluber_c._mormon_GPS-COYOTE-COLUBER-02_2_.JPG
juvenile C. c. mormon with already receding pattern and survivor's scars!
Upper Coyote Creek Prairie, Bald Hills, RNSP (Humboldt County)
June 23, 2009

Please visit Racer (http://www.humboldtherps.com/coluber.html) and scroll down to
"Prairie Drama" for a sighting of a face-off between a racer and a fence lizard... It was awesome!

Steve

[guidofatherof5]

Great stuff. Thanks for sharing.

[GarterGeek]

Those are beautiful snakes. I especially like the yellow racer. I've heard that those are really fast and vicious snakes. Was it hard to catch?

[jitami]

Love the prairie drama! Great series of pics!

[Steven@HumboldtHerps]

Those are beautiful snakes. I especially like the yellow racer. I've heard that those are really fast and vicious snakes. Was it hard to catch?

Racers are notoriously difficult to catch. They have excellent vision. It's those big diurnal eyes! In fact, most snakes in the Coluber and Masticophis genuses are very quick; in most cases I get flustered whether or not I should just aim and should whatever pic I can get or indeed lunge and try to grab the snake! By the time I make the decision to do either, the snake is usually already gone! Racers will try to bite, but I think the whipsnakes are typically more aggressive. Out in the prairies racers are a bit easier to catch due to the open terrain, but in mixed terrain, they are under a rock, in a hole, or (this is the bad one for me) deep under the poison oak! Toxicodendron is my biggest nemesis while herping! I break out badly.

[count dewclaw]

Great photos, thanks.