Reptile & Amphibian Forums

if you knew me, im the person who would rather 'catch' the pet than 'buy' the pet, even though ive purchased countless amounts of reptiles, invertibrates, etc.
where i live, vacaville california, not far from fairfield, about two hours from san francisco, there isnt much to find around here.
i will try to name all species i have found here in vacaville:
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western fence swift (many, almost see one every day)
california kingsnake (1, and i caught it )
aligator lizards (many, but not to much, harder to find)
blue tailed skinks (3 or 4)
tree frogs (not sure what kind)
MASSIVE tadpoles (not sure what species of frog they belong to, never seen full grown, body big as 50cent piece even without legs visible)
redear slider(1, i think it's someones escaped pet)
western pond turtle (caught 5, dunno how many ive seen)
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i have just a week ago started finally catching the turtles.

there are many things i want to know about these speices and other local species that ive never seen wild.
i want to know if any of you have been to california , or live there, where do you see alot of a type of species? like for instance, i find massive amounts of western fence swifts in vacaville california, in the canal near calison park/school.
im on a hunt to find and collect many native species. i hope to find a area with large amounts of california kingsnakes, alligator lizards, Skinks, Western Banded Gecko(which i heard native and commonly seen on roads at night),Western Banded Gecko, etc. my friend said to have seen some runner snakes at a beach a couple hours from here called dilan('s) beach. please provide some local feedback, where to find these species, what youve seen in california and where, and if it is near.

thanks!

hope we all find what we are looking for!

ops sorry btw here is a good website with animal Range Maps

it would help if i put the link :|
http://www.californiaherps.com/index.html

The Western Pond Turtle is listed as a species of special concern in California. For all practical purposes this means it is a protected species. It is illegal to catch or keep them without an academic permit for the species.

The following web site lists all the species that may be legally collected, their bag limits and legal methods/requirements.

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/regulations/07-08-inland-fish-regs.pdf
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Randy Hallman
Firehouse Herps

yes ive found this out in another forum. i am still deciding who to contact. btw it is actually illegal to capture ANY species or almost anything in california

There is no one you should need to contact. The Western Pond Turtles should be released where they were caught at the earliest opportunity, i.e. not during a sudden cold front. This is the only way you can remain compliant with the law. The canal in question should be fine if it harbors multiple turtles that seem healthy. If you do not release the Pond Turtles then it is possible someone will be contacting you regarding the legal violation. To reiterate: Western Pond Turtles are protected by legislation in California and may not be captured or kept.

Most species of reptiles and amphibians in California may be legally collected and kept though some have bag/possession limits. Commercial activity and breeding is more tightly regulated and excludes most native occurring species.
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Randy Hallman
Firehouse Herps

im totally understanding where you are comming from, but to tell you the truth, there is no law SPECIFICLY on western pond turtles NOR for species of special cooncern! if you can show me one from the california fish and net society, ill telll you i was wrong.

I sent you the link for the regulations that cover reptiles and amphibians and beyond that there are laws specific to this issue.

Section 5.60 of the current F&G regulations state that "only the following species may be taken..." The section then lists each and every species that may be legally collected. This is usually the extent of legislation that a hobbyist should have to deal with. Western Pond Turtles are excluded as are other species of special concern and species listed as endangered. The Western Pond Turtle is currently on the list as a candidate for endangered in California. California Fish and Game bases these regulations on State laws from other agencies. There are many species vertebrate, invertebrate and botanical on the list of special concern. Getting a species listed as endangered is an expensive time consuming process so “special concern” designation allows for quicker and easier protection. State law is clear that such designated species may not be caught or kept. Being in California you should place a call to your nearest field office of the Calif. Dept of F&G and talk to an agent anytime you have such questions. They are listed as endangered in Washington and threatened in Oregon. There is no current federal listing that I am aware of. But to reiterate: The Western Pond Turtle is currently protected in all three Pacific Coast States including California. There is an official list that specifically includes the species and there are state laws that specifically protect the species thus listed.

There is a lot of web sites and academic literature on the Western Pond Turtle detailing natural history, threats, conservation efforts and other pertinent information. Populations have shrunk due to habitat loss/alteration and other populations have ceased to reproduce or reproduction is declining. That is why even established populations are considered at risk.
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Randy Hallman
Firehouse Herps

as ive said in another forum, i released them last night. i was going to mark them but someone told me not to. i hope i see them again