For those interested, I thought I'd describe what local herps are. IE - herps in walking distance from my pad.
This has no bearing on the argument, but I thought I'd describe the local herp fauna, as it may have some bearing on what the local kings eat in the wild.
The most abundant local herp that I have seen is the Western Fence Lizard. They are everywhere. The second most abundant herp I have seen would be the sharp-tailed snake, Contia tenuis. For those not familiar, they are a fairly small snake - as adults, usually under a foot in length but I have found a few bigger. Here's a young one:
I suspect they make up a good portion of the diet of neonate kings. I do not make a habit of causing herps I find to regurgitate though, so I don't know. With the exception of really cold periods, when it rains - you will find them. You will find them dead all over the road, and live under just about anything.
These are far more abundant here than any other locale I have ever found them (mostly SFBA - primarily Contra Costa County)
After the sharp-tailed snakes, California Alligator Lizards would be next:
They probably are fed upon by kings when young, adult Elgaria may be fed upon by large kings but they can put up a decent fight. I've never personally witnessed an encounter but I have heard field reports of them, the alligator lizards are good at defending themselves against smaller kings and with larger kings, they will grab their hind leg in their jaw and make a loop (behavior I've witnessed when herping) making it nearly impossible for a king to consume them.
Western Skinks are more common during the spring than alligator lizards but less common the rest of the year.
Most of that size don't have such a blue tail. They undoubtedly are fed upon by kings, wherever I find them - there are kings.
After the skinks, the reptile I come across most often is probably the Mountain Garter Snake. I do find them in some locations where there are kings, they probably make up some of the king diet.
After Mountain Garters, it's hard to say if Kings or Gophers are more common. I find more live kings, but I find almost as many DOR gophers as DOR kings. Possibly more, hard to say, I don't count. I also don't have a salvage permit, so I can't collect DOR herps to see what they ate.
After the kings/gophers - probably western pond turtles. I'm not counting the maintained population in the pond at Turtle Bay, I don't count them since they are largely released offspring of what Turtle Bay breeds (and unfortunately Turtle Bay's breeding stock is only mostly locality, they do have some pond turtles that I know for a fact do not originate here. Maybe the genetic diversity is good for the wild population though). I do know of a few wild populations of the turtle, but never have gotten close enough for voucher photograph before they go under. One is a pond used for drainage by a shopping center, I have also rarely seen adults (but never young) in a local creek infested by bullfrogs.
I doubt pond turtles are part of the lampro diet, but their eggs could be.
After pond turtles, probably red eared sliders.
Then there is the Valley Garter - I found one alive and one baby DOR garter that I suspect was a valley garter. I'm surprised I have not found more valley garters.
Herps I suspect I have seen - on one occasion I saw a glimpse of the tail of snake that I believe to have been a western yellow-bellied racer. It was on the bank of a creek that was right next to a field that almost mirrored the field where I used to find lots of them in the SFBA. It may have been a garter, but I think it was a western yellow-bellied racer. Unfortunately that field is private property, and the chances of me herping it are nill because the land owner yelled at me to get out of his creek (I checked - public has right of way through the creek, which goes between his land and public land - the public land is the bank of a public road).
I also on one occasion believe I have seen an Oregon Garter Snake. It eluded capture so I can not positive ID but it did not look like a valley or a mountain, though I would prefer to have one in hand before I say they are here.
Herps I know are here but have not encountered:
Northern Pacific Rattlesnake. I know they are on the Sacramento River Trail. I suspect most eye witness accounts are false, but I know some are valid. I have found them outside of my walking distance.
Shasta Alligator Lizard - according to paid staffers at Turtle Bay, they are here. I believe them.
I think there *may* be zonata in the BLM land walking distance from my home - east side of sac river south of the shasta Dam. If I recall correctly my conversation with Hubbs - his comment was along the lines of "good luck finding them there". He's probably right. Elevation is below 1,000 feet for most of it. There probably are Shasta Alligator Lizards there, though - much of it is certainly riparian enough.
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Amphibians - most abundant is Pacific Treefrog.
American Bullfrog unfortunately takes a close second.
Western Toads after that, and one creek within walking distance of home still has a population of Foothill Yellow-legged frogs.
I've been looking for California Red-legged frogs. I understand there are some museum specimens from the marsh that was drained to build Shasta Mall. I would LOVE to find a population of them that has survived the building of this city and bullfrog onslaught. So far, every site that looks promising for them is over-run by bullfrogs.
I have not seen a single salamander or newt within walking distance of my home. No slenders, no ensatina's, no rough-skinned newts.
One of my goals this year is to find the Shasta Salamander, but I do not believe they are walking distance from my home.
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Arrrggg!
It's like Shalom, but for pirates.
- iCarly
i have F5plus calkings ive been working with for years many (most) do great w/your standard shoebox setups(born,raised,bred,etc) but if you wanna see them thrive give them as many choices as possible thats all FR is saying imho. like with plants you can grow a plant in just dirt, prep that dirt with fertilizer and that plant will thrive, so choices for our charges are like fertilizer for plants it just make them mo'betta
