Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I went out this morning...I hadn't been optimistic (and really, I saw all of three herps) but I'm so glad I did! My first wild Lampropeltis getula! it's a desert, eating something. I'd like any ideas on what it was eating. It looks reptilian but that's as far as I can go
Temp was in the 70s, time was 730-8am. The snake was found in the middle of a group of three yuccas. After it finished swallowing it's prey, it retreated into the clumps of dead leaves that yuccas develop. Was approx. 30" in length.

weird box. It doesn't *look* like an ornate but that's all we're supposed to have

another horned lizard

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We wouldn't have 6 and a half billion people if you had to be beautiful to get laid.
6.6 African House snakes
3.2 reticulated pythons
.1 corn snake
4.2 Florida Kings
1.2 speckled kings
1.2 ball pythons
0.0.1 Argentine boa

I am not sure where you're located , but yeah, the markings on that box turtle shell scream eastern box. One thing is for sure, when you are finding horned lizards and desert kings, eastern box turtles shouldn't be part of the recipe. Cool finds! Keep the pics a comin'.
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2 tham radix
1 Chicago Tham s. semifasciatus
2 elaphe vulpina
1 gray tiger salamander
4 Aphonopelma hentzi
1 G rosea
1 Haplo minax
1 Brachy angustum
1 Brachy sabulosum
1 Brachy vagans
1 Cent. hentzi scorp

That ring arrangement of scales on the tail sticking out of your King's mouth suggests racerunner or whiptail lizard to me. Not a Sceloporus or a skink, so process of elimination plus the look of it says Aspidoscelis (Cnemidorphorus). Are there Six-Lined Racerunners in your area? If so, there's probably one less now.

prairie racerunners and six-lined, and whiptails So any of the above

thanks
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We wouldn't have 6 and a half billion people if you had to be beautiful to get laid.
6.6 African House snakes
3.2 reticulated pythons
.1 corn snake
4.2 Florida Kings
1.2 speckled kings
1.2 ball pythons
0.0.1 Argentine boa

Dude, That king is awesome! So cool you got a pic of it eating! The turtle is pretty cool too.

Dan

Nice. Your pics keep getting better. All from the same area?

Yeah. I don't have tons of monies for travel so I herp within about 20 miles of home. Sort of limiting in some ways (no exotic far flung locales, or exotic species) but it's really rewarding in others, just learning the rhythms of the places I go to, seeing some of the same individual animals and watching their habits, etc.
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We wouldn't have 6 and a half billion people if you had to be beautiful to get laid.
6.6 African House snakes
3.2 reticulated pythons
.1 corn snake
4.2 Florida Kings
1.2 speckled kings
1.2 ball pythons
0.0.1 Argentine boa

Even though your ability to travel is limited, it seems like you have some very good spots right in your backyard.

Being in Seattle, my snake spots are all at least an hour away. There should be some short horned lizards in central WA, but I have yet to find any. We do have plenty of amphibs near Seattle though.

Hehe I know Poor me. I'm stuck in an area with dozens of species/subspecies of snakes and lizards, including a handful of my favorites (horned lizards, diamondbacks, collared lizards, long nosed snakes, kings, hognoses...) Horrible fate right? We're sort of weak on amphibians (decent Bufo diversity, but one salamander species), but hey...
hope you have good herping in the NW! I mean to get up there some year for the salamanders (and the mammals).
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We wouldn't have 6 and a half billion people if you had to be beautiful to get laid.
6.6 African House snakes
3.2 reticulated pythons
.1 corn snake
4.2 Florida Kings
1.2 speckled kings
1.2 ball pythons
0.0.1 Argentine boa