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With some great information from SoCal herper Lou, I decided to head out into the Santa Cruz Mountain Range with my good herping friend this morning to see if I could find some early season- Fall snakes. I was optimistic when I left my house, as the weather in San Francisco was nice a cool-a nice change from the overbearing heat we have been having. However, my optimism towards surface active snakes dwindled as the temps rose and the hills looked drier and drier was I made my way through the SC mountains towards the San Mateo/Santa Clara region. The Bay Area, and probably the rest of CA, has been having a dry spell as of late, and the hillsides of the SC mountain range were golden and brown, with died grass and dried everything else. Not a good start...but my fingers were still crossed!

Headed to an interesting spot that consisted of grassy hillsides that were boredered with pine and oak trees. Some areas were also studded with dark black rocky outcroppings. "Zonata habitat" was the first thought I had when I treked up the hill. Herping soon commenced.

First few surface cover yielded only super charged Scelops that have heated well due to the 68-70F air temp in Santa Clara county. More cover more scelops. Flipping lizards, I finally came upon the first evidence of snakes in the area.

Shed Skin-most likely an adult California kingsnake (L.getula californiae)

Despite looking like an older shed, I was optimistic. I was in an area that my lifer getula lived.

More surface cover was flipped to no avail. The temps were rising and I feared getting skunked....until black and white was found amongst dusty brown dirt!

California kingsnake (L.getula californiae)-LIFER!!! Yearling.

I was THRILLED! Finally, a calking! This has always been a snake I have wanted to find in the wild and now here it sat under an old board. It is funny to think that I was able to locate the elusive L.zonata multifasciata before a common-ol' getula haha!

More pics

Me with the snake

As you guys can probably tell by this long drawn out post about a little calking, I am thrilled with my find! What a way to start the fall!

Zach

That find is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love reading about this, and seeing your spectacular find. There is something to be said about a black and white Cal-king with heavy black. Incredible!!

That really made my day to read your post! Thanks for sharing!
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Genesis 1:1

Thank you for the kind words! I too like reading about other field herper's outtings and finds! Makes me feel like I am out in the field!

That's a pretty nice find under dry conditions.
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np

First of all, great find for Oct and dry conditions!

i thought you were going to say you found a Mountain kingsnake. But i guess you got lucky (!?).. and found a black and white. where you even in zonata habitat? What elevation did you find that B&W?
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www.Bluerosy.com

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Yeah, I was not expecting to find anything with how dry it was...and it turned out to be a gorgeous calking!

And I'd say I got lucky with the calking...I've already checked off zonata on my life list and needed getula!

When I first saw the habitat, I was thinking to myself that it surely had to be zonata territory-at an elevation of around or over 2000ft, grassy glade break from the thick SC mountain forest, some dark sandstone rock outcroppings, etc.

Maybe it is in an area that thier range overlaps? Or maybe I am in an area where calkings out muscle the multifasciata?

Zach,

You're the only person I know who's found Mountain Kings BEFORE ever finding a Cal King! That's a sweet find - especially in October. It has significantly more contrast than other Cal Kings I've seen in that area.

My friend is incubating the eggs of the Cal King I found in the SC Mountains in August. She had 7 and one went bad. Hopefully he'll have hatchlings at the end of the month.

That sounds like a good outing you had yesterday!

Tim

Third Eye

Hey Tim,
I know, right? Haha! I wouldn't have changed it anyother way, as zonata remain my favorite snake species and I just couldn't wait any longer! My getula flip comes a close second in my field herping top moments.

Yeah, the snake I flipped is quite black and white compared to the others I have seen pics of found in Santa Clara co. Gorgeous little thing...hopefully I can flip more like her in the future!

Was that the gravid king found basking? Hopefully she'll produce some happy, healthy neos!

Zach

I think she was looking for a place to lay her eggs. When I came upon her in an open field, she had her head in a hole in the ground. She already had her pre-egglaying shed, because 8 days later she laid her eggs.

Snake as found:

Photo of same snake being released after laying her eggs:

Congratulations on that very nice looking and meaningful score!!

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

np

That is one cool find! Congratulations, but you could have posted a few more pics!
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
Jorge Sierra

My Site > www.Sierrasnakes.com

I wish I took more pic before releasing her too! Wouldn't hold still for the camera, kept biting and musking haha!

>>I wish I took more pic before releasing her too! Wouldn't hold still for the camera, kept biting and musking haha!

Oh you let her go? Then yeah I would have taken plenty of pictures too!
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
Jorge Sierra

My Site > www.Sierrasnakes.com

I release everything that I see while herping. I just bother it for a bit with my camera haha. I just collect photos.

Shoulda made an exception for this one though!

Looks like you found my escaped Snakezoid! LOL!

I have been finding lots of skinks and fence lizards and yesterday found a ring neck snake.
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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.