Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Me, my brother, daughter, and a few friends made a trip to the Hemet area to see if we could scare up a few boas and some red diamondbacks yesterday. We hit the pile at about 2:30pm, it was a beautiful day, temps were almost in the 90's and after the recent rainstorms I figured something had to be moving. Well I couldn't have been more wrong. By 5:30 that night the only snake that was collected was by my brother, a yearling striped california racer. Neat snake, but not what we were after. We let him go and continued. We easily flipped a metric ton of rocks (which we always replace as we found them to try and protect the humidity barrier) and walked up and down those foothills for at least a good five miles total. I was totally surprised, nothing. I figured we would at least run into a few ruber's. Just spiny, side-blotched, and alligator lizards. We drove back to Saugus and when I got out of the truck I looked up and saw a big bright full-moon!!! Dammit! I didn't even think to look at the lunar chart! That had to be the reason nothing was moving that day! Anyone have any theories on full moons and snake movement? Especially this early in the season?

The fact that you were hunting during the hottest time of the day during a heat wave probably had more to do with it than the moon.

Even though it's early in the year and there's been rain, I think the recent temperatures in the 90's is going to drive most snakes deeper than under surface rocks you can flip, at least during the hottest time of the day. If you would've headed out in the early morning, your results may have been different. Your target species looking to warm up rather than escape the heat. Looking later in evening might have proven more productive as well. IMHO, of course.

I've found both species you were after at night with a bright moon as well as early in the day. Casey Lazik

The moon would only be a factor if you were night driving. How much night driving did you do?

I agree with Roadkill and Casey,
From my experience the moon would only play a factor if it was at night. I believe it was to hot during the ours you were out.
12:00 to 2:00 is the hottest part of the day. Those little snake bodies heatup fast in direct sunlight.

The morning hours would most likely have been the "prime" hours for boas along with the later hours. The cooling hours before the moon rose would have been good as well.

Tony

My buddy and I found three rubers and a boa on Sun morn between 8:00-9:00 A.M.

I don't have much experience collecting in the western states, but after 30 yrs treading up and down the eastern seaboard, mostly in the SE states, the moon phase definately has an effect on what is out and about, day or night. Be it tin fields or canal banks, the number of animals seen in Very productive areas is GREATLY reduced during a full moon phase. Thats my take on it from 3 decades of experience.
Bob

The temps were definetly the biggest part of the problem also during the middle of the afternoon the rocks are quite a bit hotter than the air temps. The moon was not the reason you did
not find any boas. I have seen plenty of boas on a full moon.