Reptile & Amphibian Forums

How has your luck been lately? We havent seen much of anything over the last three weeks. One or two snakes a night. Yesterday we decided to take a trip to whitewater with the hopes of finding more snakes. We hunted from 10 to 2 am and only found two snakes. We saw several other road cruisers that night and the sherriff was stopping people with a fake snake to check for fishing licenses. He told us that he already stopped 7 other cruisers that night. We traveled up white water canyon road several times and found nothing. This was our first trip to whitewater so Im not sure if that is a good road for hunting, but it looked promising to us. Everywhere else we have gone has also not changed our luck. Anyone else having problems finding snakes right now?

I have been looking around on whitewater too and there does not seem to be much there lately, however if you look at how the canyon is designed you should be able to see many other canyons on both sides of the 10 from beaumont clear to La Quinta that are less traveled and more productive. try flashlight hunting off the dirt roads at the top of Verbania. It usually pays off for me better if I get out of the car, most snakes never cross the road. My flashlight is my best friend!!!

Im not really into night hikes in the canyons, or cruising dirt roads. Its kind of frightening out there. I prefer main roads and minimal time spent outside of the car.

Im guessing you find some mountain kings. Are there any roads to find them on, or are they best found by fielding? I know someone that went camping to find some zonatas, I dont know where he went, but he didnt find any. The guys at the next camp over found two. One of the girls spotted a helleri that he believed to be albino, unfortunalty, she didnt catch it because she doesnt mess with the hots.

I have never found zonata by car, in fact I have never found azonata in the open, only by flipping. In fact I much prefer finding snakes on foot, it's just that it is hard to find them in the day this late in the year. All spring I was rock hopping, finding all sorts of animals on foot, and even now I still look among the rocks once the temps drop low enough(night). Road cruising makes me feel isolated from the enviornment, thus taking away from the experience. I have seen over 80 rattlers this spring, five were on the road.

Im from the antelope valley, and out here we see more rattlesnakes (mojaves) than anything on the road. We saw two of them tonight, and that was all we found. Of the year, mojaves make up close to half the snakes we have seen. I was really hoping to see a red diamond in whitewater the other night, that would be a good change.

Do you find helleris by foot? I hear they rarely cross the road and the best method of finding those is by foot, searching along the edges of bushes.

I have found Hellari mostly by boardflipping, however much to my surprise I did see one by car in Palm Springs. There are many red diamonds in that same area, and Riverside is packed with them. I have not seen a single Mojave yet. I'll show you reds if you show me mojaves?

will produce southern pacifics almost every time you drive them. On those 2 roads, they are the most frequent snakes seen. In fact I saw one last night, I'll post some pics once my web-guy uploads them to my site.
Jeff Teel

I have had fairly good luck these last two weeks. I found a new road in Corona area on the way home to Oceanside from my parents place in Chino Hills. I have crusied this road 4 times so far(sat and sunday of last week, and friday and saturay of this week). So far it has produced the following stuff:
1 DOR Blackheaded snake
1 Red Diamond rattler(found on the side of the road)
1 DOR Rosy Boa
1 Striped King
1 Banded King
6 live rosys(including a gravid female)
All these snakes were found at dusk crossing the road.
-Doc
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Swift, Silent, Deadly

Wow a blackhead. Those are rarely seen right? And banded and striped kings in the same area, sounds like good hunting there.

Are whitewater snakes also most active at dusk? We got there a little late, closer to 10, but I thought that with the warmth down there that we would see snakes all night.

As far as whitewater goes, I find the usually a few minutes after dusk. Only ones that tend to come out late ther are the rosies.
-Doc
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Swift, Silent, Deadly

We found a king near 1 am on the cutoff just over the bridge.
I wanted to see a rosy, but didnt get lucky.

Guy's I'm going with the moon phase on this one.
Remember the post's a couple weeks ago regarding the moon....
I was out at Whitewater and ajacent areas Saturday night.
The weather was great. Nice temps 70"s. I was there at dusk and hiked and cruised till 12:30 a.m.
The moon was 3/4 full and alot of bugs flying, bats were feeding and we saw at least 10 OWLS! It was defenitly bright out.
We didn't see any live herps at all.Geckos or Snakes live all night.
1 DOR Sidewinder
1 DOR Coachwhip

I believe the moon had alot to do with it.
I sure wouln't want to get eated by an Owl or another predetor if I were a Snake or Gecko.

Take it for what it's worth to you.
I don't think you will see much out there in the next week 1/2 to 2 weeks.
Maybe a very hungry Glossy or Longnose.

I'm saving gas for another day ...

It's not worth going this time of year IMO.. Unless you like putting miles on your car, paying out the a$$ is gas, and wearing out sets of tires in order to see one lyre snake and gecko in a full night of driving.... I know that area as well as anyone and after mid june the snake activity Slows way down with the exeception of a snake here and there on occasion... Must the snakes species are down for the summer... If you do go nightdrive try the 12 am to daylight hours this time of year.........

My .02cents
Fundad

I agree with you on that perspective also.
Throughout the years I have noticed it usually stops around now and 2 weeks into July.
alot of luck and no moon might produce something.
Riverside and San Diego Counties are nice temps now.

Tony

I'm sorry to say I can go out today but it is wierd how cool the temps are.
I hope they hold until tomorrow.
Ed
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Ed
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Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care