Saturday started off in a location that I have wanted to visit for some time but just hadn't gotten around to it, it's a lake/reservoir, visited mostly by fisherman and far enough off the road so that it doesn't get a lot of visitors. On my way there I found a fresh DOR Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus Mitchellii) 40" long specimen, they are incredible in terms of their coloration and how they blend in to the surrounding substrate, imagine this one on a powdered granite soil or rock background.
Arrived at the parking spot for my trek (about a 6 mile round trip hike) and was immediately pleased to see an abundance of lizard life just a few hundred yards down the trail. Here are a few of the common lizards in the area:
Granite Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus orcutti)
Side-Blotched Lizard (Uta stansburiana)
Coastal Whiptail Lizard (Cnemidophorus tigris stejnegri)
I am always fascinated by the Whiptail lizards in the area, they are nearly impossible to catch but they will let you get very close to them, it almost seems like a game they play.
Here's a few long-range shots of the general area however there are many different zones in the area including Oak groves, riparian woodland, chaparral and manzanita woodland along with large granite outcroppings, very diverse area.
More to follow...
