Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Late March. The early baskers will soon be crawling out of their winter hibernation here in S.Cal. As always I will be there to find them and get a photo or two. Anyone else planning some early hunts? I can't wait.
PD

I'll be looking for a coastal here in the bay area. Last season I caught a large adult and released the same snake at the spot I caught it. Of course all I think about is that spot and how I'm going to hunt it once the weather warms up. To find one basking would be sweet! What's your method for finding baskers? Temps? Times? Habitat? Have you had any success road crusin'?

Good luck,
RC

Hey Rc
The early spring is the best time of year to find these guys. I find them by looking in, under and around large rock cliffs facing the sun. I have found them catching a little sun in very cold temps. Most people look for them when the climate heats up..by then it's to late (unless it's raining.) Temps between 55 and 70 and the month of April are perfect. I have had very little succes road cruzin for Zonata...I prefer to hike the rocks in cool and/or wet climate. After a good rain is a great time to look in the summer months. Mt. Kings get active when the ground is wet. To find one when it's hot and dry is very very lucky.
One thing I've learned about these guys after looking for them for many years is that if you know where their at and how and when to look for them you will find a lot of them. If you don't know when and how to hunt you can go for many many years without ever seeing one. Later.

where abouts n so cal do u guy hunt. i live in the victorvill area and havent see'in anything but a few chucks and a very nice Panamint Speckled Rattlesnake. ive been tryin to spot a king but havent had any luck. any advice for me would be great....

Chucks & speckles??? You are looking in the mountains arn't you? If your finding chucks and speckles you will also find Ca kings...but not Ca. Mt. Kings.
PD

PD,

Thanks for the tips. I will use them this weekend hopefully. I'm hoping that the spot I have in mind has a lot of rocks. Have you had any luck on steep hillsides?

Thanks,
RC

Steep hillsides? YEP! LOL. Where I hunt is fairly steep with lots of lizards on the boulders and huge fallen trees. And a nice size stream runs right through it. My first hunt of the year won't be untill sometime next month.
Good luck, don't break the law, put the rocks back where you found them, don't litter and have a good time. LOL
PD

This year is too busy for me to go, so I will have to live through the pics and stories of folks on the forums. Please update us on any findings.

Regarding questions by the newbies:
I spent about 3 years hunting in the San Bernardinos before I began to learn what I was doing wrong to find these critters. Someone told me where to look, and the only description on when I got was "Spring", but they didn't tell me the critical details. And you know, now I'm glad they didn't. I had alot of fun learning on my own, and I felt somewhat accomplished when I began finding the snakes. I can't wait until my son is old enough to go.

Be kind to the habitat.
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Mark G

Hmmm....I know what you mean. I had to learn the hard way myself. Maybe I'm giving to much info away and taking all the fun out of hunt.
So, for you newbies out there everything Paradigmboas said in the above post is dead wrong. He has no idea what he's talking about. Pay him no attention.

Even with your completely incorrect information *wink wink* those newbies will still have to pay their dues.

I had the humbling experience of hunting an area one day when I knew a good amount but not near enough. I saw nothing except a shed skin, which was still terribly exciting for me. Then a noted pro who was extremely knowledgeable of zonata habits in that area shows up, walks by me, goes to a pile of rocks that I didn't think looked at all like good habitat, stoops down, and uncovers a gorgeous z. The pro told me I had more to learn about the optimum time of day to find z's in that particular area (and thereby gave it away.) He also found rubber boas in a spot that I had always suspected as having rubber boas but never found any.. for 2 years. This guy finds 3 in 2 minutes. I realized then that knowing where and when and even a little how is not enough. Pay the piper.

>>Hmmm....I know what you mean. I had to learn the hard way myself. Maybe I'm giving to much info away and taking all the fun out of hunt.
>> So, for you newbies out there everything Paradigmboas said in the above post is dead wrong. He has no idea what he's talking about. Pay him no attention.
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Mark G

Speaking of rubber boas. I was road hunting at night for Zon in a new area and found about 12 rubber boas an hour. They were everywhere! But I didn't find a single king.
If your interested in rubber boas just drop me an email and I'll show you where you can find a truck load.

I would absolutely freak if I saw a wild zonata out on a rock (or whewever!)
I really envy you S. Cal guys!
Post those pics!
:Mark

n/p