Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I know this is a little off subject but, I am planning a trip to southern California in the next few weeks and I just wanted to know how the weather has been. Anyone get out yet and start looking? I am looking for some cool Bicinctores and chucks just for pictures (starting a website for California Herps). I have some great looking Collaris collards right now and they are enough for me but I would love a Chuck or two. Here is a picture from last years trip. They get so tame so fast! After a few chomps at your fingers first.

I love when they still have those light bands.

We caught this little guy in Sedona AZ. One of the many.

i am in san diego and comparatively the weather has been pretty crappy. it has been cloudy or raining alot and it is only like 65 out. i saw on the news that it is supposed to be getting closer to 80 by friday so i am hoping this is just the last of some winter crud. will wells sent me an email a long time ago about where to go near here and i keep meaning to go but somehow all this reading for school gets in the way. i think the place is Anza Borrego. what part of so cal are you looking to herp in?
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vonnie
***There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it. Mary Wilson Little ***

The Anza Borego is a great place for some excelent Herping. I have some spots off the old Route 66 along with some others that I really like as well. I am in the Bay Area so it's about a 6-7 hour drive for me. Your lucky to be so close. Do you have any good spots. I am looking for Rosy boas, chucks, Collards, Banded Geckos, Horned lizards and anything else we can find. We aren't really into keeping anything just pictures. Last trip my camera broke so I had to get some stupid dispoible ones thats why the pictures turned out so crappy. Maybe we will hold off for a few more weeks untill some better weather comes.

i know i am in a prime area. i just wish my schedule allowed me to use this but soon school will be out for the semester so maybe i can get over there. usually i just end up hiking at the trails 5 minutes from my house and i have never seen a lizard there. if you are ever this way let me know. maybe it will inspire me to do some extra reading one day so i can get out to see some lizards on another day, ha ha!
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vonnie
***There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it. Mary Wilson Little ***

You should find a reason to get out some time and just walk around. Where do you live? I wish I lived closer to the Southern California desert. I still try and get out once a year if I can. Do you have any good spots? Let me know and we can share

he was hiking in an area of sandiego called fish creek, it was dried up with a gunshot hole in it in some large rocks, very maddening... but literallt, right before the rains, the next day the spot where they were camping( literally seconds after they packed up and were drinking coffee) flash flooded, lucky they had his buddies jeep g.c.!
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0.0.37-blue lab chichlids
0.1.6-sandiego gopher snakes
0.0.1-cal. kingsnake
0.0.1-anole
0.0.2-f.b.t
2.3-coturnix quail
0.1-cockatiel
0.2-s. black widow
1.1(fixed) cats-eddie/buzz

or even spot one to catch? ive seen blurs i thought were them and once i saw one a ways away on a boulder, do u use binoculars and like a lizard nuise?
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0.0.37-blue lab chichlids
0.1.6-sandiego gopher snakes
0.0.1-cal. kingsnake
0.0.1-anole
0.0.2-f.b.t
2.3-coturnix quail
0.1-cockatiel
0.2-s. black widow
1.1(fixed) cats-eddie/buzz

I use binoculars to spot em and nuise, the rest is up to you. I try to get them in the morning when they are still a little cold and sneek up behind or use one person in front to distract and another to nuise from behind. They are quick little guys, take your time. If they do run off keep an eye where they go. Sometimes you can lift the rock they are under but PLEASE don't keep the rock unturned! Leave everything as you found it If they go in a rock that you just cant get to wait and come back, odds are it will come back. Hope that helps, good luck

and try to teach my friends/ family to do that when they go herping with me. Its really a destruction of habitate if left flipped.
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0.0.37-blue lab chichlids
0.1.6-sandiego gopher snakes
0.0.1-cal. kingsnake
0.0.1-anole
0.0.2-f.b.t
2.3-coturnix quail
0.1-cockatiel
0.2-s. black widow
1.1(fixed) cats-eddie/buzz

I've caught 4 collared lizards, 2 of those with help from my husband because they run so fast.

The easiest was Cory, and I saw him basking a rock only about 20 feet from a house at 6:30 AM and I snuck my hand from below over him. It was easy because he was sleepy still

I really like chasing them around although sneaking up on baskers is the most successful.
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-Nicole

2.1.0 collared lizards
2.0.0 side-blotched lizards
1.0.0 desert tarantula
small tropical fishes

Thanks for shareing the photos. I've always wondered if there were any collareds around Sedona. Do you have any more pictures from there.

Sedona was ok but not what I thought. We found some spots on the way out of Sedona with a lot of Chucks and a few collards but not as many as North of Phoenix. We got some great stuff outside of Phoenix. By the way Will, I just wanted you to know that the Collards you gave me still doing GREAT! in-fact my female is getting ready to lay her second clutch of eggs any day now. She layed an unexpected clutch of five. I was out of town so I missed out. This time I will be ready to get them into an incubator. Thanks again! I love them!

Good to hear they are doing well. Can't wait to get some pictures of the collareds around Sedona. What side of town did you see the collareds and chucks?