Well I was on Vacation on the North end of Okanogan Lake BC, Canada at my cabin. I saw a western skink, Pacific tree frog, Gopher snake, and I caught Western painted turtles. I caught the skink on a rock pile near my cabin while birding and not to far along there was a 3 1/2 foot gopher. Found the tree frog in the wood bin in my back yard and I caught the turtles while fishing near some reeds. I saw tons of yellow bellied marmots, a mom and baby black bear quite a few white tailed deer including a fawn getting chased by a dog and 71 species of birds. One day at the local nature center a herpetologist came in and talked about snakes. He brougt a yellow bellied racer, a rubber boa and a gopher snake. So all and all not a bad trip. Going back there in August and I hope to see more.
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Okanogan Reptiles!!!!
Replies (4)
Snakegal,
I am uncertain as to the exact location of Okanogan Lake. Does the lake extend south into Washington?
If you again get the chance to speak to the herpetologist, ask him is he knows if the Sharp-tailed Snake (Contia tenuis) is native to that area. There is an old, sketchy report of the species having been observed further north near Chase, B.C.
Richard F. Hoyer
Okanogan Lake extends from just south of Vernon to Penticton BC. It does not go to the US. It's almost half way between BC and Alberta. I actually saw a sharp tailed snake a few years back there so yes they do live there. The species that live there are Western yellow bellied racer, gopher snake, North west pacific rattlesnake, desert night snake( the herpetologist I met actually discovered this snake), sharp tailed snake, wandering garter snake, common garter snake and rubber boa.
Snakegal,
Although I have completed my study of the Sharpt-tailed Snakes in Oregon and elsewhere, I am still interested in obtaining and potentially verifying new locality sightings for both species of Contia. Perhaps you are not aware but a second species in the genus Contia exist in Calif. and Oregon and is mostly associated with forested habitats and occuring in near coastal counties in Calif. and into the Cascade Mts. in Oregon.
If you are willing, could you provide me with the name, mailing or e-mail address of the herpetologist in B.C.? You can contact me privately if you wish at charinabottae@earthlink.net
Richard F. Hoyer
Posted by: snakegal123456 at Thu Jul 14 15:02:03 2005 [ Report Abuse ] [ Email Message ]
Okanogan Lake extends from just south of Vernon to Penticton BC. It does not go to the US. It's almost half way between BC and Alberta. I actually saw a sharp tailed snake a few years back there so yes they do live there. The species that live there are Western yellow bellied racer, gopher snake, North west pacific rattlesnake, desert night snake( the herpetologist I met actually discovered this snake), sharp tailed snake, wandering garter snake, common garter snake and rubber boa.
Painted turtle I caught there
