2-03-2006

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Riverside, CA for Red Diamond Rattlesnakes with Tom

 

 

My friend Tom from AZ and I went on the first reptile outing of 2006 in February with warm temps and sunny skies.  Little did I know the same trip a month later in March with my dad would be in uncharacteristic Los Angeles blizzard conditions.  You'll have to forgive Tom for looking goofy in some of the pictures.  He can't help himself as he is Swedish  :-)  I know you are reading this Tom.

 

This would be Tom.  Tom moved out here from Sweden a while back supposedly because he got married, but actually because it saddens him that Sweden has like only 2 native snakes.

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The first find of the trip was a southern alligator lizard (Elegaria multicarinata)

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This little bird is commonly referred to as a "night hawk."  They are not actually a hawk but rather in a family called Caprimulgiformes, or Goat Suckers (chupacabra anyone?)  They do not actually suck on goats but rather can be found quite often sitting in the middle of the road late at night where they will shoot up and eat flying insects out of the headlight beams of approaching cars.  These birds are very well camouflaged and if you approach them slowly while lit in the high beams they will allow you within a few feet.

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Beautiful Riverside, CA habitat complete with morning fog/smog.

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First snake of the trip found in these rocks.   Red diamond rattlesnake (Crotalus ruber).  This rattlesnake  tends to be very docile as a species (although individuals I have found from one region are quite ill tempered) and will often not even rattle while being manipulated for photos.

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They are also quite well hidden much of the time despite their bright red color.  There is a rattlesnake in this picture.

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Despite their villainous reputation a significant number of red diamond rattlesnakes will do this when harassed.  This snake has buried its head in its coils, flattened out as much as possible and is holding completely still.

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Tom with another red diamond.  Tom was becoming rather frustrated by this time with the fact that I found the first 7 of our 11 rattlesnakes.  Tom used to keep this species back in Sweden but this was his first time viewing them in the wild and of course the first one he found got away from him into a crevice and had to later be heroically retrieved by myself.  I am going to receive emails about this interpretation from Tom but I assure you it is correct.

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This is one of the slightly less docile individuals from an area where for some reason all of the red diamond rattlesnakes tend to be a lot quicker to rattle  and bite than elsewhere.

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Another one from the same den area.

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And finally the only truly safe way to handle rattlesnakes if you are going to be doing it anyways.  There is no substitute for plastic restraint tubes.

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