Beautiful little snake

[Joseph Clemens]

<span style='font-size:12pt;line-height:100%'>I discovered this pretty little one wandering amoung my bamboo plantings the other day.</span>

 

[Bugweed]

Joe, That is a long nosed snake (rhinocheilus lecontei). SP? I know they live mostly on lizards, and the occasional bird egg or pinky mouse. Very harmless, very pretty. They mimic the coral snake somewhat.

 

[Joseph Clemens]

<span style='font-size:12pt;line-height:100%'>Thanks Bugweed, I wasn't sure what type it was. Our area is loaded with many different reptiles -- sometimes you see them, usually all I get to see are their tracks or what they did to what they got into.

I often see many different lizards, I only once spotted a Gila Monster as it trekked down our dirt driveway. Now I know they are frequent visitors -- they leave fresh tracks almost every night. The tracks of Sidewinder's are often seen, but I have yet to see a Sidewinder on our property, though I sometimes see them on nearby roadsides. A few days ago while I was out looking around with a flashlight at night I noticed a young King Snake was eating baby birds from a Desert Wren nest in a cholla cactus.

</span>

 

[Bugweed]

Nice Gila Monster!! I used to collect snakes for the SanDiego Zoo many moons ago. The kingmakes in your area are the Desert Kingsnake and the California Kingsnake, and their intergrades. Good snake to have around for your rattlers. Just another food item to the king of snakes.

 

[Pyro]

Beauty of Gila, I never saw one of these despite my many many hours hunting for one last time I was out there. I did find a beautiful Tucson Banded Gecko though. And more bleeding scorpions than I cared for.

 

[The Griffin]

Very nice, Joe! The long-nosed snake is kind of unappreciated in the herp circles, I think. That Gila is great too!

Joe