Author: Chance Stevens

The last few days have been warm, not very windy, and very sunny. When you put these three things together, you get snakes!

On Sunday I went on three separate snake-searching expeditions: one in the morning, one in the early afternoon, and one in the late afternoon. I could tell serpents would be out by the amount of lizards scampering about the desert.

In the morning, I found very little in the way of snakes, but some whiptail lizards were darting to and fro, and a few Zebra-Tailed Lizards were relaxing in the sun, waving their tails in the air like irritated cats. I even saw an occasional spiny lizard sitting in the sun, never too far from a hiding place.

On the afternoon trip, even more lizards were out, but I still didn’t see any signs of snakes, so I decided to check on some brush piles in which I had seen coachwhips earlier this winter. The first few piles had ground squirrels lounging on top, a sure sign that no snakes would be present. However, as I approached, one smaller pile started rustling and I had found my first snake of the day!

Finding a coachwhip and catching a coachwhip are Very Different Things. Unlike many large snakes, coachwhips are able to move at amazing speeds, though this one didn’t need any amazing speed because it already had a foolproof hideout. I returned a bit later to see if the snake had re-emerged and, although I could tell that it had, it was like trying to catch a lightning-fast, perfectly camouflaged piece of hay in a needle stack. 

The third outing of the day revealed many snake tracks on the roads, at least for February, but they all seemed a bit old. Judging by the tracks, my guess is that snakes are really out from around 2:30 to 4pm this time of year.

As for which kinds of snakes you may see, most of the tracks were smaller and had the typical curves of fast-moving snakes, so I think they are likely young Baja California Coachwhips and Western Patch-Nosed Snakes, though rattlesnakes are out as well. This is still pretty early for springtime snake movement, so my guess is once this little heat wave goes by, the snakes will retreat back underground until the warmer weather of the first real spring days. Chance Stevens chancestevens123@icloud.com

We have made it into March! You know the old saying: March comes in like a lamb, and goes out like a lion. Well, as far as reptiles are concerned, it is very accurate! We are on the fringe of the reptile breeding season and, as temperatures warm, the snakes really start coming out. Be careful on the bike trails because, yes, there are rattlesnakes, but I mostly watch out for snakes crossing trails, since many get run over by cyclists.

On Saturday, I came across a large snake track crossing a dirt road and followed it towards a large bush. After checking the bush, I continued in the direction the snake had been moving and, to my surprise and delight, there was a large Baja California Coachwhip sprawled out in some old palm husks. Finding coachwhips is the easy part; catching them, however, is an entirely different matter.

I crept up and the snake recoiled under a husk. As I got closer, it seemed the snake had nowhere to go, so I quickly lifted the husk only to see the tail disappearing into an adjacent bush. I raced around to the other side of the bush trying to spot it. A movement caught my eye from across the clearing. It was the coachwhip! Apparently, it had teleported across the clearing. I watched as it smugly slithered into a brush pile and knew that I had been defeated.

Spring Reptile Walks! Our next walk will start at the Las Palmas Trailhead, north of town. At 9am on Friday, March 15th. We will be heading up the Las Palmas Arroyo in search of San Lucan Rock Lizards. Be ready for a longer walk in search of these beautiful endemics. chancestevens123@icloud.com

Announcing: Spring Reptile Walks! The snake season is finally returning, and I am planning on hosting three or four reptile walks this early spring, starting on Sunday, March 3rd. Let’s meet at 9:30am at the Punta Gorda trailhead north of town. It is a bit difficult to schedule dates farther into the future, as we are looking for warm, no-wind days, so I will try to schedule walks about a week in advance. chancestevens123@icloud.com

First of all, this week, I would like to deeply thank Adam Clause, Prof. Brad Hollingsworth, and the San Diego Natural History Museum for all they have done for me. For all of the people driving up or down Baja come spring, I would highly recommend stopping by the San Diego Natural History Museum. They have an amazing Baja exhibit, some beautiful reptiles, and loads more interesting stuff.

Here in LV/ES, the last few days have been very windy and cold, and most of the local reptiles are underground at the moment. I am planning another set of reptile walks in mid to late March, but it is hard to plan ahead when no wind is crucial.

In the meantime, I have been working on a new seasonal pond for our resident toad population. Because of a newly installed berm, their old pond has been closed off, so this summer it will not fill with water. I have a good location for the new pond, but am still in need of some way to keep the water from seeping into the soil. I am seeking clay, if anyone knows where I can find some. If not, the toads will just have to lose their dignity and use my back-up plan, a kiddy pool. Next week I will return for a normal column. chancestevens123@icloud.com

Today, I decided to write about turtles, but not the ones you might think. This week I will be spotlighting the only native fresh water turtle in Baja California Sur.

The Baja California Slider (Trachemys nebulosa) is an interesting turtle with a mysterious and rich history. These sliders rarely leave the water, yet they inhabit many isolated oases throughout the desert. So… how did a turtle that doesn’t leave the water spread across deserts? Well, one theory is that Baja used to be much wetter.

Thousands of years ago, this peninsula was much more like the mainland adjacent to Baja, with a good bit more rainfall. The turtles could have traveled from oasis to oasis until they arrived at their current range, or they could have stayed here unchanged since the peninsula broke off from Mainland Mexico, or somehow crossed the ocean. Another possibility is that they just evolved in Baja, although this theory is probably not the answer because a very similar — if not identical — population of turtles lives in Sinaloa and Sonora on the mainland.

These are all good theories, and it is unknown how these turtles got to Baja in the first place, but we do understand how they got into all of the isolated oases. In the 1700s, natives brought these turtles northward, from their tiny natural range of the Rio San Jose Valley to all over BCS, as a food source! Now, in the Rio San Jose Valley, these turtles are actually quite rare as a direct result of overhunting.

The Baja California Slider is the only native fresh water turtle in our area, but not necessarily the only fresh water turtle living here because there may be invasive species. For example, unfortunately, Red-Eared Sliders have been released in some water sources, competing with the Baja California Sliders, and diluting the bloodline with interbreeding. These two species are very similar-looking, and it is quite difficult to tell the difference between them. I have not yet had the pleasure of crossing paths with one of these amazing reptiles, and I will follow up with a column about identifying them once I find one, and figure out for myself what the differences are. chancestevens123@icloud.com

One of the most common snake sightings that I hear about goes something like this: “I saw a sea snake on the reef today.” Although this is possible, there is a lot more to it, so let’s get into identifying sea snakes.

First of all, sea snakes are rare around here, and they are not permanent inhabitants of our reefs. They are more appropriately considered guests, and they like to keep moving. I would estimate that 80% of “sea snake” sightings are not snake sightings at all, but rather one of the resident eel species. I have lived here for over two years and have never seen a sea snake myself.

Eels are diverse and interesting fish, and come in a variety of shapes and colors, from Green Morays to Garden Eels. A great resource for identifying eels is resident William Ihne’s video, Eight Eels of Baja.

Complicating matters, some eels are called “snakes” like Tiger Reef Snakes, even though they are actually fish. The only sea snake in this area is the Pelagic Sea Snake, which is a striking yellow-bellied black-backed snake known for its fascinating lifestyle of living out at sea. Sea snakes are dangerously venomous and should be given space, though they are quite docile and unlikely to bite. 

One telltale sign of a sea snake is the tail (no pun intended). The black and the yellow of the body overlap into a mottled sort of look, and the tail is flattened to aid in swimming. As far as I know, there aren’t any eels with a similar pattern of black and yellow on the tail. 

Another way to tell the difference between a sea snake and an eel is by the head. An eel’s head is usually a bit smaller than its neck, and the back of its head is less well-defined. Eels are also quite happy to open their mouths in warning.

Although rare, one time when sea snakes may be observed is when they wash up on the beach. They are very sluggish on land, but still should be given space, even when they look dead.

Hopefully William’s great video and this column can help you tell fish from reptile! chancestevens123@icloud.com

It is now winter, and most of the reptiles are underground so I am going to have to get creative. This column is about snakes in trees, and how to tell who’s who.

First of all, though unusual, any snake could find itself in a tree, even the least arboreal (arboreal means “lives in trees”). If you happen to see a snake in a tree, make sure to snap a photo because it may be a new behavior. Secondly, the “trees” around here are a bit wistful, but you know what I mean.

By far, the most common snakes to see in trees in this area are coachwhips. They are long, fast snakes that come in a variety of colors; around here, they are mostly black. I have witnessed coachwhips at the tops of trees, out on thin branches, hunting birds and much more, showing they are quite accomplished climbers. I have even seen them at the top of tall palm trees with no nearby vegetation.

Another type of arboreal snake in the area — although much rarer — is the Baja California Striped Whipsnake. Relatives of the coachwhip, these snakes are elusive and prefer wetter habitats, meaning they are mostly found in the mountains. They are black with yellow stripes, not to be confused with patch-nosed snakes, which can be black and cream-striped, and live throughout LV/ES. As for the patch-nosed snake, I have personally seen one in a tree, although they are not known to spend much time suspended in vegetation.

A few more snakes that you may see in trees include: Cape Gopher Snakes, which sometimes raid birds’ nests; Baja California Rat Snakes, which are quite rare but spend a good amount of time in trees; California Kingsnakes, which are known to hang out off the ground; and lyre snakes, who enjoy treetop life on occasion as well. chancestevens123@icloud.com

In the first part of this series (see The Ventana View 12, diciembre), we learned who makes underground tunnels. Today we will focus on which creatures live in them. To some extent, they are one in the same, as many animals who make tunnels also inhabit them. For example, rabbits, iguanas and ground squirrels certainly live in their burrows at first, but those creatures usually move out if the burrow feels too small, or maybe part of it caved in, or maybe it is too close to something dangerous. In many cases, burrows can flood during heavy rains.

Whatever the reason, burrows change ownership frequently. Some creatures live in their second-hand burrows, although many use them more like short-term rentals. For instance, whiptails (the blue-tailed lizards scurrying all around) are very active on sunny days, sometimes covering a lot of ground in their search for grubs and other leaf-litter creatures. Rather than returning all the way back to last night’s burrow, whiptails can pop into the nearest hole and spend the night there.

After a while, burrows start to connect to each other and, eventually, become part of the tunnel network, an intricate web where many fascinating creatures spend their time. Sand snakes “swim” through softer soils but, in harder ground, they spend essentially all their time in the tunnel network. Thread snakes also spend much of their time navigating these tunnels, as well as rosy boas, ground snakes, black-headed snakes, some small rodents and a great assortment of insects.

All this life under our feet, and we barely even know it exists! This fascinating world doesn’t require much help from us, although there is one crucial factor keeping the whole ecosystem strong. If we can allow this one little thing to remain in our yards, the animals and plants will live healthier, longer lives. This all-important magic serum is leaf litter. So go ahead and landscape areas that you actually use on your properties, but please leave leaf litter where you can, but especially under trees, cactuses and bushes. Leaving leaf litter in place also holds moisture, and this natural mulch greatly benefits the plants, as well as the animals.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good kite!

We are now approaching winter! Due to the recent cold weather here in LV/ES, most of the reptiles have retired into their winter abodes, like many of the human residents. One difference, however, is that the majority of the reptiles are underground. Today, we will dive deeper into the subterranean world where reptiles spend so much of their time, and shine a spotlight where the sun rarely reaches. The first questions we should ask ourselves are: where do all the tunnels come from, and who makes them? These questions have many answers, as there are a variety of interesting fauna giving rise to this underground kingdom.

Around here, many of the tunnels belong to the Desert Iguanas, not the big ones living on rooftops, but rather the smaller, sand-colored iguanas that prefer life on the ground. In the winter months, these characters are completely absent; come spring, however, they will emerge and become one of the most common lizards in the area!

Another set of important burrowers are the mammals, digging larger burrows. Once the squirrel, rabbit, mouse, skunk, etc. leave their burrows, those spaces become good hideouts for other creatures.

A third, often overlooked group of burrowers are the insects! Ant colonies create huge nests that become part of the tunnel web after the ants move on. Termites do this job as well, along with many other insects.

Now we know who made the tunnels, but who lives there? And what about the creatures that rarely leave the soil? To be continued next week! Chance Stevens chancestevens123@icloud.com

The Five-Toed Worm Lizard is a strange, unique and seldom found creature that spends most of its time underground. This species is native to the Baja California Peninsula. There is a good-sized population just outside of La Ventana, though not much research has been done on these two-legged lizards.

If you were to see one of these crazy creatures out in their natural habitat — which is Very Difficult — you would probably be confused. At first glance, you would think that it was a worm because it is pink and looks like it has segments, but then you would see its little two front legs and teeny tiny black eyes. Upon further inspection, you would see that it more closely resembles some sort of invertebrate over a lizard. 

Mexican Mole Lizards (another name for the same species) are not widespread, and seem to prefer loamy cactus forests. These lizards are so introverted that many people who live here their whole lives never see one! I was able to find one because of patience, perseverance and a very helpful shove in the right direction by my amazing friend, Prof. Bradford Hollingsworth, Curator of Herpetology at the San Diego Natural History Museum. 

Above the surface, mole lizards are a bit scattered and spend their time trying to dig back into the dirt; underground, however, they are fearsome bug hunters perfectly suited for their specialized life. If you do come across one of these enigmas of nature, photograph it and let me know where you found it, since it could be a new population! – chancestevens123@icloud.com