In the last few weeks, the weather has finally switched and, from now until October, the snake activity occurs chiefly after sunset. For weeks during the spring, I had been going on looking-for-reptile missions after dark many times — almost all complete flops — but recently my dad and I struck gold and found a Desert Rosy Boa (Lichanura trivirgata)!
In Southern Baja, rosy boas are beautiful snakes with cream and black stripes and cute faces. Well, at least that is my opinion. They are completely harmless, slow and relatively small, growing to about 91 centimeters (or 3 feet). These boas are usually nocturnal, although sometimes they will come out in the evening or occasionally in the day. Their diet consists mostly of small rodents, but they will eat small birds and reptiles once in a while. The snake we found was just exiting a hole in the road when we found it, and I believe they spend much of their time underground.
Rosy boas are some of the most laid-back snakes in North America, as they are slow, harmless and would never think of biting. We are very lucky to share our town with them and, if we do our part, hopefully we will be able to coexist with these amazing creatures far into the future. – chancestevens123@icloud.com