Bay Area Herpetology

Reptiles & Amphibians of the

San Francisco Bay Area
 Reptiles
• Crocodilians (0)
• Lizards (10)
• Snakes (20) + 1 non-native
• Turtles (1) + multiple introductions

– 31 Total Natives
– *rare or difficult to find
– + listed, protected, or endangered
 Californiaherps.com

http://mvz.berkeley.edu
http://research.calacademy.org/herp

Range maps by Gary Naris

Part I

SNAKES OF THE BAY AREA

 Boidae
• Vestiges of pelvis, displayed as small
spurs, most prominent in males.
• Smooth scales.
• Some have temperature sensitive pits on
labial scales for detecting prey.
• Prey killed typically by constriction.
• Boas are live-bearing; Pythons egg laying.
• Name means “water serpent”.
Rubber Boa*
Charina bottae
Rubber Boa*

Charina bottae
Tilden Park; San Mateo County

Habitat: grasslands, forests, chaparral.

•Where to look: Under logs and rocks
•Food: baby rodents and shrews,
salamanders, young snakes.
•Color variation: tan to brown
•Additional Comments. Vertical pupil;
coils to protect head; strikes with
blunt tail. Good swimmer.
Red: Northern Rubber Boa

Blue: Southern Rubber Boa

Orange: area where the species of rubber boa

is recognized as potentially Southern Rubber Boa by
the CDFW.

Purple: Area representing recently-discovered

boas of unexamined species, most likely Northern
Rubber Boa.
Rubber Boa*

Charina bottae
 Colubridae
• Family is difficult to characterize and may
be more than one family.
• Live-bearing and egg laying forms.
• Venomous and non-venous forms.
• All have large head scales.
• Name means “snake”.
Ring-necked Snake
Diadophis punctatus
 Ring-necked Snake
Diadophis punctatus amabilis
• Habitat: Moist habitats
• Where to look: Crossing trails,
under logs and rocks
• Food: salamanders, slugs,
lizards, frogs and worms.
California Legless Lizard*
Anniella pulchra • Color variation: Fairly inform
with yellow belly and red tail.
• Additional Comments. Semi-
venomous, often has
communal nest—perhaps 2x
per year. Coils tail as warning;
musky excrement.
 Ring-necked Snake
Diadophis punctatus amabilis
Black-headed Snake
Tanilla nigriceps
California Black-headed Snake
Tanilla planiceps
• Corral Hollow, Del Puerto Canyon

• Habitat: Chaparral, grasslands,

rocky regions.
• Where to look: night drives, under
rocks on talus slopes.
• Food: centipedes, spiders,
insects.
• Color variation: Fairly uniform.
• Additional Comments: Nocturnal.
Very secretive and uncommon.
Mildly venomous.
California Black-headed Snake
Tanilla planiceps
Sharp-tailed Snake
Contia tenuis
Sharp-tailed Snake
Contia tenuis
Merritt Campus, Mt. Diablo,
Borges Ranch

Habitat: Forest, grasslands, streams,

prefers wet areas,
Where to look: under rocks and logs,
leaf litter.
Food: slugs and slender salamanders
Color variation: brown to red
Additional Comments. Tail used as a
weapon. Often gregarious.
Sharp-tailed Snake
Contia tenuis
Forest Sharp-tailed Snake*
Contia longicaudae
 Forest Sharp-tailed Snake*
Contia longicaudae
Gazos Creek

Habitat: Forests, grassy meadows,

prefers wet areas.
Where to look: under rocks and logs, leaf
litter in coastal regions.
Food: probably slugs and slender
salamanders.
Color variation: brown
Additional Comments. Little is know
about his species.
.
Forest Sharp-tailed Snake*
Contia longicaudae
San Joaquin Coachwhip
Colbuer flagellum rudocki

Photo by James Maughn

San Joaquin Coachwhip
Colbuer flagellum rudocki
Habitat: Dry treeless areras.
Where to look: Dirural
Food: Frogs, lizards, snakes, birds,
mammals, insects.
Color variation: Brownish, braided
appearance.
Additional Comments. Difficult to find here
but more common south near Holbrook
area. Road kills probably have decreased
population.
San Joaquin Coachwhip
Colbuer flagellum rudocki
 Alameda Striped Racer+
Masticophis (Coluber) lateralis
euryxanthus
 Alameda Whipsnake+
Masticophis (Coluber) lateralis euryxanthus
Mt. Diablo

• Habitat: Grasslands, open

forests; diurnal.
• Where to look: Moving about
during the day on trails and in
trees.
• Food: Frogs, lizards, snakes,
birds, mammals, insects.
• Color variation: Orange ventral
belly; tail pink. Less o with
intergrades.
• Additional Comments:
Hybridizes with C. lateralis.
 Alameda Whipsnake+
Masticophis (Coluber) lateralis euryxanthus
 California Striped Racer*
Masticophis (Coluber) lateralis lateralis
 Calfiornia Striped Racer*
Masticophis (Coluber) lateralis lateralis
??????????????

Habitat: Chaparral
Where to look: moving
about during the day
Food: Frogs, lizards,
snakes, birds, mammals,
insects.
Color variation: Yellow
belly turns reddish at tail
Additional Comments.
Difficult to find here, but
more common south near
Holbrook area. Road kills
probably have decreased
population.
 Calfiornia Striped Racer*
Masticophis (Coluber) lateralis lateralis
Western Yellow-bellied Racer
Coluber constrictor mormon
 Racer
Coluber constrictor (juvenile)
Western Yellow-bellied Racer
Coluber constrictor mormon
Mt. Diablo, Black Diamond Mines

Habitat: meadows, chaparral,

forests, fields, grasslands.
Where to look: Under logs and
rocks; active during day.
Food: small mammals, reptiles,
frogs, and insects.
Color variation: olive green to
bluish.
Additional Comments.
Extremely alert; young have
brown saddles.
Western Yellow-bellied Racer
Coluber constrictor mormon
Pacific Gopher Snake
Pituophis catenifer
Pacific Gopher Snake*
Pituophis catenifer
Mt. Diablo, King Ranch, Lime
Ridge, Gazos Creek, Black
Diamond Mines, Corral Hollow,
Del Puerto Canyon

Habitat: variety of habitats

Where to look: Night drives,
under logs; sunning on rocks
and in trails.
Food: Rodents. Rabbits. Birds
and eggs. Sometimes lizards
and insects.
Color variation: Smaller saddles
on coast; striped near Cordelia.
Additional Comments. Rattles
tail and strikes when alarmed;
generally passive.
 Pacific Gopher Snake
Pituophis catenifer catenifer
California Glossy Snake*
Arizona elegans occidentalis
California Glossy Snake *

Arizona elegans occidentalis

Corral Hollow, Del Puerto Canyon

Habitat: Chaparral, grasslands,

deserts, woodlands; sands or loams
required.
Where to look: Night drives, under
rocks and logs.
Food: Lizards, also snakes, and small
mammals
Color variation: pale; belly unmarked.
Additional Comments. Rare in our
area. Appear to be nocturnal.
California Glossy Snake *

Arizona elegans occidentalis

Coast Mountain Kingsnake*
Lampropeltis zonata
Photo by Clay Fischer
Coast Mountain Kingsnake*
Lampropeltis zonata
Henry Coe Park, Santa Cruz
area, Mt. Hamilton

Habitat: Moist woods and chaparral

from mountains to coastline.
Where to look: Under rocks and logs;
sunning in open areas. Diurnal.
Nocturnal in warm weather.
Food: Lizards, snakes, birds and eggs,
small mammals
Color variation: red on black; venom
lack
Additional Comments. Uncommon in
our area.
Coast Mountain Kingsnake*
Lampropeltis zonata
Common Kingsnake*
Lampropeltis californica
California Kingsnake
Lampropeltis californiae
Mt. Diablo, Lime Ridge, Black Diamond
Mines, Briones, Tilden Park, Corral
Hollow, Del Puerto Canyon

Habitat: forests, woodlands, chaparral,

marshes, farmland.
Where to look: Under rocks and logs,
sunning on trails, night drives.
Food: snakes, lizards, small turtles.
Frogs. Birds, eggs and small mammals.
Color variation: Uniform in our area
Additional Comments. Eats
rattlesnakes; rattles tail when alarmed.
California Kingsnake
Lampropeltis californiae
Long-nosed Snake*
Rhinocheilus lecontei

Photo: Bida Mansouri

Long-nosed Snake*
Rhinocheilus lecontei
Del Puerto Canyon, Corral Hollow

Habitat: deserts, grasslands,

loose or sandy soils.
Where to look: night drives
Food: lizards and their eggs,
small snakes, mammals and birds
Color variation: Young brighter.
Additional Comments: Lower jaw
counter sunk for digging; good
burrower.
Long-nosed Snake*
Rhinocheilus lecontei
 Key features of Herps
• Range
• Habitat
• Season
• Reproductive strategies
• Variations
• Distinguishing features
• Similar species
• Status