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Chino Hills State Park:
resources:
fauna: reptiles
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GOPHER SNAKE (Pituophis catenifer)
Like a lot of the other snakes we cover in this website the gopher
snake has a wide range of habitats that it is found in. These
habitats include: desert flats, coastal dunes and coniferous forests, but
the preferred habitats of this snake are grasslands and open brush areas.
Therefore the State Park is perfectly suited for this reptile and
unfortunately since most of the Park is grasslands these snakes fall prey
to birds, like the red tailed hawk, and even coyotes.
Ranging between 36 and 96 inches long, the gopher snake
has some special defense mechanisms to ward off predators. It tries to
intimidate predators by hissing and vibrating its tail. This
sounds an awful lot like a rattlesnake and when the gopher snake
flattens its head, it even appears more like the rattler.
Reptiles are cold blooded and are often times seen on the Park trails
and roads trying to warm their body temperatures. Do
not approach them and give them a wide berth when passing them.
When threatened they coil up and use those defense mechanisms we've
already covered, but they are non-venomous.
Gopher snakes are slow moving reptiles that will
investigate a burrow, wind its way through rocky slopes and even climb a
tree to find a meal. They kill their prey by constriction and
suffocation. These snakes eat other snakes, lizards, small rodents
and baby rabbits. Their sense of smell is one of their best hunting
tools.Though a lot of people think snakes are bad and should be killed, we
disagree. All snakes have a special role in the environment and if
there were no snakes in the Park, we would have an abundance of small
rodents like rats and mice. Snakes keep the rodent population in
check.
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CALIFORNIA KING SNAKE (Lampropeltis getula
californae)
A subspecies of the common king snake, the California king snake is
found throughout western North American, especially in Arizona,
California, Nevada and Oregon. This non-venomous snake usually has
dark brown or black base with white or cream colored markings. They
grow to an incredible length of five feet and can weigh as much as four
pounds. Similar to other snakes we've covered, the California king
snake eats small rodents, birds, lizards and other snakes. This
snake eats only when it is not shedding. Snakes shed when they are
about to outgrow their existing scales/body. An oily substance
covers their eyes to protect it during the process and reduces their
vision. So when a snake is shedding it has a difficult time
capturing prey. In this situation, the snakes are more vulnerable as
prey and therefore are more easily defensive. If you find a snake
that is shedding, give it some space and leave it along. Sometimes
you will find a snake shed along the trail and see the fine scales that
are covering the body. Remember to leave this in the Park, it too is
a resource that is protected.California king
snakes are named as such because they eat other snakes. This diet is
referred to as ophiofagus (snake-eating). Since they are resistant
to most of the venom of North American snakes they can even eat a
rattlesnake, as long as it is slightly smaller than they are in size.
This assumes they can catch and kill the snake first!
Though it often thought that snakes are rough or
sometimes slimy, that is false. Their body is covered with scales
that are like our finger nails in a sense, they are directional.
Meaning it doesn't hurt to bend our finger nail forward, but to bend it
backwards causes us pain. Snakes in general use smooth scales
underneath their body and these special scales help them navigate the
ground and are called scoots. Scoots propel the snake forward.
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WESTERN FENCE LIZARD (Sceloporus occidentalis)
One of the most common lizards you will find in the State Park is the
western fence lizard. Its neutral tones help camouflage it in the
brush. It is also known as a blue belly... when you view the
underside of this lizard its belly is literally blue! This lizard is found
throughout most of the western United States, but interestingly it is not
found in the deserts. Instead, it prefers coastal sage scrub and
chaparral habitats.
Western fence lizards average about three and half
inches in length, but grow to about 6 inches when you include the tail in
that measurement. The male version of this lizard has an
iridescent blue patch on its flank and scattered throughout its body.
Females have blue patches also, but they are much less noticeable.
These lizards eat insects and spiders. A common site is to see this
lizard on a fence, rock pile or path sunning themselves. Out in the
open like this, they fall prey to a hungry bird or snake. You may
even catch a glimpse of the lizard doing push ups -- this is a way to cool
the lizard off so that they have air flow between them and the hot ground.
Interestingly, the presence of the western fence
lizard in an ecosystem means the transmission of Lyme disease is
greatly diminished. Ticks feed on the blood of their victim and
in this case, the lizard ear is the best location for a bite.
The lizard's blood contains an antidote that kills the bacteria that
causes the disease. So again, even the smallest creature in the
Park has a role in our ecosystem. |
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WESTERN POND TURTLE (Clemmys marmorata)
Ironically, the western pond turtle rarely lives in ponds, instead it they
prefer creeks, streams, large rivers and especially slow moving water.
They also enjoy basking in the sun and you may see them on a rock warming
up. At the first sign of disturbance, the turtle will jump back into
the water for safety.
The diet of the pond turtle includes bugs, frogs, small
fish and plants. They are opportunistic omnivores, but can sometimes
become the meal of another animal. Their natural predators are
raccoons and coyotes, while small turtles can be the prey of bull frogs
(an introduced species) and birds of prey. Western pond turtles can
grow up to seven and half inches long and tend to breed in from mid to
late spring. Females lay a clutch of 11 eggs normally in soft soil
and near a pond. Adults only weigh about 1-2.4 pounds and their
coloring is black or brown on their carapace (upper shell), while their
plastron (under shell) is black and yellow.
Various factors have contributed to the decline
of the western pond turtle. For that reason the federal
government has listed it as an endangered species and the State of
California has listed it as a Species of Special Concern. In the
1980s pond turtles were a common sight in the Park, but now they are
few and far between. |
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