Snakes of the Mojave Desert

1. Snakes of the Mojave Desert Pathfinder 2011

2. Species • Red Racer • Desert Rosy Boa • Mojave Rattlesnake • Gopher Snake • Mojave Desert Sidewinder

3. Red Racer (Masticophis flagellum piceus)

4. Move very quickly Color Is most commonly Yellowish-Green (outside of California) Can be Red, Gray, or be Striped Often turn more reddish as they age Have large scales above eyes Very long Some specimens have been as long as 8.5 feet More commonly between 4 and 6 feet in length Distinguishing Characteristics

5. Up Close and Personal

6. Red Racer is their Pen-name • Yes, they are actually Red Coachwhips, but they are colloquially called Red Racers • Why coachwhip? Look at their tail! • But they move so fast you can’t usually see it… So Red Racer it is!

7. No! The Red Racer is Non-Venemous It is “considered harmless to humans” However, you should not corner or attempt to handle this snake: it is known to strike aggressively More Importantly, Will it Eat You?

8. If it is Non-Venemous, How Does it Hunt? • Relies on speed • Holds head high above ground • Prey is killed by force of strike or weight of the body • It does not, however, constrict it’s prey

9. What Does it Eat? • Small mammals • Birds • Bird Eggs • Lizards • Other Snakes • Frogs/Toads • Roadkill or Carrion

10. Like to climb Often found near rocks and small bushes Inhabits burrows Dislikes dense vegetation Desert Open grassland Sagebrush Sandy Rocky Thrives in drier environments Habitat

11. Range

12. Other Facts • Lays eggs at the end of spring • Eggs hatch in 50-65 days • Hatchlings are only a foot long at birth • Not currently endangered • Active During the Day

13. Desert Rosy Boa

14. Heavy-bodied Usually not longer than 3 feet Have a very small head Smooth scales Female is usually larger than the male Have three stripes running down their length One is dorsal The other two are lateral Stripes are dark (usually red) on a lighter (usually cream) background Characteristics

15. It is a boa, so it constricts its prey Non-venemous Very passive snake Generally does not strike (but don’t take your chances) Frequently kept as pets Eats Small Rodents Small Birds Amphibians Lizards Small Snakes How/What Does it Eat

16. Behavior • Active at dawn and dusk and temperate nights • During very hot or cold months, stays underground • Ground dweller • Sometimes rolls into a ball and hides head when threatened

17. Habitat and Range • Arid and semi-arid shrublands • Rocky deserts • Canyons • Really likes rocks

18. Breeding • Give birth to live young! • Young are born from October to November

19. Mojave Rattlesnake

20. Usually 18-40 inches Has a thick body with a thin neck and triangular head Large scales on head Greenish gray, tan, yellow, brown, or olive green (hence Mojave Greens) Heat pits on sides of head Elliptical pupils Light stripe from eye to corner of mouth Raised (keeled scales) What to Look For

21. What to Look/Listen For if You Don’t Want to Get Bit • A short, thick snake • A distinctive black, diamond-shaped pattern on the snake’s back • Listen: Can you hear a loud, frightening sort of rattle?

22. How to Get Bitten • Walk silently through the underbrush • Chase/corner a mojave rattlesnake • Stick your arm/leg/body/head into dark burrows, caves, or holes (or anywhere you can’t see) • Provoke a basking snake (poke it with a stick, etc.) • Walk around at night • Touch dead snakes (yes they still reflexively bite when dead!!!)

23. Are They Dangerous? • Yes. • Especially juveniles, as they are born without rattles (you can’t hear them) and they usually inject more venom

24. Primarily active at night Uses highly developed heat-sensing pits help locate mammals Hold rattle off ground when moving Strike at prey and draw back Follow prey by smell Wait for venom to do its work Can re-grow fangs if they break or are pulled out Behavior/Hunting Technique

25. That Said, What do They Eat? • Small mammals • Mice • Rats • Rabbits • Ground Squirrels • Occasionally • Toads • Lizards • Snakes

26. Habitat, Breeding, and Range • Grassland • Desert underbrush • Rocky slopes • Light chaparral • Bears live young from July to September

27. (Great Basin) Gopher Snake

28. Very keeled scales (rough) 2.5-7 feet long Most commonly under 5 feet Large rostral scale on snout Color Cream Black splotches down back Smaller splotches along sides Neck is pale in south and mottled in north Telltale Characteristics

29. Behavior • Active all the time • Good at climbing, burrowing, and swimming • Will puff up/flatten its body to appear larger and shake tail (produces a rattling sound in dry vegetation)

30. Constricts its prey Hunts underground (in burrows, etc.) Will squish prey against sides of burrow to kill Eats Small mammals Likes pocket gophers Birds Bird Eggs Lizards Insects Hunting

31. Range and Reproduction • Breed in the spring • Lays eggs from June to August • Young hatch two to three months later

32. Mojave Desert Sidewinder

33. It is a rattlesnake! It has a horn-like scale over each eye Keeled scales Thick, short snake Pits on the side of head for heat-sensing Has a rattle Distinctive sideways movement Wide range of colors Color is based off of snake’s habitat Dark blotches on back Cream, tan, brown, pink, or gray How to Distinguish From a Rattlesnake

34. Venemous? Horned Scales? • Yes, this is a type of rattlesnake • The horns are thought to bend down to protect the eyes when the snake goes underground

35. Ambushes prey by: Burying itself under loose sand Only head is exposed Near Kangaroo rat trails Behaves like a rattlesnake Moves by: Throws itself sideways Uses curves in body to push itself Leaves J-shaped imprints on the ground Imprints are ~45 degrees to direction of movement Hunting, Behavior, and Movement

36. Sidewinding

37. Diet, Habitat, and Range • Eats • Lizards when young • Increasing size of prey with snake -- up to small rodents (rats, ground squirrels) • Habitat • Really likes sandy areas with sparser vegetation

38. And Those, My Friends, Were the Mojave Desert Snakes • Just Remember: • Do not get bitten by a rattlesnake or the sidewinder • Watch where you’re stepping (sidewinders bury themselves!) • When it comes to holes: If you can’t see what’s in it, don’t stick anything in it. • Respect their space and they’ll respect you. Besides then you’ll live to tell a cool story!

39. If You Get Bitten… • Stay Calm • Call for Help • Try Not to Move (Especially large muscle groups, ie. walking) • Try to Stop any Bleeding at Strike Point • Tourniquet the Limb (if you can) • Remember What the Snake Looked Like • Call 911 -- You Need the Anti-Venom