SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
On the following day I headed to Santa Cruz County and found this California Striped Racer.

It was a great find, but there were many more creatures to be encountered.

California Firefly - they do not luminesce.

Ponderosa Pine.

Coastal California Mountain Kingsnake.

Snail-eating Beetle.

Pacific Gopher Snake.

Northern Alligator Lizard.

A Northern Pacific Rattlesnake that looks like it ate something quite large.

Sign of the times.

A Coast Garter Snake sporting a lot of red.

I decided to check out what was going on near the ocean.

A Fence Lizard doing what it does best - hanging out on a fence.

Rufous-sided Towhee.

San Francisco Garter Snake.

Sleepy Elephant Seals.

Sourgrass (aka Bermuda Buttercup).