SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS
I arrived on April 21st in the Golden State and stayed until April 30th. I found a nice variety of reptiles and amphibians, like this juvenile Pacific Gopher Snake.

Although they can grow seven feet in length, most adult Pacific Gopher Snakes that I find are about half that size. I tend to find them in habitats such as meadows, fields and agricultural farmland; they are seldom found in dense forests.

Western Fence Lizards have overlapping, pointed scales and are part of a large family of reptiles known as Spiny Lizards. They are also commonly called “swifts” because of their speed.

Western Yellowbelly Racers are slender and agile snakes. Adults are uniformly pale blue, bluish-green, olive-green, gray, or brown above. As you might expect, the belly is cream to bright yellow in color.

Southern Alligator Lizard - The common name “alligator lizard” is a reference to the fact that the back and belly scales of these lizards are reinforced by bone, as they are in alligators.

A Diablo Range Garter Snake that I found in Santa Clara County - like many other garter snakes, it has three yellow stripes on a dark background.

Pacific Hound's Tongue's flowers change color, perhaps telling pollinators whether a specific flower is worth visiting for pollen and nectar.

A young California Night Snake - these serpents are rear-fanged and slightly venomous. They use the fangs in the back of their mouth to latch onto their prey — typically lizards, frogs, salamanders and even small snakes.

Jerusalem Crickets spend most of their life underground. Their large, almost humanoid heads supports the necessary muscles that assist the jaws in digging in the soil and feeding on plant material.

This snake occurs in a narrow coastal strip from the southern part of California up until southern Oregon; hence the common name “Coast Garter Snake.”

Sierran Treefrog - the name “treefrog” is not entirely accurate. This frog is chiefly a ground-dweller, living among shrubs and grass typically near water, but occasionally it can also be found climbing high in vegetation.

Pacific Gopher Snakes range from cream to light brown and have dark blotches on their backs and smaller dark spots along their sides. Young examples (like this one) tend to be more boldly patterned than adults.

Western Fence Lizard - this lizard is conspicuous and common. It’s usually found on or near the ground, in rock and wood piles, tree trunks, and the lower branches of shrubs. And of course, basking on wooden fences.

Coast Garter Snakes are highly variable in appearance, with the colors between its yellow stripes brown or olive, with a pattern of dark spots, intermixed with a suffusion of red, orange or rust coloring.

Big millipede.