While turning rocks and logs in the Santa Cruz Mountains, I came across a couple of these very interesting serpents.
California Night Snakes are a small species, usually about a foot long and pale grey, beige or light brown. They have brown paired blotches on their back and usually three dark blotches on the neck.
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.
Their fangs inject venom that subdues prey, but overall these snakes pose no threat to humans due to the location of their fangs and their weak venom. As their common name implies, California Night Snakes are primarily nocturnal.
When disturbed, a Night Snake may flatten its head, coil tightly, and vibrate the tail – appearing as a viper. However, it is a gentle species that is easily handled.
This reptile’s habitats include cliffs, talus slopes, grasslands, shrub savannas, shrublands, rivers and riparian wetlands. It tends to be found in found in hot dry areas of the western United States and British Columbia, Canada.
It was awesome to encounter these cool creatures on my visit to California.