BajaNomad - Baja reptile photos

Baja reptile photos

ursidae69 - 9-8-2005 at 10:02 AM

Have any good Baja reptile photos?

Here are some I really like I've taken the past few years.

Baja California coachwhip (Masticophis fuliginosus)
A snake that likes to bite when you catch it!

Red diamond rattlesnake (Crotalus ruber)
The most laid back rattlesnake I think.

Southern Pacific rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis helleri)
A very not laid back rattlesnake.

Rosy boa (Lichanura trivirgata)
They never bite and are nice as ever.

Cincodemayo - 9-8-2005 at 10:04 AM

Great attorney photos!

ursidae69 - 9-8-2005 at 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Cincodemayo
Great attorney photos!

Hah! Agreed! :spingrin:

rpleger - 9-8-2005 at 10:08 AM

Great fotos.....................

Thank you very much

ursidae69 - 9-8-2005 at 10:16 AM

How about some lizards!

Desert spiny lizard (Sceloporus magister)

Desert iguanas (Dipsosaurus dorsalis)

Chuckwalla (Sauromalus obesus)

Spiny chuckwalla (Sauromalus hispidus)
The larger spiny cousin found on the islands in BOLA.

Paulina - 9-8-2005 at 10:18 AM

Here's a few from my files, although not as professional as yours!

Paulina - 9-8-2005 at 10:19 AM

Because I don't know how to attach multiple photos on one post, I'll have to do them seperately. This one was found in the road kill position.

ursidae69 - 9-8-2005 at 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Paulina
Because I don't know how to attach multiple photos on one post, I'll have to do them seperately. This one was found in the road kill position.

That's scary! They can still bite after they've been hit, watch that exposed foot! I use a stick to hold them down when I am doing that or killing them. Cool photos! :cool:

Paulina - 9-8-2005 at 10:24 AM

This is a "Pickled Snake", a snake of a different nature. I don't know how it ended up in a giant jar of Tequila, I guess one would have to ask Chuy at Gordo's. I try to stay away from the stuff.

What it this one por favor

bajajudy - 9-8-2005 at 01:19 PM

Hey mudbath man...what are these to follow:

And this one

bajajudy - 9-8-2005 at 01:20 PM

and....

bajajudy - 9-8-2005 at 01:20 PM

Lizards & such

zforbes - 9-8-2005 at 01:45 PM

I really enjoy the pictures everyone posts, because they remind me of the wild nature of Baja that I like so much. For some reason, the lizards especially appeal to me. I know I'm projecting human characteristics on them, but they seem very wise to me, probably because they keep their mouths shut unless they are doing something useful with them. I feel like they know some serious secrets, and with sufficient patience on my part, they may reveal something important and meaningful. Will I recognize the message when it appears? As I mentioned earlier, I like hanging in the company of lizards. Thanks for sharing your pictures. Zoe

ursidae69 - 9-8-2005 at 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajajudy
Hey mudbath man...what are these to follow:

The green one might be a pet, I've not seen green iguanas in Baja before. The next two are spiny tailed iguanas of the genus Ctenosaura. Great photos! Not been far enough south to see those yet.

Zebratail

tehag - 9-8-2005 at 04:51 PM

Loreto BCS. Zebratail male, I think.

Yellow rat snake

tehag - 9-8-2005 at 04:53 PM

Loreto, BCS. Yellow rat snake, I think.

Informed by ursidae69 that this is a coachwhip. Verified that it is indeed a Baja California coachwhip.

[Edited on 9-10-2005 by tehag]

Mexican rat snake

tehag - 9-8-2005 at 04:55 PM

Loreto, BCS. Mexican rat snake.

Paulina - 9-8-2005 at 05:52 PM

The rattler in the photo with my foot on it was very dead, and we were careful to remove the head. We burried the head and left the body for the Turkey Vultures.

When I was a kid, I remember a boyscout putting a rattlesnake head in his pocket as a keepsake. We were given the lecture on snake safety as the ambulance was taking the boy away.

Coachwhip, San Gregorio (SE of San Borja)

David K - 9-8-2005 at 07:31 PM

Red Diamondback, Mision Santa Maria

David K - 9-8-2005 at 07:37 PM

Another, south of L.A. Bay

David K - 9-8-2005 at 07:39 PM

I think Sarah has been watching too much Steve Irwin (Crocadile Hunter)!

Baja Calif. Rattlesnake, Montevideo

David K - 9-8-2005 at 07:42 PM

April is THE month for rattlesnake discoveries! We met three on the one trip (4/03).

Red Diamonback, Parral Canyon (4/04)

David K - 9-8-2005 at 07:44 PM

April, the next year...!!!

ursidae69 - 9-9-2005 at 11:23 AM

tehag, the first snake is a coachwhip and the second is a bullsnake. Do they call them rat snakes in Baja?

Skipjack Joe - 9-9-2005 at 02:03 PM

ursidae96,

Those are some really great lizard shots. Especially the one of the desert spiny lizard! You didn't take those shots with a point and click camera did you? Was a zoom lens used for those rattlesnake photos?

Skipjack

[Edited on 9-9-2005 by Skipjack Joe]

ursidae69 - 9-9-2005 at 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Skipjack Joe
ursidae96,

Those are some really great lizard shots. Especially the one of the desert spiny lizard! You didn't take those shots with a point and click camera did you? Was a zoom lens used for those rattlesnake photos?

Skipjack

[Edited on 9-9-2005 by Skipjack Joe]

The lizard shots were with my friend's Canon SLR digital. The red diamond rattler's photo was taken with a Sony Mavica CD digital camera and the southern pacific rattler was taken with my 35 mm SLR and scanned in. No telephotos with the rattlers, just kept a safe distance, just outside strike range, and I have a buddy standing by with snake tongs to keep me safe for 'in situ' photos.

I love that desert spiny lizard too, he looks so damn cool and the breeding colors are magnificant, the reds, the yellows... :spingrin:

Skipjack Joe - 9-9-2005 at 05:46 PM

I once came across a large rattler on the highway and tried to photograph him so that he would fill up the entire view field. I had a 50mm lens and I had to get so close. I figured he had enough coil in him to reach me from that distance. But that red diamond rattler (which was the same species as I encountered) seems really close. That's why I asked.

Those rattlers are really agressive. Mine was completely stretched out when I encountered him. Well, I figured he couldn't strike at me because he wasn't coiled. So, I grabbed his tail to see what would happen. Well, he turned around and started after me on the pavement. I had to move fast to avoid being bitten. Now maybe that move was meant to scare me because he eventually slithered into the brush, coiled up, and rattled. I waited until the rattles stopped rattling. But every time I moved the camera they'd start up again. Wonderful memory now, 20 years later.

Skipjack

Spikey, slow learners

oladulce - 9-10-2005 at 01:08 AM

It's always fun to find these guys in the yard, especially the little ones.

But haven't had much success at teaching them tricks.

The squarecircle - 9-10-2005 at 01:49 AM

Greetings; >>>>>> Much appreciated all of those herpetological pictures especially the big red rattler. What a beautiful creature. He seemed to be quite calm and content. Keep 'em coming. Got to love them all. >>>>> Best Regards, sq.

bufeo - 9-10-2005 at 09:14 PM

Hey Bear, thanks for starting this thread. (flywgn on another channel.)

Those are some great pix and extremely informative. I'll have to be more attentive with my camera around Pta B from now on. The day after you stopped in on your last visit we found a very green reptile cum rattles over near the east point. It was not in a hurry to leave its lair and I had plenty of time to get a camera. Couldn't find a suitable photo of anything like it in our reference books.

Another chuckwalla

gringorio - 9-11-2005 at 06:14 AM

I took this on our spring break trip in 2004 on Isla Ventana...

Great topic... Thanks Ursidae!

Island chuckwallas

gringorio - 9-11-2005 at 06:24 AM

Herer's another shot. Given the barren appearance of many Gulf islands I was surprised to see how large the chuckwallas were - what is their primary food source? Cactus and cactus fruits? This one approached 2' long...

I posted this a while back, but...

vgabndo - 9-11-2005 at 02:47 PM

This is such an unusually BAJA thread, I'm going to un-lurk!
I believe it is a Variable, or Banded, Sand Snake. About 7" long. In the arroyo at San Nicolas BCS. Common.

David K - 9-11-2005 at 11:30 PM

Perry, is that the same photo as the one you sent me long ago? I remember a pretty good snake picture in your San Nicolas web page! Do you have the one of the racoons in the pila still? Great stuff!

ursidae69 - 9-12-2005 at 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bufeo
Hey Bear, thanks for starting this thread. (flywgn on another channel.)

Those are some great pix and extremely informative. I'll have to be more attentive with my camera around Pta B from now on. The day after you stopped in on your last visit we found a very green reptile cum rattles over near the east point. It was not in a hurry to leave its lair and I had plenty of time to get a camera. Couldn't find a suitable photo of anything like it in our reference books.

Hola bufeo, I look forward to the next time we can sit down and chat. We'll have to dig up pictures of this critter you found if you have them! :cool:

Gringorio: I looked up the diet in Grismer et al. and he states the following for the island chuckwallas.

Quote:

Sylber (1988) determined that S. hispidus is a strict herbivore that prefers flowers over all other parts of the plants and will seek them out before eating seeds and leaves. He reports that shrubs and forbs make up the most significant part of its diet. Cacti and grasses are also eaten but apparently not preferred.

Regarding your comment on the size from the same text:

Quote:

Case (1982) and Petron and Case (1997) believe that the large size of S. varius and S. hispidus is a phenomenon of insular gigantism selcted for by a lack of predators and a seasonlly abundant food supply.

vgabndo: Great photo of the sand snake, I've only found roadkill. I'd love to find a live one someday! Very cool!

oladulce: Nice horned lizard, I'll find some of those pics I have too!

ursidae69 - 9-12-2005 at 08:57 AM

Horned lizard near Catavina. Phrynosoma coronatum

A great photo of a banded rock lizard Petrosaurus repens

This shot I love, it was taken with my friend's Canon digital SLR. The lizards tend to hold still like this and let us take nice close-ups after we've held them for a while. The hard part is noosing them!

Thanks for all the great comments form everyone, this has turned into a hella-fun thread! :coolup:

bajajudy - 9-12-2005 at 09:24 AM

Way cool
And he even let you hold his hand

bajataco - 9-12-2005 at 11:19 AM

Wow - excellent thread! Gorgeous photos. :cool:

zforbes - 9-13-2005 at 11:58 AM

Ursidae69...I am not a scientist, just an interested lay person, so forgive my rather simple question...do horned lizards come in different types? The reason I ask is that I used to catch them as a kid in Southern CA, and I'm wondering if they would have been the same kind of horned lizard that you are showing from near Catavina? (We called them "horny toads" among ourselves, but I can see some folks grinning about that one, so now I know better. Thanks, Zoe
Edited to add: I like the picture of the horned lizard so much that he is going to be my screen saver for a while. I'll enjoy people's startled reactions when he flashes up on the screen. :lol:

[Edited on 9-13-2005 by zforbes]

ursidae69 - 9-13-2005 at 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by zforbes
Ursidae69...I am not a scientist, just an interested lay person, so forgive my rather simple question...do horned lizards come in different types? The reason I ask is that I used to catch them as a kid in Southern CA, and I'm wondering if they would have been the same kind of horned lizard that you are showing from near Catavina? (We called them "horny toads" among ourselves, but I can see some folks grinning about that one, so now I know better. Thanks, Zoe
Edited to add: I like the picture of the horned lizard so much that he is going to be my screen saver for a while. I'll enjoy people's startled reactions when he flashes up on the screen. :lol:

[Edited on 9-13-2005 by zforbes]

I've called them horny toads my whole life too! :tumble:

As far as my texts go, there are 14 recognized species of horned lizards in North America. That number may not reflect the newest research, as more work is done into the genetics of these guys things may change. Some herpetologists break them up further into subspecies based on geographical variation. I'm more of a lumper not a splitter myself.

[Edited on 9-13-2005 by ursidae69]

bajajudy - 9-13-2005 at 01:25 PM

Zoe
He/she is my wallpaper too. On a 19" screen, he/she is indeed scary.

Osprey - 9-13-2005 at 04:46 PM

Flowers? Again?

I'm old. I am not under oath. Don't press me on this. I do not remember where, when or how I learned about hypnotizing lizards. It could have been that one of the dirty-faced, shoeless members of my rag-tag platoon of future Florida "crackers" showed me or told me about this strange ritual. We spent every daylight hour exploring a swampy part of Broward County near our homes and we brushed up against more than our share of lizards, newts, "gators", turtles and snakes. I also got a chance, a time or two, to visit the tourist traps known as "Alligator Farms". At these rustic amusement centers, along the Tamiami Trail, "Alligator Alley ", I stood, with a little less amazement than the crowds of bug-bitten yokels ooing and gasping while some hungover, potbellied, sweaty Seminole Indian (or deranged Cubano) turned the toothy alligators on their backs, rubbed their shiny tummies and sent them to temporary dreamland. Even then I knew that the tummy rubbing was just for show.
It is a very old trick. Reptiles that spend most of their lives horizontal have little protective bone, muscle or tissue between the part of the brain directly behind and above the eyes, and the bony structure above.
If the animal is turned upside-down and pressure is applied to that sensitive spot, the simple and primitive portion of the brain which controls motor nerves, the reptile is incapable of movement. Respiration continues but is slowed as in aestivation. The eyes close but it cannot be said that "the animal is asleep"... it is simply unable to move. Obviously the trick works better with animals who spend most of their time on the ground or in a horizontal mode. Chameleons, anoles, live in tropical plants and eat, mate and scamper about on every surface of all the parts of the plants. The trick works least on these kinds of animals, able to walk about on the underside of things.
On a priceless, one-of-a-kind day, aboard a real yacht, slowly sightseeing the marinas around Newport Beach, California, I spotted a sleek sailing yacht. The name of this teakwood beauty, gold-leafed across the stern was "Comfortably Numb". I could imagine two or three old gentlemen, leathery skin and sun bleached hair, sitting comfortably on white canvas deck chairs on the afterdeck/salon/sun bridge/weather bridge (depending on the wind, temperature and humidity that hour), cold "Boodles" in hand, watching the sun go where suns have always gone, -- down (below the yardarm); becoming comfortably numb. The stuff retirement dreams are made of.
Retirement plopped me down on latitude 23N, right on the Tropic of Cancer in Mexico where I am very seldom numb but nearly always comfortable.
I am also surrounded by reptiles very like the ones I encountered in Florida.
Just a few days ago, jeeping near the beach with one of my Mexican pals, Luis, I spotted and captured a very large Iguana. It was curiously different from any I had seen before. This animal was over a foot long and weighed almost two pounds. After we noted its spiny tail and fat, smooth body I showed Luis my lizard trick.

The pressure on the brain worked its magic and the iguana's eyes closed, his breathing slowed noticeable and he lay unmoving in Luis' hands. After a few minutes I put the lizard on the ground and we waited for it to regain its full capacities. In less than a minute he scurried off into the brush, none the worse for the experience. Luis queried me about the lizard not being harmed by the experiment and I explained, in my best Spanglish, that, although I had never witnessed a lizard flopping on his back to press his little head on a rock or stick for "juegos o diversi?n" as they say, I did not think they were adversely effected in any measurable way. Now that I think about it, this Iguana got a break in what normally passes for a life of, find a flower, eat it, poop. Do it again. (most land iguanas are herbivores)
Retirement is not all tea and crumpets. While I have captured the core of the business, returning to all the things I did when I was ten years old, this life of leisure has a downside.
With no income, save good ole Social Security, one must watch one's pennies. The day might come when I have no more money for booze. Calls for a little planning. For some time now I have been training myself to sleep on my stomach. The plan is devilishly simple -- over time I may lower my brain that silly millimeter necessary for the lizard trick. Without a dram of gin in the house, just before dinner, my wife Lynda can roll me on my back, a little pressure under the chin, my brain presses against my brain pan and I'll be "Comfortably Numb". Dreams come true. There is a God (even for lizards). I can only hope that occasionally she will (for old time's sake) rub my tummy.

Eli - 9-13-2005 at 05:29 PM

Osprey, ya did it again, left me chuckling with the ironey of your humor. Dad would have loved that one, wouldn't he?

Osprey

zforbes - 9-13-2005 at 05:32 PM

I don't see how your wife could possibly want to miss rubbing your tummy when you tell such good stories.

bajajudy - 9-13-2005 at 05:41 PM

Good one, Osprey

Do you remember the stuffed gators they used to sell up and down all the Florida highways. When you turned them over there was, what could have passed for an open heart surgery scar, on their bellies. My daddy always told me that was where they had rubbed the gator to put him to sleep before the killed him. For reasons known only to a child, that seemed like a good idea.

Natalie Ann - 9-13-2005 at 08:48 PM

Wow! This is quite the thread - outstanding photos and stories... my personal thank you to each and every contributor. I'm thoroughly enjoying it all. :yes:

oladulce - 9-14-2005 at 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ursidae69

I've called them horny toads my whole life too!

I just name all of the ones I find in the garden "Pino".

"Es-pina" for their spines, but they look like boys to me which would make them "Es-Pino".

Pino

zforbes - 9-14-2005 at 12:56 PM

Yes, they do look like boys, don't they! That's probably why they did not like being dressed in ribbons as I would do. In retrospect, I was not really a very good thing to happen to those poor horny toads.

Sharksbaja - 9-14-2005 at 01:13 PM

You know a master has spoken.......when you find yourself believing all these great stories. I sure do! I am confounded by you Osprey! Thanks! :biggrin:

One of the best "eye-candy" posts I've ever read!

Cincodemayo - 9-14-2005 at 01:28 PM

Here's one of the lowest reptiles around....forked tongue and all.

ursidae69 - 9-14-2005 at 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Cincodemayo
Here's one of the lowest reptiles around....forked tongue and all.

Reptile for sure, but is he from Baja????

Cincodemayo - 9-14-2005 at 01:39 PM

Ursidae....Not thinkin so but he sure slithered around LA a long time. He could have been hiding under a rock somewhere on the peninsula... :wow:

Osprey - 9-14-2005 at 01:41 PM

All around the southland here Mexicans I know believe the horned lizard has poison it can spit from its eyes. They also kill every one they see since it is believed one near a home where a pregnant woman abides will render her mammaries dry and she will be unable to feed her babies.

curiouser and curiouser

zforbes - 9-14-2005 at 01:54 PM

So, do you know...or does anyone...DO the horny toads secrete a liquid from the eye? I don't remember that happening. Maybe I was just lucky.

ursidae69 - 9-14-2005 at 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by zforbes
So, do you know...or does anyone...DO the horny toads secrete a liquid from the eye? I don't remember that happening. Maybe I was just lucky.

Yes, they do squirt blood from their eyes, but it is harmless. They do it when they feel threatened by a predator. Too bad they are killed for the wrong reason, they actually eat a lot of ants and are really good lil critters!

Here is a cool link with tons of info on horned lizards!

Ursidae69: Thank you so much for posting that link

zforbes - 9-14-2005 at 02:42 PM

I appreciate your doing the homework to find it

bajajudy - 9-14-2005 at 02:56 PM

Wow
Someone should make a movie with all the different horned lizards in some sort of territorial war. Wouldnt they make great sci fi characters.
I have never seen one here. Will definitely be on the lookout though from now on.

[Edited on 9-14-2005 by bajajudy]

El Jefe - 9-14-2005 at 03:15 PM

Horny toad.
When I was a kid in Redondo Beach I found a horny toad out in the field near our house. I captured it and made a little home for it in a cardboard box. I threw in some dirt, a few rocks and some lettuce (I had no idea what he ate) and put the box on the kitchen floor.
My mom was not happy about having that lizard in the house, but she tolerated my experiment, Boys will be boys.
The next morning I checked in the box only to find that my new friend was gone! I didn't want Mom to find out that there was a horned lizard loose in the house, but she knew right away that something was up. Moms know all.
Soon the word was out and the whole family was put to work looking under every piece of furniture for the wayward creature. And I was in the doghouse, big time. The mere thought of having that lizard creeping around the house had Mom in a tizzy.
We didn't find the horny toad so Mom told me in no uncertain terms to get rid of the damn cardboard box. I took the box out to the back yard by the trash cans to dump the dirt. Lo and behold, as the dirt came out, so did my little buddy. He had burrowed under the dirt and was there all the time.
Although the good news at least got me back in the big house again, that was the end of my lizard catching days.

Sharksbaja - 9-14-2005 at 03:43 PM

Jefe,
When I lived in Manhatten Beach as a kid we used go over to the fieldsa above the El Segundo power plant and catch em by the boxfull. Small world. I'll bet they're all gone now. (sniff)

Not exactly a Baja reptile but in the right direction

Ken Bondy - 9-14-2005 at 07:52 PM

Ken

zforbes - 9-14-2005 at 08:00 PM

My gosh, it looks like a Thai dragon! Where and what? I was just thinking about you and your underwater photos. I can imagine myself climbing around rocks, but underwater adventures are a little more intimidating, so I rely on others to feed my curiousity. Thanks. Zoe

Iguana

comitan - 9-15-2005 at 09:16 AM

This is one of our backyard neighbors.

Iguanas

zforbes - 9-15-2005 at 09:57 AM

As a kid, my brother Frank had an iguana that was allowed free reign of the backyard and pool as long as someone was outside to watch him. Unfortunately, the iquana escaped to somewhere else one afternoon. My brother searched high and low with no luck. Nights can be chilly in Southern California, and the iquana would become immobile until sunrise, so Frank went to bed that night without the iguana. As the sun rose the next day and people began their morning activities, we heard the scream of a nearby neighbor. Yes, the iguana was slowly moving up a branch of an orange tree, scaring the neighbor, but alerting my brother to the location of his pet. That's my iguana story.

bajajudy - 9-15-2005 at 02:34 PM

Mudbath man
I went back and checked and the photo of the really green lizard was taken in my yard.
Any ideas on that?

ursidae69 - 9-15-2005 at 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajajudy
Mudbath man
I went back and checked and the photo of the really green lizard was taken in my yard.
Any ideas on that?

Who is mudbathman? :?:

The green one is likely introduced.

[Edited on 9-15-2005 by ursidae69]

bajajudy - 9-16-2005 at 06:49 AM

Sorry, I thought that I saw a post on the off topic where someone accused you of taking mud baths?
I have been wrong before.

Viva Lizards

Osprey - 9-16-2005 at 03:52 PM

Judy, the vivid green lizard is a juvenile spiny-tailed iguana

ursidae69 - 9-16-2005 at 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Osprey
Judy, the vivid green lizard is a juvenile spiny-tailed iguana

Cool, I didn't know they were green as juveniles! This board is great, lots of smart folks! I've still not found the dark or green ones yet! I got work to do! :cool:

Ken Bondy - 9-16-2005 at 04:56 PM

zforbes
It's a marine iguana from the Galapagos. He was in a tidepool. I made the photograph lying flat on my stomach, kind of slithering up as close as I could get without spooking him (her?).
++Ken++

iguana shot

Skipjack Joe - 9-16-2005 at 05:14 PM

Mr Bondy,

That's one great picture. It's like my greatest nightmare. Amazing really. With the out of focus quality and the darkness it looks absolutely diabolical. Something just hellish. It's amazing how a camera can distort reality.

I bet you didn't know the final result would look like that.

Skipjack
(Bond's the name...Ken Bond)

Ken Bondy - 9-16-2005 at 05:19 PM

Skipjack Joe

Thanks! No, I knew he was weird looking but I had no idea how bizarre a head-on shot would be. I intentionally used a relatively large aperture to blur the background and got lucky with the point of focus right on his eye.

++Ken++

Skipjack Joe - 9-16-2005 at 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Osprey
All around the southland here Mexicans I know believe the horned lizard has poison it can spit from its eyes. They also kill every one they see since it is believed one near a home where a pregnant woman abides will render her mammaries dry and she will be unable to feed her babies.

Thanks for the explanation, Osprey,

I've always like these folk beliefs (sorry I don't have the right words).

The people from my mother's village all believed that a shark had to turn belly up before it could attack you. That's because the mouth is on the underside of the animal. I was told this to be true as a child.

My father, on the other hand (he's 97 now) told me that none of the villagers in this place in Montenegro knew how to swim. They all believed that a giant ram lived underwater in the local lake and would pull down anyone who tried to swim across it.

There is something missing when you know everything, or it can all be explained with science. Don't you think?

Skipjack