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San Diego County Cache Critters


Team Gecko

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Friday, 30 January 2009

Since GCs are no longer allowed in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and virtual GCs are null and void, too, most of my cache critter encounters these days are associated with virtual TCs or simply while out hiking in the desert. Here is a sequence on my way up Bow Willow Canyon to reach and create a new TC near the Sombrero Peak Palms, a seldom visited pocket oasis high on the eastern flank of Sombrero Peak. At first I did not realize there were two different Banded Rock Lizards taking turns on these rocks. Look closely at the "pair" image to see the head of the second. They took turns going in and out of that crack. In the last image, I swear this one is smiling. You be the judge.

-GD

 

Banded Rock Lizard (Pterosaurus mearnsi)

8324014f-2480-4f54-8737-068029bef3ea.jpg

 

A pair of baskers

611cd9b2-7a43-49fc-a0ab-20462c3dc19c.jpg

 

Rock wall specialist

9cecaeb2-9062-4be0-929a-b08b96b3304a.jpg

 

Up and out

0915b004-4fa1-4877-a464-bffa373fe292.jpg

 

What a life

33659c80-2064-45e7-a303-93b7eb58dbf5.jpg

 

Is that a smile?

70834433-62a5-4c54-8230-46115b413cb3.jpg

Edited by Team Gecko
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I'm looking for some guidance in snake identification after a Close Encounter needing Laundry this morning.

 

I was in the Lake Jennings Park heading down the trail towards GC16M52 when I froze in my tracks. On the trail was a snake with colorings I'd not see before. I didn't have the camera on me so all I got was a poor cell phone photo from about 6 feet back.

 

My trail invader was about two feet long and uniform thickness all the way along. Head was sculpted like a whip snake but colorings is what stuck out. Light green almost mint colored and across the back were red oval shapes with white speckles around it. I thought it was a gag snake until it moved forward towards me.

 

I looked through this site but couldn't find anything close to what I saw. The closest I could find was the mountain kingsnake but my guy didn't have bands, definitely ovals.

 

Identification would be appreciated, thanks in advance.

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I'm looking for some guidance in snake identification after a Close Encounter needing Laundry this morning.

Without a photo, it can be hard to say...

 

Did it look something like this?

3376291716_66eea196c2.jpg

 

Is so, you might have seen a Shovel-nosed Snake. Other possibilities (which have a lot of variety in coloration) are the local gopher snakes and garter snakes.

Edited by Let's Look Over Thayer
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No white, my guy is almost uniformly green, no stripes or barbs across him, no stripes down the side.

Just the Xmas tablecloth look on top, red ovals lengthwise with white speckles.

I looked at my cell phone photo...that's not much help, colors all washed out.

 

SnakeInGrass2.jpg

 

Hmmm...don't really have a clue from the photo except this doesn't look like your typical long/skinny garter/racer/shovel-nose. Instead it has that short/fat (short being a relative term when speaking of snakes, of course) look of the genus crotalus (to which all the local rattlesnakes belong.)

 

Any chance it looked something like this?

 

Southern%20Pacific%20Rattlesnake024.jpg

 

If so, then it would be a Southern Pacific Rattlesnake.

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That looks like the markings but in the wrong coloring. When I saw this guy the oval markings were bright red almost red like this guy...

 

Lz_multifasciata.jpg

 

but the colorings don't match, and his head wasn't "flat".

 

Let's call it a Southern Pacific rattlesnake that was just as frightened to see me as I was him, he'll do his laundry, I'll do mine and hopefully we never meet again.

 

(After checking on the recommended snake) Oh great....venemous....potentially dangerous...heat seeking sensors on the side of it's head...holy crap...it's a terminator.

 

Just give me the good old Australian snake. Everything red or brown will kill you inside 8 minutes, none of this false identification or "check the barbs"...just 8 minutes.

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Jaredloser spotted this guy during the CITO cleanup --

 

5e8d2f70-9351-412f-8be8-46ba433a79e1.jpg

 

Betsy could care less - Even after rattlesnake awareness training

 

518945307_D722R-L.jpg

 

Now it looks like he wants to play

 

59610c62-0a08-4715-82c7-b552f7390215.jpg

 

Maybe Betsy needs a refesher course - What's that on the ground??

 

506772036_bCNgL-L.jpg

 

Wooo -- Did I just catch air?

 

506772113_YNYwy-L.jpg

 

Not going to that again ---

 

506772398_4f7zs-L.jpg

 

Nice to see that everyone can play together.

 

506772593_b85VW-L.jpg

Edited by SuperDave!
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Jaredloser spotted this guy during the CITO cleanup --

 

5e8d2f70-9351-412f-8be8-46ba433a79e1.jpg

 

Betsy could care less - Even after rattlesnake awareness training

 

518945307_D722R-L.jpg

 

Now it looks like he wants to play

 

59610c62-0a08-4715-82c7-b552f7390215.jpg

 

Maybe Betsy needs a refesher course - What's that on the ground??

 

506772036_bCNgL-L.jpg

 

Wooo -- Did I just catch air?

 

506772113_YNYwy-L.jpg

 

Not going to that again ---

 

506772398_4f7zs-L.jpg

 

Nice to see that everyone can play together.

 

506772593_b85VW-L.jpg

 

Wow! That CITO snake was much bigger than I thought, once it stretched itself out!

 

I guess the refresher course did the trick!

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After grabbing my morning java near GC1KTJX, I nearly fell over when I spotted a young Ara macao on a table top just outside the coffee house. The bird was so strikingly beautiful that I had to stop and take a picture! Oh, I also offered it a Cafe Americano ... but it just kinda looked at me funny. I dunno, maybe they only drink green tea? I'd better do some research just incase I run across another one: Scarlet Macaw

 

aaef2390-b21f-46cc-9dc9-3f9b54493926.jpg

 

c7c4cce9-d6cd-401b-9e3f-4401e5e180b5.jpg

 

dc4de40c-0d6c-4648-a813-cab64a0dbb03.jpg

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Found on the Hike N Cache trail, ~4pm, near "Curium" (GC1QKT9).

 

969ae338-d874-4fec-a162-8235b313f1ff.jpg

 

Can a herpetologist save me some Google time and ID this guy? Gopher snake?

 

Gonna go with "California Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula californiae)", final answer. :anibad:

 

Sorry, just finished watching Slumdog Millionaire... :laughing:

J&J&J

Edit to add link.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Kingsnake

Edited by John&Jess
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Found on the Hike N Cache trail, ~4pm, near "Curium" (GC1QKT9).

 

969ae338-d874-4fec-a162-8235b313f1ff.jpg

 

Can a herpetologist save me some Google time and ID this guy? Gopher snake?

 

Gonna go with "California Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula californiae)", final answer. :)

 

Sorry, just finished watching Slumdog Millionaire... :anitongue:

J&J&J

Edit to add link.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Kingsnake

 

Jaredloser says. "Cal coastal king with brown/yellow banding"

 

We have one in our living room - could be this ones brother, looks identical

 

Very gentle, easy to handle

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Found on the Hike N Cache trail, ~4pm, near "Curium" (GC1QKT9).

The symbol for medicine is the "Caduceus" which is a staff intertwined by a pair of snakes. Clearly, the medicinal value of snakes has been recognized for thousands of years...

 

So, if you were hiking with an ailing companion and you see a snake like this, you should be asking yourself "Will this snake curium?" Of course, if things go horribly, horribly wrong, the next question you'll be asking yourself is "Where are we going to barium?"

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I had to try to convince Harmony I wasn't as stupid as I seemed after I leaned against the electric fence. Even Harmony knew better that that and she was a day and a half old!

 

Watch for the soon to be published cache and check out Harmony before she grows up.

 

n1396655683_30369897_7758181.jpg

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I had to try to convince Harmony I wasn't as stupid as I seemed after I leaned against the electric fence. Even Harmony knew better that that and she was a day and a half old!

 

Watch for the soon to be published cache and check out Harmony before she grows up.

 

n1396655683_30369897_7758181.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

CONGRATULATIONS CAROL!!!! :)B)

 

What a cute filly, they're all legs! Thanks to wxsby for sharing her with everybody.

 

 

Splashette

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Say, if you animal lovers ever get bored then go to Amazon.com

and read the buyer reviews posted for "Three Wolf Moon T-shirt."

 

Hmmm. I wonder why ol' Harmon was looking at these shirts. :blink:

Yeah, go ahead and say what you're thinkin' Barrie ... "Harmon was raised by wolves."

Edited by SD Rowdies
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EAT or BE EATEN

 

Osprey, Mallard and Ducklings - San Diego Visitor Center next to Why? (GCZD4F)

 

ospreyl.jpg

 

seagulla.jpg

 

daffy.jpg

Daffy R.I.P.

 

Little Egret, Crabs, Green Heron MBP Black Box (GCHM46)

 

legretfood.jpg

 

crabm.jpg

 

arm.jpg

 

ghunt.jpg

 

83786352.jpg

 

Grasshoper next to Twin Peaks Cache I (GC8008)

 

twinhopper.jpg

 

While strolling Fiesta Island yesterday (GeoDogs Rock!), I was surprised to get a total sighting of seven Great Blue Herons. A couple were in the Least Tern nesting zone while the others flew past.

 

Today...

Great Blue Herons - San Diego River next to Bird Sanctuary Bug Drop (GC18Y9P)

 

sevenls.jpg

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Great photos travilita! Love the osprey and the green heron.

So many gb herons!

Thanks for sharing!

Jane

Yes indeed, some terrific camera work. Details please on your camera and lens.

 

8ae2cbc3-a3f8-4bee-ab4d-74119de0b8c5.jpg

 

05b2e5a0-082e-4ee4-a12f-082a55dad554.jpg

 

Here's some Photoshop work on those two prize shots.

Edited by SD Rowdies
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