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Reptiles/Ratle snake?

Expert: Mick - 10/20/2006

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Sorry your question has not been answered sooner. I just joined the experts a few days ago, but I am an expert in Rattlesnakes for sure.

This is definitely not a rattlesnake, though this particular snake does a great rattlesnake imitation and looks in a few superficial ways like a rattlesnake to the lay person. This snake is commonly known in Ca. as a Gopher snake. In Texas we call them Bull snakes. The species is Pituophis catenifer and the subspecies is more than likely P.c. annectens, or P.c.pumilis if you found it in Malibu and it hitched a ride to the mainland on someone's boat from Santa Cruz.

Bull/Gopher snakes, like many non-venomous snakes in rattlesnake country, perform rattlesnake mimicry to fool potential predators and threats into believing it is a rattlesnake. Many will rattle their tail, which in the bushes or leaves can sound enough like a rattlesnake to maybe put off a predator long enough for them to escape. The Pituophis genus has a few extra rattlesnake tricks up it's sleeve though. It has a bisected flap of tissue over it's glottis, which flaps rapidly from side to side when it exhales forcibly, and it can exhale pretty forcibly. When it does so, this flap produces a rattle-like sound. In addition, they may also raise up and take on an "S" posture, and flatten their heads to look more like the shape of a rattlesnake's triangular and wider head. It's quite astounding. It is close enough to the sound and look of a real rattler that some of them have fooled me for a second when I first stumble upon them at night.

It is important to note though, that in Ca. these snakes are protected. Though it has been some time since you asked, and I do not know whether this snake is still alive, I would urge you to not pick up any more. Catching and keeping animals from the wild is very much frowned upon by many in the herp community, especially in California where many of them are illegal to pick up and take home without permit.

http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/snakes.html

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Mick

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NO PRIVATE QUESTIONS! YOUR QUESTION WILL BE REJECTED IF YOU DO NOT PROVIDE THE INFO REQUESTED IN THE INSTRUCTIONS!. I can answer questions related reptile husbandry, field ID (esp. in Texas and the SW), legal aspects, and intermediate-advanced level medical care. I am the director of Wichita Falls Reptile Rescue (TX), a founding member of The Society for Horned Lizard Preservation, a member of the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Assoc, and a subscriber to the International Veterinary Information Service. I do most of my own veterinary care in-house, including minor surgery and necropsy. I am most experienced in Chelonia with box turtles and common smaller tortoises; and in Squamata with everything from Anoles, Geckos, Beardies, and Monitors, to venomous snakes. I am most known for my expertise with horned lizards (Phrynosoma). With snakes, my primary expertise is in Crotalids (rattlesnakes), but I can answer a broad range of questions about various species. I am not aware of any reptile related question that I would not be able to provide some reasonable answer for. I have a direct style and may tell you something you did not want to hear; but the welfare of the animal comes FIRST with me, and I will always reflect that position in my answer, despite how it might make you feel.

Experience

I am a non-academic herpetologist with 25 years experience with reptiles. I am a reptile rescuer, rehabilitator, and subscriber to the International Veterinary Information Service. I have medical and scientific resources available, and I perform in house reptile veterinary care for my rescues. I am not a vet, but I read from the same materials and have had to correct a few in the past. The average vet is not well versed with reptile physiology and medical treatments.

I am currently the caretaker of 11 Horned Lizards, 22 Box Turtles, 30 aquatic turtles, 7 fire Bellied Toads, 3 Green Iguanas, 1 Spiny Lizard, 1 Bullsnake, 20 Eastern Ratsnakes, 1 Albino Great Plains Ratsnake, 1 Massasauga Rattlesnake, 1 Leopard Gecko, 8 Fox Squirrels, 7 Deer Mice, 2 Hispid Pocket Mice, 4 Merriam's Pocket Mice, 1 Cotton-Tail, 1 Former racing pigeon, and 1 Budgie. Previously: Leopard Geckos, Golden Gecko, African White-Spotted Wall Gecko, Mediterranean Geckos, Bahama Anoles, Ca. Kingsnake, Brazilian Rainbow Boa, Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes, Gartersnakes, Long-Nosed Snakes, Russian Tortoise, Savannah Monitor, Chinese Water Dragons, Bearded Dragons, Jeweled Curly-Tailed Lizards, Long-Tailed Grass Lizards, Asian Forest Scorpions, and Eastern Cotton-tail rabbits.

Organizations

Co-Founder: Wichita Falls Reptile Rescue http://wichitafallsreptilerescue.webs.com

Founder: Horned Lizards YahooGroup http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hornedlizards

Member: National Wildlife Rehabilitators Assoc.

Founding Member: The Society for Horned Lizard Preservation

Publications
The Horned Lizard Husbandry Manual - self published 60+ pages of care information on genus Phrynosoma.

Wikipedia entry "Horned Lizards" - contributed to a majority of the content.

allexperts.com, and various reptile related forums and email lists under the handles "fireside3" and PhrynosomaTexas".

Education/Credentials
My hands-on field and husbandry experience beats a PhD any day of the week.

Past/Present Clients

I was requested to provide my care manual on the Desert Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma platyrhinos), for the Montreal zoo. My manual is also used by several other zoological institutions in N. America.

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