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Wildlife Spotting

Photo by DarleneKBoggs
Published on Project Noah
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45.7424, -119.196

Field Notes

Description:

Appears to be a juvenile snake. Found sunning on blacktop path to Oregon Trail ruts near Echo, OR. It was totally still & I thought it was dead until we saw it's tounge flicker a couple of times. It was still motionless when we left after watcheing & photographing for several minuites

Habitat:

Sandy soil, sagebrush plain, dry & hot even at 10:30 AM/

Species ID Suggestions

Bull or gopher snake
AnaChristine
1

Comments (9)
Jellis
The part about the dark mask. That may come and go with the shedding. If you look at the Pacific in one picture the dark is there too. Though the Great Basin goes as far north as WA, the Pacific is most common. Still trying to see the difference but it is tough
Jellis
Pacific Gopher Snake (Pituophis catenifer catenifer)
DarleneKBoggs
Thanks Shelly & Kristal. I think it looks more like the Great Basin gopher snake, that one shows more of the black mask & is a bit lighter in color like this one. Glad to finally have an ID on this little critter!
KristalWatrous
... and here's a good link for Oregon reptiles: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/species/reptiles/index.asp.
KristalWatrous
Looks like a Pacific Gopher Snake (Pituophis catenifer catenifer): http://www.californiaherps.com/noncal/northwest/nwsnakes/pages/p.c.catenifer.html.
Michelle Parish
http://www.californiaherps.com/noncal/northwest/nwsnakes/nwsnakes.html Last link didn't work! This is it.
Michelle Parish
Hi, Mom! Check this one out... not sure, but may be one of these! http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/pages/h.t.deserticola.html Also, here is a great site to ID Western snakes!
DarleneKBoggs
I haven't been able to find an identy for this snake in my books or online. Any ideas, anyone?
Photographed
PublishedSeptember 24, 2011

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