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Chino Hills State Park:
resources:
fauna: reptiles
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GOPHER SNAKE (Pituophis catenifer)
Like a lot of the other snakes we cover in this website the gopher
snake has a wide range of habitats that it is found in. These
habitats include: desert flats, coastal dunes and coniferous forests, but
the preferred habitats of this snake are grasslands and open brush areas.
Therefore the State Park is perfectly suited for this reptile and
unfortunately since most of the Park is grasslands these snakes fall prey
to birds, like the red tailed hawk, and even coyotes.
Ranging between 36 and 96 inches long, the gopher snake
has some special defense mechanisms to ward off predators. It tries to
intimidate predators by hissing and vibrating its tail. This
sounds an awful lot like a rattlesnake and when the gopher snake
flattens its head, it even appears more like the rattler.
Reptiles are cold blooded and are often times seen on the Park trails
and roads trying to warm their body temperatures. Do
not approach them and give them a wide berth when passing them.
When threatened they coil up and use those defense mechanisms we've
already covered, but they are non-venomous.
Gopher snakes are slow moving reptiles that will
investigate a burrow, wind its way through rocky slopes and even climb a
tree to find a meal. They kill their prey by constriction and
suffocation. These snakes eat other snakes, lizards, small rodents
and baby rabbits. Their sense of smell is one of their best hunting
tools.Though a lot of people think snakes are bad and should be killed, we
disagree. All snakes have a special role in the environment and if
there were no snakes in the Park, we would have an abundance of small
rodents like rats and mice. Snakes keep the rodent population in
check.
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WESTERN FENCE LIZARD (Sceloporus occidentalis)
One of the most common lizards you will find in the State Park is the
western fence lizard. Its neutral tones help camouflage it in the
brush. It is also known as a blue belly... when you view the
underside of this lizard its belly is literally blue! This lizard is found
throughout most of the western United States, but interestingly it is not
found in the deserts. Instead, it prefers coastal sage scrub and
chaparral habitats.
Western fence lizards average about three and half
inches in length, but grow to about 6 inches when you include the tail in
that measurement. The male version of this lizard has an
iridescent blue patch on its flank and scattered throughout its body.
Females have blue patches also, but they are much less noticeable.
These lizards eat insects and spiders. A common site is to see this
lizard on a fence, rock pile or path sunning themselves. Out in the
open like this, they fall prey to a hungry bird or snake. You may
even catch a glimpse of the lizard doing push ups -- this is a way to cool
the lizard off so that they have air flow between them and the hot ground.
Interestingly, the presence of the western fence
lizard in an ecosystem means the transmission of Lyme disease is
greatly diminished. Ticks feed on the blood of their victim and
in this case, the lizard ear is the best location for a bite.
The lizard's blood contains an antidote that kills the bacteria that
causes the disease. So again, even the smallest creature in the
Park has a role in our ecosystem. |
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