The dark bands continue around onto the underside.įorest, woodland, chaparral, grassland, wetlands, agricultural land, deserts, brushy suburban areas, from sea level to mountains.Įats small mammals, lizards, snakes (including rattlesnakes) eggs, frogs, birds, and large invertebrates.Ī small stout slow-moving snake with small smooth scales, wrinkled skin, and a short blunt tail.Ĭolor is a solid light brown, dark brown, pinkish, tan, or olive green.

(formerly Lampropeltis getula californiae)Ī large, thick bodied, slow-moving snake with a head slightly wider than the neck and smooth scales.Ĭolor is black or brown with light bands circling the body. Not found at very high elevations.Įats lizards, small mammals, birds, snakes, eggs, frogs, and insects.įemales lay eggs in early summer.

Young are brown with dark brown markings.įound in open sunny areas including meadows, grassland, chaparral, open woodlands, and riparian areas, in arid and moist areas. Hatchlings are 8 to 11 inches long.Ī long slender fast-moving snake with a large head and eyes and a long thin tail.īrown, greenish, or grey without markings. Often confused with rattlesnakes, but the tail is long and thin with no rattle.Īdults are typically 2 to 3 feet long. Probably the most commonly seen snake in our area.įound in many habitats - grassland, chaparral, agricultural, riparian, woodlands, from sea level to the mountains.įemales lay eggs June to August. Most snakes in the San Francisco Bay Area are active during warm and sunny weather, typically from late February through October, and remain underground at other times.Ī large, thick bodied, slow-moving snake with a head slightly wider than the neck and large rough scales.īrown or tan with dark markings on the back and often rusty coloring on the back and head. Look at the range map and the description for each species for a better idea of where it occurs.Ĭlick on the Latin name link to see more pictures, videos, and information about a particular animal. Not every animal shown here is present in every part of the area covered here. As you go east into where the Coast Range meets the Central Valley, several new species occur which are not covered here. In the East Bay, the range covered extends out to around Livermore, or before the mountains. These are the native and well-established non-native herps that inhabit the Bay Area, which for our purposes includes the land surrounding most of the San Francisco Bay including parts of Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Napa and Marin counties.

Lots of snakes and amphibians