The 8 Snakes Slithering Around Lake Berryessa – Are Any Venomous?

Found in California’s stunning Napa County, Lake Berryessa is a man-made lake created when the Monticello dam was constructed between the years 1953 and 1957. The lake gives hydroelectric energy to a part of the San Francisco Bay Area and can be stuffed with and surrounded by various wildlife. These embrace snakes, a few that are venomous. Here are eight snakes that you just may discover round Lake Berryessa.

1. Gopher Snake

A heavy bodied, nonvenomous snake, the gopher snake a form of bull snake discovered on the west coast of North America, from British Columbia all the way down to Mexico. You’ll probably discover it in open areas across the lake.

What It Looks Like

The gopher snake ranges in size from 5.9 to 9 ft. It’s notable for its massive head, massive eyes, and skinny neck. The coloration of the snakes that reside across the lake blends in with the coloration of the terrain, so the snake’s physique can have a floor coloration of grey to yellowish brown with stripes or blotches. The snake’s scales are keeled, and the reptile seems to be fairly like a rattlesnake. Though the gopher snake lacks a rattle and is nonvenomous, it may well nonetheless ship a nasty chew.

What It Eats

Gopher snakes eat smaller mammals, together with gophers. It additionally takes bugs, eggs, birds, and different reptiles. It kills them by constriction then swallows them complete. The snake has no drawback coming into burrows to search for prey and has even been recognized to hunt bats the place they roost. On the opposite hand, gopher snakes, particularly young ones, are preyed on by foxes, hawks, bigger snakes, and coyotes.

Behavior and Reproduction

These snakes, whose scientific identify is Pituophis catenifer, are solitary, energetic principally in the course of the day, and reside in dens or burrows. They are good swimmers and climbers and go into dormancy once they’re at relaxation or when meals is scarce. Gopher snakes solely get collectively to breed, and that occurs annually in the course of the summer time. Females lay two to 24 eggs per clutch, they usually hatch after 65 to 75 days. When the eggs hatch, the hatchlings are on their very own.

A feminine gopher snake is able to mate when she’s round 4 years old, whereas a male is prepared when he’s solely a yr and a half. Gopher snakes normally reside between 12 and 15 years, although not less than one captive snake lived to be 33. The gopher snake’s conservation standing is least concern.

2. Ring-necked Snake

Diadophis punctatus, the ringneck or ring-necked snake, is a typical however secretive snake that’s energetic at evening. They are well-known for curling up their tails and exposing the brilliantly orange crimson underside once they’re threatened. The prime, or dorsal a part of the snake ranges from olive inexperienced, blue-gray, black, or brown. The coloration is damaged by a band across the neck that may be crimson, yellow, or yellow-orange. The snake’s head can be a bit of darker than the remainder of its physique. The vibrant colours of the snake’s ventral aspect is damaged up by black spots. The method these spots are organized on the snake’s stomach can inform you which subspecies it belongs to. The ringneck is a small snake and is normally solely 10 to fifteen inches lengthy. Female snakes are longer than males.

Behavior

Though ringneck snakes are arduous to seek out, they’re really fairly social animals and collect in colonies that may maintain 100 or extra animals. They talk with one another via contact and the discharge of pheromones, particularly in the course of the mating season. These snakes eat the smaller sorts of frogs, earthworms, salamanders, lizards, and child snakes. As a nonvenomous constrictor, the ringneck snake squeezes its prey to demise then swallows it complete.

Reproduction

Ringneck snakes mate throughout spring and fall, and females lay three to 10 eggs in midsummer. Females who mated within the fall can delay fertilization of their eggs. Because ringneck snakes are social, females usually use communal nests. The hatchlings emerge in late summer time and are on their very own instantly. Because of this, an excellent share of ringneck hatchlings don’t survive to maturity. If they do, they’ll be able to mate once they’re about three years old. Ringneck snakes reside about 10 years, and their conservation standing is least concern.

3. Garter Snake (Sort of Venomous)

Garter snakes belong to a big genus of small or mid-sized snakes. There are about 35 species, and round Lake Berryessa you may discover the Sierra garter snake, the northwestern garter snake, the western ribbon snake, or the frequent garter snake. Interestingly, garter snakes have been as soon as believed to be nonvenomous. It seems they’re venomous, however their venom is so weak it doesn’t injure human beings.

What Garter Snakes Look Like

These snakes are slender, with massive eyes with spherical pupils, and keeled scales. Most have stripes down the size of their our bodies. These stripes may be impartial coloured or are available in vibrant colours of crimson, blue, or yellow. Some garter snakes lack stripes and are utterly black. Most are 18 to 51 inches lengthy and weigh about 5.29 ounces. Females are longer than males. Though garter snakes can thrive in a wide range of habitats, they’re by no means removed from water, and you must be capable of simply discover them round Lake Berryessa.

Garter snakes are diurnal and may keep energetic when the temperatures develop too cool for different snakes. They usually hibernate from October to March or April, however on hotter days they’ll come out to bask. Garter snakes use the deserted burrows of rodents or crayfish to hibernate, although some may be discovered below rocks. Though these snakes are principally solitary, they’ll come collectively to hibernate and maintain one another heat.

What Garter Snakes Eat

A garter snake eats amphibians, smaller snakes, smaller fish and invertebrates comparable to earthworms and bugs. Now after which they’ll eat eggs. The poisons within the pores and skin of toads doesn’t have an effect on them, they usually can retailer the poison in their very own liver. This makes the garter snake poisonous to an animal that desires to eat it, and plenty of animals prefer to eat garter snakes. These embrace bigger reptiles and amphibians, birds, foxes, squirrels and raccoons. The garter snake’s patterns and colours assist camouflage it, and it’ll take to the water to flee a predator.

Reproduction

The breeding season begins instantly after hibernation. Males emerge first and look forward to the females, who they swarm. After a feminine mates, she leaves to seek out meals and a spot to present beginning. She can retailer sperm and wait to fertilize her eggs. She might not mate in any respect if she doesn’t discover a male she fancies.

A feminine garter snake is gravid for about two or three months, and she or he’ll give beginning from 4 to as many as 80 infants from midsummer till October. Larger females have extra infants. The child garter snakes are unbiased from beginning, and their mom takes no care of them.

Male garter snakes are mature once they’re a few yr and a half, whereas females are able to breed once they’re about two. Garter snakes reside about three to 4 years within the wild and about 10 years in captivity. Their conservation standing is dependent upon the species. The standing of the attractive San Francisco garter snake is endangered, whereas that of the frequent garter snake is least concern.

4. Western Rattlesnake (Venomous)

This stunning, heavy bodied pit viper lives round Lake Berryessa and factors north, south, and east. It normally grows to about 39 inches, although not less than one was 65 inches lengthy. The floor coloration of the snake’s physique ranges from gold to grey, tan, pink,s or bronze with a sample of darkish blotches edged in white. The coloration of the snake’s iris usually matches that of their floor coloration. The tail is ringed, with the rings rising darker as they method the tip of the tail. The tail, in fact, bears rattles. The snake rattles its tail to warn off aggressors. Some biologist give the snake the scientific identify Crotalis viridis, whereas others name it C. oreganus.

Western Rattlesnake Behavior

The snakes makes use of the heat-sensing pits in its face to assist it discover prey, which incorporates birds, smaller mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and eggs. Hatchlings eat bugs till they’re sufficiently big to deal with bigger prey comparable to mice or voles. The western rattler hunts in the course of the cooler components of the day, and whether it is too sizzling in the course of the day, it would hunt at evening. When it’s in hanging distance, it bites rapidly and envenomate the prey. Despite being venomous, the western rattlesnake remains to be prey for raptors. Western rattlesnakes hibernate in the course of the winter and may journey a really lengthy option to discover a appropriate den.

Reproduction

Western rattlers give beginning to reside young. Females may be gravid for so long as 425 days after mating within the spring after rising from hibernation. During that point, she doesn’t eat. She’ll give beginning to between three and eight and typically as many as 15 infants in late summer time. Males are able to mate once they’re between two and 4 years old, and females are prepared from between the ages of three and 7. They normally breed each different yr. Western rattlesnakes reside from 16 to twenty years, and their conservation standing is least concern.

5. Sharp Tailed Snake

This snake will get its identify due to the backbone on the finish of its tail. Biologists aren’t fairly positive why the snake has this backbone, although some suppose it’s to anchor the snake because it tries to subdue its prey, and even to carry its prey regular. The backbone is innocent to people, as is the remainder of this nonvenomous snake.

What It Looks Like

The sharp-tailed snake grows from 12 to 18 inches lengthy and has shiny grayish brown, brown, reddish brown or grey scales on prime. Its ventral aspect has stunning black, greenish or white crossbars. The snake is secretive and likes to cover below rocks, duff, and logs. During the warmer months it finds a burrow to cover in till the rains come, and typically snakes may be discovered collectively. If you dig it up by mistake, it might merely curl up in a ball. It eats slugs, which it holds firmly in its jaws with tiny, needle-sharp enamel. The snake is usually the prey of birds, mammals, bigger snakes, and even bigger fish.

Reproduction

The sharp-tailed snake mates within the spring, and the feminine lays three to eight eggs in the summertime, typically in a communal nest. The infants hatch in fall and are about 3 to 4 inches lengthy.

6. Western Racer

The western racer, Coluber constrictor mormon can be referred to as the western yellow-bellied racer due to its yellow underside. It’s solely discovered within the western United States, regardless that it’s a subspecies of C. constrictor, the japanese racer. Its dorsal colours are brown, olive-brown, grey, blue, or inexperienced. The scales are shiny and fairly easy, and the size of the snake ranges from 35 to 75 inches. Young snakes have grey, brown, or crimson blotches that fade as they get older. You can inform males from females as a result of the male’s tail is longer and has a wider base, whereas the tail of the feminine tapers.

Western Racer Behavior

Despite its identify, racers don’t transfer as rapidly as they appear to. If disturbed, it hurries to a hiding place, and even climbs up a tree. If it may well’t escape, the snake coils, vibrates its tail, and strikes. Though the western racer is nonvenomous, it may give you a chew deep sufficient to attract blood. If hanging doesn’t cease a predator, the snake coils up, hides its head and writhes whereas it smears secretions throughout itself. If it’s lastly grabbed, it writhes and voids its bowels. It might writhe so violently that it breaks off its personal tail.

What It Eats

The western racer has a diversified food regimen, however regardless of its species identify, it doesn’t constrict its prey however merely overpowers it. Prey contains bugs, frogs, reptiles, together with different snakes, rodents, squirrels, and small rabbits. In flip, the racer is eaten by canids, pet cats, and birds.

Reproduction

Western racers mate in spring, and in June or July the feminine finds a stump, log, or an old deserted burrow and lays from three to 32 eggs. Sometimes females lay their eggs in a communal nest. The eggs hatch in late summer time. Males are able to breed once they’re one to 2 years old, whereas females are prepared once they’re two to 3 years old. Western racers reside to be round 10 years old, and their conservation standing is least concern.

7. Whipsnake

This frequent, nonvenomous snake belongs to the Masticophis genus, which has 11 species, a few of which must be discovered round Lake Berryessa. One can be the striped whipsnake. This snake additionally likes to reside round our bodies of water, the place it may well hunt amphibians.

What a Whipsnake Looks Like

As their identify suggests, whipsnakes are slender, whiplike, quick, and have easy scales. They develop to between 36 and 72 inches lengthy. On prime, they’re grey, blue or darkish brown. There are three lighter stripes of grey or white on all sides, and one white stripe is attractively divided by a black line that may be stable or damaged. The snake’s stomach is whitish or yellow and turns to pink close to its tail.

Behavior

The whipsnake is a diurnal snake and shelters beneath rocks, in burrows and even in shrubs or timber. It has a diversified food regimen that features fellow snakes, together with rattlesnakes, lizards, birds, frogs, bugs and small mammals comparable to mice or voles. Young whipsnakes eat bugs comparable to cicadas till they’re massive sufficient to subdue different animals. How the snake behaves when it’s confronted most likely is dependent upon the snake. Some will coil up and strike whereas others let themselves be picked up. It’s doable that a person snake is aggressive at one time and passive at one other.

Reproduction

Biologists don’t know a lot in regards to the whipsnake’s breeding conduct, however they do know that females lay three to 12 eggs in spring or summer time. These eggs hatch after about two to 3 months. Its conservation standing is least concern.

8. California King Snake

The California mountain king snake seems to be very very like the venomous coral snake, however it’s innocent to people. However, it’s not innocent to the good number of animals that make up its food regimen. This snake will deal with absolutely anything for a meal. If it’s small it would swallow it complete. If it’s massive, the snake constricts it to demise, then swallows it.

Prey contains lizards and their eggs, nesting birds and their eggs, and amphibians. It even eats different snakes, together with venomous snakes such because the prairie rattler. The king snake’s good coloring really alerts birds to it. The birds assault it uselessly, and the snake merely follows them again to their nest.

What It Looks Like

Lampropeltis zonata ranges in size from 20 to 48 inches in size, with easy, unkeeled scales. Its physique is slender with black, white, yellow, or crimson bands. The crimson bands all the time have black borders, which tells the snake from the coral snake. The prime of the snake’s head is black, whereas the throat and the chin are white. Another option to inform the king snake from the coral is that the band proper after the pinnacle is white. The snake has not less than seven subspecies, with barely completely different patterns and colorations, particularly relating to the crimson bands on the physique. Because the variations may be delicate, it’s simpler to find out the subspecies of king snake from the place it lives.

Male and feminine king snakes are arduous to inform aside, however males have extra subcaudal scales and longer tails than females. Males additionally appear to be a bit of bit bigger. The snake additionally has 11 to 13 enamel in every of its jaws.

Reproduction

The California mountain king snake breeds annually from early to late spring, normally proper after it wakes from hibernation. Females might skip a yr. L. zonata is an egg laying snake, and the females lay their eggs from late spring to midsummer. Clutches vary from two to 10 eggs, with the common quantity being seven. They incubate for about 62 days. Scientists aren’t positive if the eggs or hatchlings are taken care of by their mom. Nor are they positive when the snake reaches maturity or its lifespan within the wild. There was one captive kingsnake that lived for 26 years.

Where It May Be Found Around Lake Berryessa

The California mountain king snake can thrive in numerous habitats however you’ll most likely discover it within the woods and forests close to the lake. The snake additionally must be close to rocks and logs that it may well bask on in the course of the day and relaxation beneath at evening. Habitat disruption, which incorporates clearing away these rocks and logs, places the snake’s inhabitants below strain. Yet, it’s conservation standing remains to be least concern.