Santa Cruz Island, CA

[Fieldnotes]

California has been experiencing some superb weather the last few days, so I decided to take a trip to Santa Cruz Island. I was fortunate to find all, but one of my target species. I was unable to locate the endemic Santa Cruz Island Gopher Snake. Biologists on the on island informed me that there is another snake inhabiting the island, the Racer (Coluber constrictor). Although several biologists mentioned this to me, the only documented species is from 1950’s at Prisoners Harbor. Question; anyone have information to support the Racer existing on the Island? According to Stebbins 2003, it appears from his range map that the Western Rattlesnake frequents the island, but biologists I spoke with strongly oppose the idea of Crotalus on the island. Additionally, Stebbins (2003) questions whether Night Snake exist on the island, but island biologists could not confirm, nor reject this theory. As for my research on the island, I came across the following six species:

<img src='http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/herpetology/images/7-picture3.jpg?'>
View of Santa Cruz Island from vicinity of Del Norte Camp (Santa Barbara Co.)

<img src='http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/0305/0190.jpeg'>
Channel Islands Slender Salamander

<img src='http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/0305/0191.jpeg'>
Black-bellied Slender Salamander

<img src='http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/0305/0195.jpeg'>
Common Side-blotched Lizard

<img src='http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/0305/0194.jpeg'>
Island Fence Lizard

<img src='http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/0305/0192.jpeg'>
California Alligator Lizard from Del Norte Camp

<img src='http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/herpetology/images/7-picture2.gif?'>
This pond and others along Del Norte Trail were full of tadpoles and scattered calling Pacific Treefrogs.

<img src='http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/0305/0193.jpeg'>
Finally, another Alligator Lizard from Prisoners Harbor

[C.ADAMANTEUS]

Nice to see someone from my home town.
Havent been there for years. Did make a one month trip to santa cruz Island. Hovever, it was in 1989.
I can tell you that we saw ONE C. viridus which strongly resembled origanus, but very much lighter in color.(paler, maybe grayish, or greenish, but dark.) Never saw any racer species that we could identify.
I know this info is quite old, but I guaruntee that crotalids, at least at one time, did indeed inhabit that island.
Very nice picsby the way.
Rick

[C.ADAMANTEUS]

me again,
Dont know if it helps, but we found this crotalus viridus almost to the top of a small peak. It was due west of smugglers cove. from the peak, you look east, and spy Anacapa Island.
Rick