Reptiles and Amphibians of the San Francisco Bay Region

By Robert C. Stebbins

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1959.
This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived

• Language: English
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Release date: Dec 22, 2023
• ISBN: 9780520319394

Robert C. Stebbins

Enter the Author Bio(s) here.

Book preview

California Natural History Guides: 3

REPTILES

AND

AMPHIBIANS

OF THE

SAN FRANCISCO BAY REGION

BY

ROBERT C. STEBBINS

ILLUSTRATED BY THE AUTHOR

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS

BERKELEY, LOS ANGELES, LONDON

CALIFORNIA NATURAL HISTORY GUIDES

GENERAL EDITOR: ARTHUR C. SMITH

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS

BERKELEY AND LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS, LTD.

LONDON, ENGLAND

© 1959 BY THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

FIFTH PRINTING, 1974

ISBN 0-520-01211-9

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOG CARD NUMBER: 59-6053

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

CONTENTS 1

CONTENTS 1

INTRODUCTION

ACTIVITIES

COLLECTING AND STUDYING

NOTE TAKING

REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS AS PETS

MAJOR GROUPS OF REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS

REPTILES

TURTLES

LIZARDS

SNAKES

AMPHIBIANS

SALAMANDERS

FROGS AND TOADS

CONSERVATION

SUGGESTED REFERENCES

CHECKLIST OF BAY REGION REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS

INTRODUCTION

If you like to hunt reptiles and amphibians—turtles, snakes, lizards, frogs, and salamanders—you will find many interesting kinds in the San Francisco Bay region. Its rolling grassland, oak woodland, and redwood forests offer living conditions for forty-one species. Along its southern coastal beaches lives a burrowing, legless lizard; in its cool forests are lungless, wet-skinned salamanders; its ponds and streams harbor newts, frogs, and a turtle; and its exposed hillsides are frequented by snakes and sun-basking lizards. Great contrasts in temperature and humidity between the Great Central Valley and the coast make possible the existence of both moisture-dependent amphibians and heat-loving reptiles within an airline distance of sixty miles—but you must know where, when, and how to look to find them.

Although some reptiles and amphibians are easily seen by anyone who will search for them at the proper time of year, others may not be found unless one has special information about them. For example, you will probably not find a Tiger Salamander until you learn that they live in the grasslands and are seldom abroad except after heavy rains in winter. You may not discover the Black Salamander until you turn over stones in seepage areas or at the edges of streams. Some species are seldom found, even by scientists. The Western Black-headed Snake of the bay region is represented in museums by only a halfdozen specimens. Persistent hunting in the proper habitat at the right season is required to find such a scarce animal. One of the purposes of this book is to provide you with the information needed to find both the common and rare species.

Because members of some youth groups need, and adults often ask for, certain information on reptiles and amphibians (truth about various snake beliefs and fictitious snakes, facts on poisonous snakes in the United States, etc.), a special effort was made to provide this information. This required the inclusion of some information that applies to species outside the bay region. Suggestions have been made of things one can do with reptiles and amphibians to learn more about them. To illustrate, one can discover how a tadpole breathes by placing a drop of ink in the water in front of its mouth (p. 69), and the defense reaction of an Ensatina can be set off by slapping it on the back (p. 57) but might not be seen in ordinary handling.

If you are an alert, accurate observer, even though you have had no special training, you may make discoveries that will contribute to the advancement of the science of herpetology—the study of reptiles and amphibians.

Ensatina in defense pose.

ACTIVITIES

COLLECTING AND STUDYING

Reptiles and amphibians may be found by turning over rocks, logs, or other objects that might serve as hiding places. A crowbar or hoe is useful for this purpose. Many species can be caught by hand, but a reptile like the Western Fence Lizard may be elusive. To snare a lizard, attach a slip noose of fine copper wire, thread (number 40 or 50), or fish line to the end of a pole and work the noose over the reptile’s head. Approach slowly and avoid quick movements. On wàrm nights, snakes may be hunted by driving slowly (15 to 20 miles an hour) along little-traveled, dark- paved roads where they are easily seen on the pavement.

Amphibian collecting is especially good after the first rains in the fall. By using a headlamp, you can detect the eye shine