A snake lurks in the grass

NATURAL PERSPECTIVES

A snake lurks in the grass. No, we’re not talking about terrorists

lurking in the shrubbery or skulduggery among City Council members.

We’re talking about real snakes in real grass.

In 21st-century Huntington Beach, most of us lead suburban lives

that are quite separated from nature. But snakebites were a real

threat to our ancestors. While homesteading on the Iowa prairie in

1854, Vic’s great-great-grandmother Mary Kelly was bitten by a

rattlesnake. The Kelly family’s priority was getting crops in the

ground, not building a cabin. They camped out. Mary was bitten as she

went about trying to run a household on the open range with several

small children in tow. She survived and gave birth to Vic’s

great-grandmother several years later.

The pioneering days of our ancestors are long gone. In this modern

era, we live on concrete and asphalt and can go for days without ever

setting foot on a natural surface. We usually don’t concern ourselves

with snakes in the grass, but they’re still among us.

Some may gasp in horror at the thought of snakes slithering

through our community, but they’re here. They live in our parks, in

the flood control channels, on the mesas and at the wetlands. Here in

Huntington Beach, we still have at least three species of snakes:

southern Pacific western rattlesnakes, San Diego gopher snakes and

California kingsnakes. There may still be some Two-striped garter

snakes and coastal rosy boas around town, as well, although we

haven’t personally seen any.

Many people are tempted to grab a shovel to dispatch a snake when

they see one. Resist that urge. Snakes simply want to be left alone.

Did you know that most rattlesnake bites are on the hands and

forearms of boys and young men? It doesn’t take a forensic scientist

to figure out that the kids were trying to catch the snakes when they

got bitten.

Some people ask, “What good are snakes?” I never know how to

answer questions like that because to me all wildlife has intrinsic

value (although I might make an exception for houseflies, mosquitoes

and cockroaches.) But for those who must place a value on wildlife,

perhaps it would help to know what role snakes play in the ecosystem.

Southern Pacific western rattlesnakes tend to be the color of sand

or dirt with darker blotches on the back. This camouflage pattern

helps them blend into their surroundings. They spend much of their

time sunning on rocks and the rest of their time looking for mice,

young ground squirrels or rabbits to eat. They also eat nestling

birds, lizards, other snakes and amphibians. They give birth to

anywhere from one to 25 live baby rattlesnakes in the fall.

At the Bolsa Chica, I’ve seen rattlesnakes in rock piles, at the

openings of ground squirrel burrows and on the trails. I must confess

that my reaction to seeing a rattlesnake is shock and fear at first,

which gives way to a good case of the creeps. Then, I get out my

camera and take the snake’s picture. If it’s rattling, I back off,

because that’s the snake’s way of telling me that I’m too close for

comfort.

California kingsnakes are between 30 and 82 inches long, and are

black with yellow or white bands. They like to eat rattlesnakes,

lizards, small turtles, reptile eggs, frogs and birds, all of which

are found in Shipley Nature Center in Central Park. Kingsnakes,

unlike most of our snakes, will climb trees. Think about that the

next time you go for a nice stroll in the park. But don’t worry:

kingsnakes have a reputation for being gentle.

Gopher snakes grow to prize-winning size, reaching lengths of 110

inches. They are yellowish with darker brown blotches in a pattern

that resembles a diamond-backed rattlesnake. Gopher snakes lay two to

24 eggs in the fall. They eat rodents, rabbits and birds, which they

kill by constriction. Last spring, Vic and I came across a really

fine gopher snake on the Bolsa Chica Mesa that must have been 5 to 6

feet long.

The two-striped garter snake likes rocky freshwater streambeds

bordered by willows. The habitat in Central Park around Blackbird

Pond at the Shipley Nature Center might be to their liking, although

we’re not aware of any there. They come out mostly at night, so

they’re not as likely to be seen as some of the other snakes.

Coastal Rosy Boas are stout-bodied snakes with pink or

reddish-brown stripes on a blue-gray background. I was surprised that

such beautiful snakes were native to Orange County.