Natural History Wanderings

Bay Nature writes about  How to tell a gopher snake from a rattlesnake?

Ah, the eternal question of the Bay Area hiker! We have only one medically significant snake species here in the Bay Area and that is the western rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus), but a few other resident snake species look pretty similar, including the commonly seen and indefatigable gopher snake (Pituophis catenifer). Rattlesnakes will not strike unless cornered or provoked, but it’s always helpful to know whether that snake sunning itself on the trail might be able to harm you.

Read on at How do I tell a gopher snake from a rattlesnake?