Diario del proyecto Reptiles and Amphibians of California

With the coming of spring and warmer weather conditions, snakes of many species are through hunkering down, making human encounters with these elusive creatures more likely. Although most native snakes are harmless, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) recommends giving the venomous rattlesnake a wide berth and knowing what to do in the rare event of a bite.

https://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2019/04/03/shake-rattle-and-roll-rattlesnake-season-is-here/

Living in the desert habitat of the Inland Empire, you can see quite array of wildlife in the air and on the ground.

Highland is no exception.

In the air, during Spring, you will see raptors, scavengers, song birds and other avian beauties.

On the ground, where critters scurry and slither about, you are bound to see a wide selection of terrestrial creatures, as well.

If you have ever visited Aurantia Park, on Greenspot Road, you might have spotted a California Whiptail (cnemidophorus) and thought it was a small snake.

The California whiptail is a beautiful fast-moving lizard. It has a sleek slender design. Some have spots, and others have stripes. There are some whiptails that sport both.

California whiptails can be seen and heard rustling in dense vegetation, near the rocks, by the parking spaces of the park.

The California Whiptail is a diurnal creature, that means, it is active during the day.

https://www.highlandnews.net/entertainment/california-whiptail-a-sleek-addition-to-aurantia-park/article_dea187da-56fe-11e9-9c80-c726877bc4c5.html

As springtime blooms and you shed that winter coat, rattlesnakes native to Southern California are shedding their skin and getting back out into the sun.

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Rattlesnake-Season-Has-Begun-Heres-How-to-Stay-Safe-508217011.html

This ability to function in chilly weather, somewhat atypical in ectotherms, has allowed them to carve out a niche in areas of the world otherwise inhospitable to their close kin—and even their more distant reptilian affiliates. Specimens captured while out and about—not hibernating—have been measured as having body temperatures as low as 54°F.

https://www.earth.com/news/rubber-boa-snakes/

They may look like random puddles, but some states are building million-dollar tunnels to direct wildlife to these seasonal refuges.

https://daily.jstor.org/salamander-vernal-pool/

All along the lazy Lake County shorelines of creeks, ponds and lakes you may be able to sneak up on Western pond turtles to observe their slow-motion antics.

http://www.lakeconews.com/index.php/news/60781-the-living-landscape-the-western-pond-turtle

Wildlife officials are warning pet owners after two dogs were bitten by rattlesnakes at a local park, killing one and critically injuring the other.

http://www.foxla.com/news/local-news/two-dogs-bitten-by-rattlesnakes-at-local-park-killing-one-and-critically-injuring-the-other

SAN FRANCISCO— Conservation groups today filed a notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to respond to a 2018 petition for Endangered Species Act protection for the Siskiyou Mountains salamander.

https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2019/siskiyou-mountains-salamader-04-22-2019.php

Typically found in tropical waters down in Mexico and farther south, the public wasn’t accustomed to seeing these swimming reptiles off the cooler coast of Southern California.

http://www.ocregister.com/did-you-know-hundreds-of-sea-turtles-are-now-southern-california-residents

Rattlesnake bites are rare, relative to other injuries we can suffer when we're outside enjoying the warm spring weather. But just in case, the department of Fish and Wildlife has a few snake safety tips to keep in mind.

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Rattlesnake-Safety-Spring-Armenian-Genocide-March-Jaws-Outdoor-Movies--509019901.html