Project Noah is a tool to explore and document wildlife and a platform to harness the power of citizen scientists everywhere.
Project Noah is a tool to explore and document wildlife and a platform to harness the power of citizen scientists everywhere.
Crotalus oreganus lutosus
A venomous pit viper subspecies. The Great Basin rattlesnake is not a large snake, adults range in size from 15" to 36" with the rare individual a few inches larger than three feet. The Great Basin rattlesnake displays many different color variations throughout its range. He was little guy, taking a swim across the river from an island. His little rattle was still growing in.
Sacramento River a venomous pit viper subspecies found in the Great Basin region of the United States. This area stretches from parts of eastern California east into Western Colorado, from south Nevada north into southeastern Oregon.
This is a neonate C. o. oerganus, it is unquestionably NOT not C. o. lutosus. Aside from the geographic locality of where the neonate was found, phenotypical identity is conclusive.
If you really found this in Sacramento I am pretty positive this is a Northern Pacific Rattlesnake, which is really the only Crotalus species we have in this area.
http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/pa...
I think CornHolio's identification is right, especially after seeing the crop (thanks!). Check out the tail bars and that eye stripe. Patterns match. Very, very nice!
I'll try to crop the head for you, I was trying to get close shots with just my iphone, so it was difficult, but I didn't want to scare him.
This is positively not a corn snake. Too robust and the pattern/build are both way different from what you'd expect to see with corns (even with their impressive variability). Crotalus is very likely, as this looks pit-viper through and through. There's not quite enough clarity of the head to get much beyond that from where I sit. I don't know Cali snakes well enough. My gut says to agree with O'Connor: Crotalus viridis feels likely. Eye stripe seems to match up too. Any chance you can crop closer to the face from the original image and add it? A clear face shot would be great!
Based on the body shape and posture I'd also vote rattlesnake. Not sure exactly which species, but probably Crotalus viridis
There are different morphs (colours) if you Google the words corn snake - you'll see the different morphs. Interestingly (or not) there's a cline in this species from the east to west coast in America, with a difference in the number of ribs, very early steps on the route to possible speciation.
Lat: 38.58, Long: -121.49
Spotted on Apr 23, 2012
Submitted on Apr 23, 2012
