Category: All Things Reptile

Today’s reptile spotlight features the San Lucan Rock Lizard (Petrosaurus thalassinus), a beautiful and skittish lizard that always seems to keep a distance from humans, posing with a superior aura, somewhat like many celebrities. 

San Lucan Rock Lizards are some of the most striking lizards in Baja, without a doubt, with their beautiful blue collars and vibrant splotches. They love hanging out on large rocks and boulders in arroyos and along hillsides. Although they mostly inhabit higher elevations, they can be found in the hills above La Ventana on occasion. They are very fast and, though some are a bit more laid back, most usually never let you get within 10 feet of them; again, like some celebrities.

These fascinating lizards primarily eat bugs, although sometimes leaves, fruits, seeds and even smaller lizards are eaten. In my experience, if you want to see a a rock lizard, they are very abundant along the riverbanks of the active arroyos near Santiago BCS, and that is where I took this photo. If you want to talk or walk reptiles, email ChanceStevens123@icloud.com

Today’s column features one of the most venomous reptiles inhabiting Baja. Besides the rattlesnakes, the Yellow-bellied Sea Snake (Hydrophis platurus) is the only dangerous snake in our region. Although they are not considered to live here, these curious, interesting and uncommon snakes do swim into the gulf from time to time. In the La Ventana area, though extremely rare, they can sometimes be seen around the reefs and even washed up onto the beach. I guess even sea snakes want to vacation here.

Most likely, if you have seen a long, snake-like creature in the water, it was an eel, which is a kind of fish. Many eels look so much like snakes that they get mis-identified frequently. To further complicate matters, some eels are called “snake eels” or even just “snakes.” For example, “tiger reef snakes” are actually eels. 

Actual sea snakes are black and yellow, and eat eels. They are usually very non-aggressive, and quite reluctant to bite, although they are highly venomous and so should be treated with caution. In most cases, you will see them sitting on the beach, which indicates that they may be sick or weak, and not in their best state. Recently my friend Julie sent a photo of just one such unfortunate fellow on South Beach. Here is that photo. When sea snakes are in the water, however, they tend to be far more active and healthy. If you want to talk or walk reptiles, email ChanceStevens123@icloud.com

It is now mid February, and we have just passed All Things Reptile’s one-year anniversary. On this special occasion, I have decided to write a poem reflecting on my first ten reptile columns. 

The First Ten

Our adventures started with a speedy friend,
The Baja California Coachwhip
With his tail a vibrant orange on the end.

Then came the race-car lizard of Baja,
The Orange-Throated Whiptail
With a throat the color of a Naranja.

After this came number three,
The Sand Snake
Living wild and free.

Then the night snake followed suit, 
I got some good pictures
Before he hid under my boot.

After that came another creature of the night
As the Asian House Gecko 
Got its spot in the light.

Next came the Cape Spiny-Tailed Iguana
Becoming common in the spring
As Baja became a sauna.

This column has been fun to write from the get-go,
Especially now as we move on 
To the Western Banded Gecko.

Then came a personal favorite of yours truly,
The Cape Gopher Snake,
Though they are a bit unruly.

Almost there with number nine
The Zebra Tailed Lizard 
Burrowing under the sand line.

Finally we have reached number 10 and the end, 
Featuring Black-Tailed Brush Lizards,
I am ready to push send.

Most importantly, on the column’s one-year anniversary, I would like to thank everyone who has helped me reach this milestone. Thank you, Chris and Edie, the editors at The Ventana View, for making this column possible. Thank you as well, everyone who has emailed me questions and comments. This has been an extremely supportive group and you all have given me so much inspiration.

If you want to talk or walk reptiles, email ChanceStevens123@icloud.com

Today I am taking a little twist with All Things Reptile; I will be writing about the city-dwelling reptiles of LV/ES. We see most reptiles when we are out on hikes and other excursions, but let’s go over some of the reptiles most well adapted for urban life.

When you think of the night life in La Ventana, you probably think of the parties thrown throughout the winter. However, the true die-hard partiers of La Ventana live on your ceiling and behind your lights. Asian House Geckos (Hemidactylus frenatus) are very common in this area, and are particularly successful in urban areas.  

Another common reptile in urban El Sargento and La Ventana is the Black-Tailed Brush Lizard (Urosaurus nigricauda). These little friends eat small insects and are very good climbers. They inhabit palm trees, brush piles and even palapa roofs, which helps them inhabit even the smallest yards. They are perfect for living in the suburbs. 

Our final guest is also our only serpentine friend. The Variable Sand Snake (the scientific name is kind of complicated, and controversial, but I think it’s Sonora cincta) is a common, small and harmless snake living under the surface of sandy soils. These little guys eat mostly insects, including crickets and cockroaches, and can successfully live in sandy lots and yards without problem. 

Lastly, here is a haiku:

Geckos

Concerts every night
Bugs attracted by the light
The geckos delight.

–Chance Stevens, All Things Reptile 2/7/23.

The next reptile walk has been scheduled for Sunday, Feb 12th. At 9:30 AM on the Punta Gorda Trail. This walk will probably be between two and three hours, and may not be suitable for small children.

If you want to talk or walk reptiles, email ChanceStevens123@icloud.com

Today is a rainy day! Although this wet weather is quite rare here, I think it is worth a rainy day column. On wet days, almost all reptiles are in hiding, but many of the local amphibians come out, such as the two local species of toads, the Red Spotted Toad and the Couch’s Spade Foot Toad. 

In the summer on rainy days, toads start calling from the puddles, and dozens of them appear from cracks and holes in the ground. On rainy winter days, however, it is different because it is not the toads’ breeding season. During wet winter days, a few toads will come to the surface, but they really come out during wet winter nights. I bet tonight we will see thousands of toads emerging throughout LV/ES.

As for the reptiles, there are frequently snakes and lizards flooded out of their holes and burrows, and you may see a wet little gecko or iguana running around in search of a new hiding spot.

I love rainy days here in Baja, and so do the plants. This rain will likely give us a beautiful green spring! If you want to talk or walk reptiles, email ChanceStevens123@icloud.com

Today I have decided to write about a reptile that, unfortunately, I have not found in the wild yet: an elusive, tiny, burrowing worm. Well, at least that’s what it seems like. This little worm lookalike is actually called a Brahminy Blind Snake (Indotyphlops braminus). These miniature snakes are also called Flower Pot Snakes, as they have traveled worldwide via potted plants, soil bags and a number of other things. In these ways, itty bitty snakes have taken over the world. 

Luckily, these minuscule serpents are completely harmless. In fact, they are very difficult to even see, which would at least partially explain why I have not found one yet. They live below the surface, feeding mostly on very small insect larvae, and spend most of their time down in ant and termite burrows. These pocket-sized snakes are originally from Southeastern Asia, but now can be found in over 30 countries, including Mexico, the USA, many countries in Africa, Australia, Japan and Spain, to name a few.

Despite these microscopic (okay, that was an exaggeration, I am just running out of “tiny” synonyms) snakes covering every continent except Antarctica, they are not too damaging, as they aren’t poisonous or venomous, and they eat ant larvae. So, as far as invasive species go, Brahminy Blind Snakes are not all too bad.

I know you are all dying to know just how small they really are, so here you go: adult Brahminy Blind Snakes can typically grow up to 4 to 6.5 inches long or 11cm to 16.5cm, and their eggs are only around 0.5 inches or 1.5 cm in length.  They are the second smallest snakes in the world! 

If you want to talk or walk reptiles, email ChanceStevens123@icloud.com

Today I bring to you… drumroll, please! A celebrity guest to All Things Reptile. Introducing: the Red Spotted Toad (Anaxyrus punctatus). They may not be reptiles, but they are one of only three amphibians that are local to Baja California Sur, and one of only two local to LV/ES, so I think they deserve a column. 

Red Spotted Toads are interesting amphibians inhabiting arroyos, rocky stream beds and basically any other water features. They can get relatively large, feeding primarily on insects. In the summer after rain storms you can hear these toads calling away in the rivers and streams. 

The eggs hatch quickly and the young typically metamorphose in only a few weeks, although the process can take up to two months depending on the water source. If the tadpoles have plenty of water, they will metamorphose slower; if the water is drying up quickly, however, the tadpoles will grow faster. 

You may see these toads hopping around at night throughout the year, especially on wet nights, particularly if you live near an arroyo or rocky stream bed. If you are not near any arroyos, you most likely have Spade Foot Toads instead of Red Spotted Toads. 

Like many toads, Red Spotted Toads can be shockingly circular as adults, and are very camouflaged so, next time you see a round rock with red dots, look a little closer. If you want to talk or walk reptiles, email ChanceStevens123@icloud.com

As it is now wintertime, most resident reptiles are hibernating here in LV/ES. On warm sunny days, however, you may get a glimpse of a few soaking up the warmth. Today I will go over some of the winter-active reptiles in the area.

In my experience, the most common lizard throughout the year is probably the Orange-throated Whiptail (Aspidoscelis hyperythrus). These beautiful little speed demons are some of my favorite lizards. If you watch them for long enough, you will probably see them stop moving in a sunny patch of dirt, dig for a minute and then splay their little legs. If a lizard has a blue tail, it is probably an Orange-throated Whiptail. As with many lizards, only the young ones will be common this time of year..

Another winter friend is the Zebra-tailed Lizard (Callisaurus draconoides), little brown lizards that live in sandy soils all around La Ventana, including on the beach! They like to wiggle their tails around, displaying the black and white bottoms. 

You also may see iguanas, geckos and the occasional spiny lizard, but the only other really prominent winter lizards are the Black-tailed Brush Lizards (Urosaurus nigricauda). These little gray lizards like to hang out on trees, bushes and rocks. They are quite camouflaged, but can be found pretty easily.

As for the snakes, most are hibernating, but I have heard stories of people finding all kinds of snakes in the winter here. The most common seem to include Cape Gopher Snakes, which are large, beautiful and harmless, as well as night snakes and sand snakes.  

I hope this new format is enjoyable, as I am running out of new reptiles about which to write.

This column is about a special lizard I call Martha. Usually, I write columns about reptile species, but I believe this lizard deserves her own personal column. 

It was a nice morning in early November and I was hanging out on our property in El Sargento. Our cats started batting a tarp on the ground and I quickly realized this was probably a reptile in need. So, I flipped the tarp and saw a Baja California Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus zosteromus) sitting on the ground. It seemed cold, and I was able to catch it quickly. At first, I noticed nothing out of the ordinary. But then, as I looked closer, I discovered that this lizard had two tails!

This discovery led to a shocked silence and dropped jaw. After a moment, I rushed to find a camera and started taking tons of pictures. Martha seemed very calm, and she behaved perfectly for the photos. She would look up at me with an intelligent and somewhat bossy manner and then return to her pose; this was probably because she was cold, as spiny lizards are usually hard to photo shoot.

It turns out that this two-tailed phenomenon isn’t actually all that rare. It’s a bit complicated to explain but, basically, this is how it works: if a lizard loses its tail completely, it will regrow a new tail. However, if a lizard’s tail breaks but does not fall off, the original tail may heal and, at the same time, a new tail may grow at the point of breaking. Since I first found Martha, I have seen her a few times hanging around our trailers and, last time we met, she still had two tails!

Cape Giant Whiptails (Aspidoscelis maximus) are beautiful, interesting and appropriately-named lizards inhabiting much of the Baja Cape Region, including parts of La Ventana and El Sargento. In some areas, these lizards are very common, such as San Antonio and other towns in the mountains. They are prolific in habitats such as rocky plains, desert-y shrub forests, and even in developed areas such as towns.

Here in El Sargento, these whiptails seem to be much more secretive and rare. I have seen one north of town on the Punta Gorda trail, and a few in the hills above La Ventana. They are Very Fast and skittish, and can be difficult to see. They eat invertebrates, and can be seen foraging through the leaf litter in search of bugs and spiders.

Cape Giant Whiptails act quite similarly to their cousins, the ever-present Orange-Throated Whiptails. However, including the tail, giant whiptails can achieve lengths of over a foot! Orange-Throated Whiptails are much smaller, growing only to about 6 inches.

Whiptails are extraordinarily beautiful lizards, and can do well in urban areas, so long as there is one thing: ground cover. They spend most of their time foraging in leaf litter and looking for bugs. 

If we want to help these adorable little pest controllers, we need to leave parts of our properties un-raked and wild. I have seen many places around here with intermittent bushes and cacti left to grow, but vigorously raked, so there is not a leaf lying on the ground. Although this is better than no plants, for many local reptiles, ground cover is crucial. If you do have ground cover around your house, you will likely get rewarded by being able to watch various lizard species scurrying around and enjoying the morning.