A friend invited me out to check out Olema Valley with an ecologist familiar with the snakes, lizards, and amphibians of the area. Cool!
Here is a little VIDEO I made with the Vine app to give you a feeling for the day.
Lifting the plywood early enough in the day before the snakes have warmed up too much means they are easier to handle. It goes without saying that this activity is best left to the experts.
A trio of Racers in hand.
Really beautiful creatures.
Worthy of a photo or three.
The ecologist answers our many questions.
He deftly handles the snakes with just the right amount of pressure.
This gives a better sense of the length of these Racers.
The snakes began to warm up from the heat of our hands and became more and more active.
We also spotted a baby Ring-necked Snake.
And a few California Garter Snakes.
We were careful to return each snake to its favored dark, slowly warming environment under the boards.