A baby gartersnake, wrapped around a human hand, flicks its tongue. Moved safely out of the roadway.

Another #SundaySnakes day moving baby Valley Gartersnakes out of the road so the other wildlife area visitors don’t run over them (looking at you, birders driving too fast to get to the “big” aggregations). #herps

#SundaySnakes is here with some serpent side-eye. #herps

It’s #SundaySnakes! And I will never get tired of showing you this awesome Mountain Gartersnake (Thamnophis elegans elegans) hanging out on a granite peak at over 10k ft of elevation in the Sierra Nevada mountains. #herps

I forgot #SundaySnakes, so here is a gorgeous California Kingsnake to help you get through the week. She was moved out of a work area and into adjacent habitat. Love this species.

A curious rubber boa, found at 1am on a trail with air temps in the low 50s.

A salmon-colored juvenile rubber boa from the Sierra Nevada

A curious adult rubber boa, with a light yellow colored belly and a few small scars on its back.

The small, smooth scales of this snake give it the trademark ‘rubbery’ appearance.

That’s it. We’re bringing back the #sundaysnakes tag because reasons.

So meet the Rubber Boa (Charina bottae). Overgrown earthworm and native to Cali. I love em because they are often out cruising when air temps are in the 50s (as in the first pic, on a Yosemite hike). Harmless and adorbs. #herps

An adult western yellow-bellied racer is held at arms length. Vernal pools and grasslands can be seen in the background.

The handsomest snake ever flicks a tongue at the photographer

The gorgeous iridescent green sides and yellow-tinged belly of a racer, vernal pool grasslands in the background.

I know we’ve missed a couple of #SundaySnakes, so please enjoy this freshly caught Western Yellow-bellied Racer (Coluber constrictor mormon)! So much gorgeous color on these fasties! #herps

A tiny Nightsnake coils up tight and flattens it’s head, pretending to be a rattlesnake.

Tiny juvenile Nightsnake being held in one hand. Human thumbnail for scale.

The ‘saddle’ of a Nightsnake, which may be as unique as fingerprints.

#SundaySnakes is for tiny California Nightsnakes (Hypsiglena ochrorhyncha nuchalata), pretending to be rattlesnakes. Look at that teeny coil! #herps #overgrownearthworm #snek #snakes #fieldwork

#SundaySnakes YES! 😍🐍 Snake you for sharing these awesome photossss! #snakes

An adorable, if slightly goofy-looking, cream colored snake with loose red and black banding. The snake sits on a gravel substrate with vegetation visible in the background.

Head and upper body of a juvenile long law snake, held loosely in an open hand.

A juvenile long nosed snake, showing the typical black bands and red highlights of this species.

#SundaySnakes showing up for the rarely-seen and under appreciated Longnose Snake (Rhinocheilus lecontei)! These excellent burrowers are inhabitants of semi-arid environs and often crepuscular. #herps #snakes #longnosesnake #fieldbiologist #fieldwork

A small, sand-colored snake with a very large scale at the front of the “nose”. It has large, dark eyes, smooth scales, and a dark tongue.

A small, slender snake of the deserts, fairly monochromatic. This individual is held loosely in one hand and is indignant at the detainment.

#SundaySnakes is still kicking. This week with the Mohave Patch-nosed Snake
(Salvadora hexalepis mojavensis). Look at that Rostral! #herps #calherps #snek #snakes #fieldwork #fieldbiology #california #calibiologist

A small orange and grey snake with vertical pupils is held in one hand. The tongue is just peeking out from the snake scenting it’s handler.

A gorgeous orange and grey boa is held loosely in one hand. The ‘muddy’ striping can be seen patterned down its body.

I’ve already talked about Rubber Boas for #SundaySnakes, but did you know we have a second kind of boa in Cali? Meet the Rosy Boa (Lichanura orcutti)! These smooth-scaled desert dwellers give birth to live young. #herps #snakes #yearofthesnake #snek #herpetology #boas #rosyboa

A young, dull-colored gophersnake is going into shed. He was found after flipping an old door in a junk-strewn dumping area.

We stan gophersnakes. This is a #SundaySnakes feature for those who are perpetually late. Pituophis catenifer. #herps #snakes #sundaysnake #gophersnake #snek

A juvenile gophersnake being held up in the glow from a headlamp. It is very late at night, but the fan club is assembled.

Night and Day, you are the one…. The beauty of looking for gophersnakes is that, in the summer, a warm night of road driving can get you an invite to the fan club. Cali Gophersnake (P. catenifer). #SundaySnakes #herps #snakes #gophersnake #grumpynoodle #herpetology

What to do when you encounter a snake in the wild. Start a convo. Be complimentary and reassuring. Baby California Gophersnake (P. catenifer) for #SundaySnakes. Monterey County, CA. #herps #snakes #fieldbiologist #snek #pituophis

Juvenile gophersnake is held loosely in one hand while it appears to glare at the camera. A tan snake, with dark brown barring on its back and belly spots.

Nothing but gophersnakes today, fam. And really, what could be better for #SundaySnakes? Not like anything else interesting is happening today. Can you believe these littles can grow to be 7ft long? #herps #snek #snakes #yearofthesnake #gophersnake

A yellow and tan snake assumes the squiggle position to better blend with its dry, rocky environment.

It’s #SundaySnakes and we are celebrating the most overlooked and under appreciated of them all, the Pacific Gophersnake (Pituophis catenifer). Masters of many environs, Oscar-worthy actors, and scrappy survivors. GOAT. #herps #snakes #yearofthesnake #snek #gophersnake #noodle

A light grey background color with brown blotches and a golden eye color showcase the beauty of a coiled northern pacific rattlesnake. She sits amid a small patch of dried grasses and thatch that match her coloring.

A gorgeous orange rattlesnake with reddish-brown blotching is coiled on a patch of bare ground. She has a lot of rattles on her tail and is in great health. Her tongue is flicking out to scent the air.

Timeline cleanse for #SundaySnakes, and a reminder that one species can have incredible variety and adaptation. Resilience is a superpower. Northern Pacific Rattlesnakes (C. oreganus) found ~30min apart. #herps #snakes #yearofthesnake #herpetology #snek #rattlesnakes #sundaysnake

And taking up a theme based on the recent sightings of @amphiesma.bsky.social and @wildwallacephoto.bsky.social , this #SundaySnakes feature is the Sharp-tailed Snake! Contia tenuis. Always one of the first snakes of the year for me. #herps #snakes #slugeater #yearofthesnake #fieldwork #contiatenuis

A brown and white banded California kingsnake coiled into a ball on a bed of pine needles. #yearofthesnake

Close up of the head of a classically colored black-and-white kingsnake.

A brown and white patterned king, held in one hand, with a look at the head and lateral sides.

And because it’s #SundaySnakes, let’s talk about the only kings I ever want to see, Kingsnakes! California Kingsnakes (Lampropeltis californiae) can be found in a variety of colors and are renowned for their ability to dominate and eat rattlesnakes. an Impressive species, to be sure! #herps #snakes

A cream-colored snake, with bright orange speckles and big eyes, emerges from under a woody shrub.

A cream-colored snake, with bright orange speckles and big eyes, emerges from under a woody shrub.

Today’s #SundaySnakes feature is the San Joaquin Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum ruddocki)! Although their bubblegum pink cousins to the south get a lot of love, these orange beauties are often overlooked. As fast and bitey as the rest of the genus. #herps #snakes #reptiles #calherps #fieldwork

A dark brown snake with smooth, shiny scales is curled loosely in an open hand.

A small, salmon-colored baby boa, with light eyes, wraps around a hand. #rubberboa

A smooth brown snake with shiny scales and a few darker patches of scales winds loosely around a hand. Green meadow in the background.

A smooth, brown snake with a creamy yellow belly is curled loosely in a hand. A tiny bit of forked tongue can be seen.

Today’s #SundaySnakes feature is one of only two native boas found in Cali, the Rubber Boa (Charina bottae). These adorable beasties may live 50 years in the wild! #herps #snakes #rubberboa #yearofthesnake #boas #calherps #fieldbiologist

A small, smooth-scaled brown snake with yellow side stripes and large eyes is loosely coiled on a dirt patch. It is an adorable baby snake.

A juvenile striped racer choosing a rare moment of peace towards the hand that picked it up. Image shows narrow head and neck of a small brown snake with yellow lateral stripes and belly. The large eyes and short yellow stripe from nostril to eye are identifiers for this species.

Today’s #SundaySnakes feature is the shockingly fast (and usually bitey) California Striped Racer (Masticophis lateralis lateralis). Here in the foothills, this species is fond of hot/dry open areas where it can chase down its favorite lizard snacks. #herps #snakes #whipsnakes #snek #stripedracer

#SundaySnakes kicking off with this adorable baby Western Yellow-bellied Racer (Coluber constrictor mormon)! At one point in time they were thought to be a different species than the adults because the two age phases look so different. Madera County, CA. #herps #snakes #caherps #racers #reptiles