#coluberlateralis

[coridallasmultipass]

AWESOME FIND!! 🐍🐍🐍🐍 Not my snake, but super cool! I feel very confident in identifying this as a Chaparral Whipsnake (or California Striped Racer) [Masticophis lateralis]! A very healthy adult male shed. It was all in one piece, but I accidentally ripped it because I didn't see that it was whole, woops. I found it curled through some dried iceplant against the sidewalk in a very sandy chaparral area of the park in my relative's neighborhood, which has PLENTY of lizards (and squirrels/squirrel holes) that I'm sure this guy has been chowing down on. I'm still working on getting a fishing license so I can actually go herping and photograph/maybe handle any live ones I find ((it's illegal to "go herping" without a fishing license, even if you don't touch/take the snakes, in Cali - the legislation says "pursuing" is not allowed, which is language that can be twisted to even disallow wildlife photography if someone doesn't like what they see.)) ...But regardless it's always exciting to see any snakes that aren't the most common garters and gophers you get in the backyard! I've never seen a racer before, and I learned some new things about identifying local snakes while id-ing this skin! 🐍🐍🐍🐍 ( Reposting from my snake's account: @wakeywakeyeggsandsnakey ) #snake #snakes #snakeshed #snakeskin #whipsnake #racer #californiastripedracer #chaparralwhipsnake #masticophislateralis #coluberlateralis #colubrid #cali #california https://www.instagram.com/p/CVI2dVwN7Gy/?utm_medium=tumblr