Stories that delighted us, enraged us, got us outside, got us thinking.
Tag: snakes
Summer Issue 2025
Hither and Slither: How to Find Bay Area Snakes
For nature lovers seeking a challenge, finding a rare snake is deeply rewarding. “Snake hunting is the new birdwatching,” says one expert.
Urban Nature
The Bay Area is the Center of an Evolutionary Race Between Hungry Snakes and Toxic Newts
Newts carry enough toxin to kill a dozen people. Yet in the Bay Area garter snakes feast on them without harm.
Ask the Naturalist
How Can You Tell a Gopher Snake from a Rattlesnake?
If the snake you encounter looks perturbed, don’t count solely on head shape when you ID it.
Ask the Naturalist
Are Baby Rattlesnakes the Most Dangerous Biters?
People often say baby rattlesnake bites are more dangerous than adult rattlesnake bites. Is the conventional wisdom correct?
Archive
Video of Snakes Caught in the Act in Petaluma
A few months ago a Point Blue Conservation Science staff member spotted two happy king snakes engaged in an act of passion at the edge of Shollenberger Marsh. Here’s the video.
Wildlife
Celebrating the year of the snake with Bay Area favorites
Happy Chinese New Year! It’s the year of the snake, so we’re taking a moment to reflect on some of our Bay Area favorites.
Summer Issue 2008
Letter from the Publisher
No one can accuse me of being an early adopter—the kind of person who rushes to embrace new technologies. I didn’t get my first computer until 1991, I don’t have an iPod, and social networking still means meeting colleagues face-to-face. … Read more
Summer Issue 2008
View from the Ground
Most folks don’t think much of snakes unless they trip over them. It turns out that a remarkable diversity of serpents lives nearby, from beautiful red-bellied ring-necked snakes hiding under logs in damp woodlands to three- or four-foot rattlers sunning themselves on rocky slopes in Sunol Regional Wilderness. Able predators, many of our local snakes have evolved fascinating strategies for subduing their prey, whether rodents, amphibians, or even other snakes.
