Yellow-bellied

  

A quick look at a Western Yellow-bellied Racer (Coluber constrictor mormon) this afternoon (3 June 2026)

With its head raised, the nice yellow color on the underside was easy to see:

 

 

Starting the journey

  

Sharing another terrapin photo and a short video clip (below).

In the photo above you can see this hatchling's egg tooth.  If you look closely at the very tip of the snout, you can see a pale sharp point.  The egg tooth helps the hatchling break out of the shell.  Later the egg tooth will fall off.

We also have a short video clip of the turtle as it starts on its journey from the nesting area to the salt marsh.  You'll see the turtle blinking, breathing, looking around, and pushing through the sand.  [If you can't see a video player in the e-mail message, click on the title of the post to go to the NHBH website.]

Good luck, little one!

P.S.  With thanks to Eric for editing the video clip! 

Along the edge of the pond

  

I can't take any credit for this post.  Melissa spotted these wonderful hatchling Eastern Musk Turtles (Sternotherus odoratus) and Eric took some great photos.  I just get to share them with you!

Above, a hatchling swimming over the sandy bottom of a coastal plain pond on Cape Cod.

Next, a closer view under water:

 

 

 

And a close-up where you can observe some important features.  I hadn't seen a musk turtle hatchling before, so I didn't know their facial stripes were more prominent than in adults.  Also note the short pointed snout, the webbed feet, and the yellowish spots along the edges of the marginal scutes.  

 

 

 

Eastern Musk Turtles are small turtles.  The hatchlings we observed today had shell lengths of only about 2.5 cm (1 inch). 

 

It's been years since I've seen this species.  Thanks again to Melissa (and Squashy and Smokey) for sharp eyes and local knowledge and to Eric for the camera skills! 

 

P.S.  For more info about musk turtles, click here.

  

Terrapin station

  

Had some luck on a late afternoon walk on Cape Cod today (22 September 2025).  We crossed paths with a couple of beautiful Northern Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) hatchlings.

I'm running out of time tonight, but I couldn't resist sharing a couple of photos.  These are small turtles, with shell lengths of only ~3 cm long.

 

 

Curious?  You can learn more about these salt marsh turtles here.

 

Surfacing, sunning, and surfing

 

 

A few more photos of honu, or Green Sea Turtles (Chelonias mydas), from Hawai'i for you.

Above, two photographed in the Honolulu area.  These turtles were only at the surface for brief periods.  Most of the time they were under water, perhaps feeding near the bottom?

Below, two photographed on Kaui'i.  One resting on the beach, and another riding a wave:

 

 

 

 

With aloha

Honu and he’e

Honu, or Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) photographed while snorkeling in Kaua’i on 1 April 2024.

Not only did Eric get lucky with a sea turtle today, he also photographed a beautiful he’e, or an octopus.  We’re not 100% sure, but it might be he’e mauli, or a Day Octopus (Octopus cyanea). Here’s a broad view showing the he’e under a ledge and an amazing close-up, highlighting the eye and the siphon:

With many thanks to honu and he’e, and to Eric for sharing such great photos!

December sun

  

I went for a short walk in the woods today and came across this small snake sunning among the needles and leaves.  I think it's a Common Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis).  Although it's mid-December, the air temperature reached ~53°F (~12°C) in Walpole, Massachusetts, this afternoon.  Warm enough to do some exploring and to catch some rays!

 

 

 

 

Soaking up the Reyes?

 

 

I was admiring the nice scales and color pattern on this Western Fence Lizard (Scleropus occidentalis) today while it was basking at Point Reyes, so now I'm passing along a close-up to you!  Photographed on 26 August 2023.

Snake eyes

  

Walking through the dunes today (29 April 2023), I was pleasantly surprised to come across this beautiful Western Yellow-bellied Racer (Coluber constrictor mormon).  It was curled up below a shrub and eventually turned and moved off in the other direction, but I managed a few photos for the record.  I don't see racers that often on Bodega Head, so it was a highlight on a cool day at the coast.  Here's a close-up showing the scales (and a reflection of me in its eye!).

 

 

I posted about racers way back in 2012, so if you'd like to read a little more about them (and see a photo of a juvenile), see "Color shift" on 15 October 2012.

 

Belly dancing?

  

I saw several of these tracks on the upper beach in Truro, MA, on 28 September 2022.  

A wonderful snake track!  

Although I looked, I didn't find the snake itself.

Watching and waiting

 

 

Sharing a few photos of a Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) from Walpole, MA, last week. 

 

I was impressed with the turtle's patience.  I watched it for quite a while, but it stayed very still almost the entire time...waiting...and waiting...and waiting for the fish to swim close enough:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Following the path

  

While walking in Wellfleet, MA, yesterday (29 September 2022) every now and then we noticed these tracks crossing the sand.  

I had an idea about the animal responsible for them and I was hopeful that we might find one, but for a while we just keep running across more tracks:

 

 

We were just about to give up when we finally found the individual that made some of the tracks:

 

 

Yes!  I hadn't seen one for years, but this is a Northern Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) hatchling.

These turtles live in salt marshes on Cape Cod and the young turtles emerge from nests at this time of year.

Here's a view of the hatchling from the side:

 

 

And another view from above, this time with a ruler for scale.  The turtle's shell is only ~2.5 cm long:

 

 

Turtles are one of the groups of animals that led me down the natural history path, so I was glad to spend a few moments with this little terrapin.

Fall beauty

 

 

A beautiful DeKay's Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi) crossing a trail in Chatham, MA, today (29 September 2022).

 

This is a relatively small snake — it was approximately 12 inches long (and that's about average size for this species).  

 

Here's a view of the entire snake:

 

 

 

And I can't help ending with a close-up.  The coloration and markings are subtle, but check out the blueish iridescence on top of the head:

 

 

 

Little lizard

  

When we got home from work tonight, this tiny lizard ran across our path.  It was only ~6 cm (~2.5 inches) long, including the tail.  I think it's a juvenile Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis), but let me know if you have a different opinion.

October sun

It was warm in the sun this afternoon and I turned the corner to see a flash of blue:

Can you tell what it is?

The entire animal is below:

 

 

A nice look at a Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) basking at the edge of a crevice between two blocks.

 

Here's a close-up:

 

Not the only onessssss

 

 

When we were at the Gualala River recently, we realized we were not the only ones searching for toads.  We came across a few garter snakes, including the one above that had swallowed a toad!  (More on this below...)

 

There are several species of garter snakes in this area, which can make them challenging to identify.

 

Two of the snakes we saw had a lot of red coloration on their heads and bodies.  Here's a side view of the same snake shown in the first photo:

 

I could use some help, but my guess on this individual is California Red-sided Gartner Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis infernalis).  

We also photographed a different individual that I think might be the same species:

 

 

 

 

But the third snake looked very different:

 

 

 

Here's a side view of the same individual:

 

 

 

The identification of this snake was confusing to me.  Usually garter snakes have a paler yellow dorsal stripe down the middle of the back.  This one only had a partial stripe on the neck.  

As you can see, there is no red coloration anywhere.  And if you're interested in comparing, the labial scales (along the jaw, below the eye) and the internasal scales (between the nostrils) are different (in number and shape, respectively) relative to the first two snakes.

My best guess right now for the third snake is an Aquatic Garter Snake (Thamnophis atratus, possibly Thamnophis atratus hydrophilus).  But I haven't been able to locate another example of an Aquatic Garter Snake with this coloration.  [The color pattern is a better match for a Two-striped Garter Snake (Thamnophis hammondii), but that species isn't found in Sonoma County.] 

 

If you have any input about these identifications, I'd be grateful for any feedback!

P.S.  Fun natural history note: If you look closely at the first photo in this post, you'll see that the snake looks swollen in its midsection.  We weren't sure what was causing that at first, but while Eric was watching the snake, it regurgitated a partially digested toad!

Rockscapes

  

A few photos of rocks from along the northern Sonoma coast this past weekend.  Thanks to Eric for his excellent eye and framing some beautiful patterns!

 

 
 

And here's one from me:

 

 

 

One more, from Eric, because the fence lizard matched the rock so nicely:

 

Rare reptile sighting

  

Last weekend, Jane kindly let us know that she had encountered a dead sea turtle on Salmon Creek Beach.  From the photo it appeared to be a Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta), and this identification was confirmed by staff at the California Academy of Sciences.  Sea turtles are rare this far north, so it was valuable to document the occurrence of this species in Bodega Bay.

Many thanks to Jane for the photos and to Moe at Cal Academy for the confirmation.

P.S. For more information about Loggerhead Turtles, check out this helpful web page put together by NOAA.

P.P.S.  Although sea turtle sightings in this area are rare, if you come across one you can report it to The Marine Mammal Center.

Color matching

 

Another local that demonstrates excellent color matching with its background, a Northern Alligator Lizard (Elgaria coerulea).