Thread by @MojaveDesertLT

Hi, I’m Paisley and I’m doing a social media takeover for MDLT! I’m a field biologist and hobby herpetologist in the Coachella Valley. I work full time for @OswitLandTrust, a nonprofit committed to preserving open space, wildlife habitat, and providing equitable access to nature.

I run the Palm Springs Reptile Appreciation page on FB and Palm Springs Snake Club on IG to help educate the community & ease fears regarding some of the desert’s most misunderstood wildlife. Follow along for fun facts about snakes you’ll find in the Mojave and Colorado Deserts!

Snakes vs. Lizards - in the Mojave and Colorado deserts, we're lucky to have a high abundance & diversity of both lizards and snakes.

Why are snakes important? They are secondary consumers, serving both as prey for important predators and also being predators themselves. Click the photo to view in full.

Aren't snakes dangerous? That's up to you! Like most wildlife they can bite in defense if handled. In CA, the only native snakes considered to be "medically significant" are rattlesnakes. If you keep a respectful distance, they are safe to observe in the wild!

A speckled rattlesnake exhibiting typical rattlesnake behavior - carefully moving away from a potential threat.
Video: Paisley Ramstead / Palm Springs Snake Club

Rattlesnakes are excellent communicators! Often you will hear the telltale rattle before you ever see the snake. Click the photo to learn how to identify rattlers if you do happen to see one in the wild.

And if you get too close, they'll politely let you know.
Video: Paisley Ramstead / Palm Springs Snake Club

Gopher snakes are often misidentified as rattlers and can even "rattle" their tail in a similar way, but they pose no threat to people or pets and are great to have around for pest control!

Gopher snakes rattle their tail to distract predators from their more vulnerable parts, but it has the added bonus of intimidating those who are fearful of rattlers!
Video: Paisley Ramstead / Palm Springs Snake Club

We often see snakes as they are fleeing, which can make them hard to identify. Here are a few lesser known California desert snakes that are frequently misidentified as rattlers or gopher snakes.

California kingsnakes are a well-loved local species because of their reputation for eating rattlesnakes, but can you tell which of these banded babes is a true kingsnake?

Shovel-nosed snakes are specially adapted to traveling through soft-sand!
Video: Paisley Ramstead / Palm Springs Snake Club

Red racers, also commonly known as coachwhips, are notoriously fast. They are active during the day, so if you're lucky you might see one zooming across the trail on a summer morning hike!

A red racer (aka coachwhip) zooms off onto the horizon.
Video: Paisley Ramstead / Palm Springs Snake Club

These western threadsnakes spend the majority of their lives underground eating termites! They occasionally come up to the surface on humid nights to show off their sterling silver scales.

Western threadsnakes are finer than designer jewelry!
Video: Paisley Ramstead / Palm Springs Snake Club

Rosy boas are perhaps the most well-loved of our local desert snakes - they are notoriously calm, cool & collected. Unfortunately, their docile nature means they are heavily poached and collected from their native habitats. If you love them, leave them wild!

I couldn't wrap up this takeover without an honorable mention to my very favorite local species, the California lyre snake. This species is curious, feisty, & always a special treat to observe in the wild.

Thanks for following along!
Find me on Instagram: instagram.com/palmspringssna…
And Facebook: facebook.com/groups/psrepti…