cornered, defend itself with a bite. bite. a with itself defend cornered,

three sides by ocean, and to the north, north, the to and ocean, by sides three

last line of defense is to flee or, if if or, flee to is defense of line last peninsula is island-like (surrounded on on (surrounded island-like is peninsula

then rattle its tail as a warning. The The warning. a as tail its rattle then species’ numbers. Because Point Loma Loma Point Because numbers. species’

assessments of possible decline in in decline possible of assessments that doesn’t work, a rattlesnake will will rattlesnake a work, doesn’t that

at Cabrillo in 2002 to continue continue to 2002 in Cabrillo at

quiet and still to avoid detection. If If detection. avoid to still and quiet

California. The NPS took over monitoring monitoring over took NPS The California.

cryptic coloration and remain remain and coloration cryptic

species in Southern Southern in species herptile of study

Rattlesnakes must rely on their their on rely must Rattlesnakes

then USGS), as part of a larger scale scale larger a of part as USGS), then

lizards and their eggs. eggs. their and lizards

the snake shakes its tail. tail. its shakes snake the began in 1995 by Dr. Robert Fisher (SDSU, (SDSU, Fisher Robert Dr. by 1995 in began

most humans. It feeds on on feeds It humans. most Long-term monitoring of these species species these of monitoring Long-term

with segments that “rattle” when when “rattle” that segments with

into prey, but is harmless to to harmless is but prey, into

triangle-shaped head and a tail tail a and head triangle-shaped

these fangs to inject venom venom inject to fangs these

short, stout body with a large large a with body stout short,

rear-fanged snake. It uses uses It snake. rear-fanged

snake. snake.

found at Cabrillo. They have a a have They Cabrillo. at found

The night snake is a small, small, a is snake night The snake, and the Western long-nosed long-nosed Western the and snake,

These only rattlesnake species species rattlesnake only These

, California glossy glossy California , gartersnake striped

, two- , coachwhip red lizard, horned

rattlesnake, yellow-bellied racer, coast coast racer, yellow-bellied rattlesnake,

Coronado island skink, red diamond diamond red skink, island Coronado

been extirpated from the peninsula: peninsula: the from extirpated been

fact, eight reptile species have already already have species reptile eight fact,

salamander. salamander.

where they historically were found). In In found). were historically they where

amphibian, the garden slender slender garden the amphibian,

(no longer existing in a particular area area particular a in existing longer (no

snakes, 5 species of lizards, and one one and lizards, of species 5 snakes,

to population decline and extirpation extirpation and decline population to

– 6 species of of species 6 – herptiles of species 12

these animals are extremely susceptible susceptible extremely are animals these

Cabrillo National Monument is home to to home is Monument National Cabrillo

their limited home ranges, ranges, home limited their ) ) klauberi orchrorhyncha Hypsiglena (

) ) helleri oreganus Crotalus (

Reptiles & Amphibians Amphibians & Reptiles

cut off by development), and due to to due and development), by off cut San Diego Night Snake Snake Night Diego San Southern Pacific Rattlesnake Rattlesnake Pacific Southern

California Kingsnake San Diego Gopher Snake (Lampropeltis californiae) (Pituophis catenifer annectens) Our Role

This species is found A snake that can reach up to The core mission of the National Park Service is to protect and preserve throughout much of the 9’ long, the gopher snake is natural resources, processes, systems, southwest, and comes in a undoubtedly our largest and values of the parks they variety of color and pattern snake. Its diet consists of small manage. Our philosophy is protect, morphs including black or mammals, birds and their and restore when necessary, native brown and white and yellow ecosystems and let natural processes eggs, lizards, and play out. Park Rangers and Volunteers Cabrillo National Monument coming in both banded and invertebrates. Often this document their observations of flora Herpetology Guide striped varieties. This snake eats snake will mimic a rattlesnake and fauna. Scientists conduct a wide variety of prey items as a defensive tactic, by its research to try to understand the status and trends of the species and that include rodents, snakes similar coloration, and also by Name ______(including rattlesnakes), birds, systems they protect. This information shaking its tail, hissing, and is vital to advising park management lizards, and large invertebrates. inflating its head. For more information: and philosophy. www.nps.gov/cabr

short limbs. limbs. short and young birds. birds. young and

about 2-3 inches long with very very with long inches 2-3 about sometimes feed on bird eggs eggs bird on feed sometimes throat and a long tail. tail. long a and throat

more like a small, slimy worm. It is is It worm. slimy small, a like more and small mammals. It will will It mammals. small and a lizard with a bright orange orange bright a with lizard a

garden slender salamander looks looks salamander slender garden invertebrates, small lizards lizards small invertebrates, common at the park. Look for for Look park. the at common

months. Upon inspection, the the inspection, Upon months. species will eat small small eat will species beetles, termites, and spiders. spiders. and termites, beetles, small invertebrates and is is and invertebrates small

wet weather – usually the winter winter the usually – weather wet snake-like locomotion. This This locomotion. snake-like on insects in larvae form, form, larvae in insects on 25% of its historic range. It eats eats It range. historic its of 25%

only move about on land during during land on about move only because of its long tail and and tail long its of because can be difficult to find. It feeds feeds It find. to difficult be can only inhabits approximately approximately inhabits only

damp environments and they will will they and environments damp mistaken for a snake at times times at snake a for mistaken lot of its time underground, so it it so underground, time its of lot habitat loss, this species now now species this loss, habitat

mouth tissues. They must live in in live must They tissues. mouth alligator lizard can be be can lizard alligator predator. This species spends a a spends species This predator. of habitat fragmentation and and fragmentation habitat of

they respire through their skin and and skin their through respire they limbs and a long tail. The The tail. long a and limbs drop its tail to help it escape a a escape it help to tail its drop National Monument. Because Because Monument. National

not breathe through a lung; rather rather lung; a through breathe not very large lizard with short short with lizard large very because it has eyelids and can can and eyelids has it because but does very well at Cabrillo Cabrillo at well very does but

This species of salamander does does salamander of species This A somewhat common and and common somewhat A Not a snake! It’s a legless lizard lizard legless a It’s snake! a Not A species of special concern, concern, special of species A

major major) major) major Batrachoseps ( ) ) webbii multicarinata Elgaria ( ) ) stebbinsi Anniella ( ) ) beldingi hyperythra Aspidoscelis (

Garden Slender Salamander Salamander Slender Garden San Diego Alligator Lizard Lizard Alligator Diego San S. California Legless Lizard Lizard Legless California S. Belding’s Orange-throated Whiptail Whiptail Orange-throated Belding’s

San Diego Ring-necked Snake California Striped Racer Great Basin Fence Lizard Western Side-blotched Lizard (Diadophis punctatus similis) (Coluber lateralis lateralis) (Sceloporus occidentalis longipes) (Uta stansburiana elegans)

A small, thin snake that has a A long, thin snake that is A common lizard that eats A common lizard that eats dull, gray to black back, and mostly black with a single small invertebrates. This small invertebrates. Similar very bright yellow to orange yellow stripe on each side. particular species is a huge looking to the western fence underside. Like the night snake, This snake relies on its large benefit to humans because of lizard, adults are smaller, and it is rear fanged and venomous eyes and excellent vision to a protein in its blood that kills have a gular fold. (not harmful to humans). When locate prey. One of its the bacterium in ticks that threatened, this species coils its strategies is to climb into a causes Lyme disease. tail and exposes its bright shrub and elevate its head to underside. survey the area for prey – sometimes referred to as “periscoping.” And it’s called a racer because this snake is very fast!