2017 May 14--A Quest for Snails at Home Reveals Much More

1530-1700. We've had some rain over the past week. Not having looked much for snails or slugs at our property, I decided to go out looking to see what I could find, and I figured the rain we've had over the last week would help my quest. I primarily looked in the closed-canopy oak woodland west of our house. I did find two species of snail and one slug species (two specimens); all native species. Both of the snails were with or in the process of laying eggs (see photos). A very green Pacific Treefrog revealed itself by hopping from its perch in the grass. They breed in my neighbor's pond to the north.

On my way to the oak woods I began to look at grasses, which I haven't studied for some time, and checked a couple sheets of metal roofing along my gravel road. A familiar, large (3-4 ft) Gopher Snake was present and gave me good photos and an impressive striking and hissing video (links in comments on that species; click photo below). While on the search for gastropods, I incidentally found a new vertebrate species for our property (not easy to do these days): an Ensatina (salamander). It was in a pile of scrap wood near our treehouse.

Rain has many positive sides.

eBird checklist for the outing.

Posted on Μάιος 15, 2017 0726 ΜΜ by umpquamatt umpquamatt

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umpquamatt

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Μάιος 14, 2017 03:37 ΜΜ PDT

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umpquamatt

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Μάιος 14, 2017 04:09 ΜΜ PDT

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umpquamatt

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Μάιος 14, 2017 04:21 ΜΜ PDT

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I see some kind of vertical line on the upper part of the head/face of this individual, but it seems limited to the upper half, and the face is very much patterned like Julida in https://www.polydesmida.info/millipedesofaustralia/img/juliform_faces.jpg, as is the bottom mouth area. Since on this individual and my previous millipede face the vertical line is on the "forehead" versus down near the mouth as on the web image, I'm wondering if this forehead line is NOT the cleft referred to in the face images. Your thoughts @pileated?

There are those little mites again!!!

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umpquamatt

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Μάιος 14, 2017 04:14 ΜΜ PDT

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Very fuzzy.

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umpquamatt

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Μάιος 14, 2017 04:33 ΜΜ PDT

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Μάιος 14, 2017 04:38 ΜΜ PDT

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Under wood.

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umpquamatt

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Μάιος 14, 2017 04:45 ΜΜ PDT

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I'm striking out on this one.

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Τι

Αγρωστώδη (Οικογένεια Poaceae)

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umpquamatt

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Μάιος 14, 2017 03:40 ΜΜ PDT

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Μάιος 14, 2017 03:40 ΜΜ PDT

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Μάιος 14, 2017 03:42 ΜΜ PDT

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Μάιος 14, 2017 03:43 ΜΜ PDT

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Μάιος 14, 2017 03:45 ΜΜ PDT

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Μάιος 14, 2017 03:48 ΜΜ PDT

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Snake was under a piece of corrugated sheet metal roofing. It is a 3-4 ft snake. The snake was hissing loudly--it would breath in slowly and hiss out slowly. It was "rattling" its skinny tail in rattlesnake fashion. It struck at me once. See video here: https://youtu.be/qwJl5Dbfrv4

Here's another one with plenty of loud hissing: https://youtu.be/FuyeyKX2hCs

I have seen what was likely this same snake in the general area a couple times before.

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Μάιος 14, 2017 04:03 ΜΜ PDT

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Μάιος 14, 2017 04:46 ΜΜ PDT

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Μάιος 14, 2017 04:48 ΜΜ PDT

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Under scrap lumber near treehouse.

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umpquamatt

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Μάιος 14, 2017 04:54 ΜΜ PDT

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In process of laying eggs, including on my finger.

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umpquamatt

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Μάιος 14, 2017 04:57 ΜΜ PDT

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Under scrap wood pile.

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Μάιος 14, 2017 04:13 ΜΜ PDT

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