Santa Cruz Island, CA

California has been experiencing some superb weather the last few days, so I decided to take a trip to Santa Cruz Island. I was fortunate to find all, but one of my target species. I was unable to locate the endemic Santa Cruz Island Gopher Snake. Biologists on the on island informed me that there is another snake inhabiting the island, the Racer (Coluber constrictor). Although several biologists mentioned this to me, the only documented species is from 1950’s at Prisoners Harbor. Question; anyone have information to support the Racer existing on the Island? According to Stebbins 2003, it appears from his range map that the Western Rattlesnake frequents the island, but biologists I spoke with strongly oppose the idea of Crotalus on the island. Additionally, Stebbins (2003) questions whether Night Snake exist on the island, but island biologists could not confirm, nor reject this theory. As for my research on the island, I came across the following six species:

<img src='http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/herpetology/images/7-picture3.jpg?'>
View of Santa Cruz Island from vicinity of Del Norte Camp (Santa Barbara Co.)

<img src='http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/0305/0190.jpeg'>
Channel Islands Slender Salamander

<img src='http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/0305/0191.jpeg'>
Black-bellied Slender Salamander

<img src='http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/0305/0195.jpeg'>
Common Side-blotched Lizard

<img src='http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/0305/0194.jpeg'>
Island Fence Lizard

<img src='http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/0305/0192.jpeg'>
California Alligator Lizard from Del Norte Camp

<img src='http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/herpetology/images/7-picture2.gif?'>
This pond and others along Del Norte Trail were full of tadpoles and scattered calling Pacific Treefrogs.

<img src='http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/0305/0193.jpeg'>
Finally, another Alligator Lizard from Prisoners Harbor

Check out THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE ISLANDS OF CALIFORNIA, by Allan Schoenherr et al. (1999). UC Press. In that book, the authors list P. catenifer, Coluber constrictor, and Hypsiglena torquata as native, although the latter might be extirpated. They consider Coluber as "rare" in grasslands. They do not consider Crotalus oreganus as being there-
Good luck-
Eric

Interesting you mention Dr. Schoenherr, because he was my ecology Professor when attending Fullerton College. Dr. Schoenherr would mention his developing book about the Channel Islands often, but it was near the time I was moving forward from that school so I didn’t hear about it in detail. Unfortunately, I was unable to discuss the herpetology of the islands. Thanks for the information I will be getting a copy of his island book soon.

Thanks,
Will

I'd like to get out to the islands someday, but it will have to wait, unfortunately-

Eric

Santa Cruz Island is beautiful. It is just right off the shore from me. I do believe that it is important to note since this is in field collecting that it is illegal to collect on the island. Unless something has changed that I am unaware of.

Great pictures.