ac_bell's Identifications

This was just one of those hugely frustrating things that happens from time to time. I was appreciating how empty the park was this morning when a group of men and two large dogs approached. At the same time, I noticed a snake. The group approached from one side, and I approached from the other. The snake wanted nothing to do with any of it, and took off into the brush. I barely got a couple of poor photos before it disappeared. Was so disappointed, because it wasn’t one I had seen in the park before. It looked like a striped racer, but while it moved quickly, I don't think it moved quickly enough, Maybe a garter snake...

I saw him/her walking along the edge of a field near sunset. This is in the area of a large meadow where there is water, lots of rabbits, and coyotes. The meadow surrounded with houses but it’s plenty big and has a number of wooded areas and dry stream beds. I was about to bike down the trail it’s sitting on. It heard my bike turned to see me, stopped and sat down (as in the picture).when I rode up a little further to get a better picture he moseyed off into those eucalyptus trees. That part of the trial is called Medusa’s Gates because of the tunnel the eucalyptus trees form…I rode off in another direction. Had a long dark tipped tail and moved like a big cat. I did get closer for the id but couldn’t get my phone out of my pocket f Fast enough.