Tips to find sidewinders without cruising

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frostior
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Tips to find sidewinders without cruising

Post by frostior »

Hi, folks.
I am planning a brief herping weekend for South California. I am hoping to photograph some sidewinders. In the past, I have been spotting them at night through cruising.But I saw some folks able to find them resting in coil during daytime. So I guess it is my time to try and I would greatly appreciate any tips!

Which area would you recommend during this time of year? I am thinking Mojave NP or Anza Borrego SP? Also I understand this maybe something like walking on sand dune area for tracks, but when should I set out? In Dusk before full sunset? Or at Dusk?

P.S. I am a student in Claremont, CA. If anyone have plans or want to hang out together, feel free to pm me;)
bgorum
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Re: Tips to find sidewinders without cruising

Post by bgorum »

The first sidewinders I ever saw were in the El Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve in Sonora. We located them by going out to the dunes in the morning and tracking them. The tacks would eventually lead to bushes were, (if we were lucky), we'd find a partially buried sidewinder. I had the opportunity to track sidewinders in this manner again in Paradise Canyon in Utah. Those remain my most memorable sidewinder encounters. There is something so cool about tracking the snakes and searching and searching at the base of a bush, where you know the snake must be, to all of a sudden see it right in front of you. I must say though, that I've tried to duplicate that success in the Algodones Dunes and Anza-borrego area without success. However, I think that is mostly a matter of not being there at the best time and not being there long enough. So, if there are any sand dunes around, I'd suggest trying to track them!
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frodaman
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Re: Tips to find sidewinders without cruising

Post by frodaman »

Hello!

Sidewinders are one of my favorite things to search for, and have spent a lot of time with them during the day. I have been fortunate enough to track and locate all three subspecies in various localities. Here are a couple tips and photos that may be able to point you in the right direction. I applaud you for pushing past the standard road-cruising, and attempting to get your actual boots on the ground! Finding rattlesnakes in general coiled in-situ, observing natural behavior and getting photos of them in that way can be extremely rewarding. If you have the good sense to have a hands-off approach, take copious amounts of notes, try not to over-exploit the animals, and keep a minimal amount of human visitation to the areas you have found, you will find that you will observe more and more of that natural behavior and get the thrill of maybe even watching the exact same animals for years to come. That seems to be the formula that a lot of these long-time herpers use to see mothers with clutches of babies, predation, mating rituals, and so forth. I don't claim to be perfect in this formula, but I strive to be better and better every time I set foot in the field.

Anyways... we are talking about winders here! Here are some photos before I get into it.

C. c. laterorepens

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C. c. cerastes

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C. c. cercobombus

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The Sidewinder account on the Reptiles of Arizona Website has some great resources on location in the Behavior section http://reptilesofaz.org/Snakes-Subpages ... astes.html
BEHAVIOR: Nocturnal and crepuscular during the hot summer months, it shelters in underground burrows during the day. It is diurnal and crepuscular during spring when it is often encountered coiled on the surface in the partial shade of a creosote bush. In sandy areas this snake often coils partially buried in the sand, sometimes with only the head and dorsum exposed. This ground-dweller's distinctive method of locomotion (side-winding) involves the snake moving sideways with its body winding through an "S" shaped curve. While side-winding only a few points of the snakes body contact the hot sand at any one time. This method of locomotion leaves distinctive parallel J-shaped tracks with the hooks of the "J"s pointing in the direction of travel. Like the other "pit-vipers" (members of the subfamily Crotalinae) this snake uses heat sensing pits (one on each side of the face between the eye and nostril) to detect warm-blooded predators and prey.
In terms of dialing in timing and microhabitat, I'll let the above resource be the compass and personal experience be your best teacher. Basically put though, use common sense - when the temperatures are the most suitable for reptile activity, you will see winders. They are not extremely picky it seems. If you have any experience searching for crotes, apply that for this given situation. As far as tracking goes, here are a couple photos and tips for following these guys.
This method of locomotion leaves distinctive parallel J-shaped tracks with the hooks of the "J"s pointing in the direction of travel.
Here are some photos I have taken of these tracks in MX, UT, and AZ. You can see the distinct "J"s in the tracks, and as the guide explains the "hooks" of the tracks point in the direction of the animal's travel. The hooks are made by the neck and head of the animal as it travels, which is contrary to what it may seem. When I first started I thought they were made by the tail.

For these two photos, the tracks are headed towards me.

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The last one shown here is headed away from me.

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That should give you a good feeling of what to look for and how to follow. I will say - remember to pick your battles! Look for the freshest tracks you can find, which are usually the ones where you can clearly see the belly scutes. Sidewinders are notorious for covering a lot of ground if they want to. There have been times that I have following tracks for what it seemed like 50-100 meters. If you choose a faded and old track, your time may just be better spent covering ground in suitable habitat searching for incidental snake finds or fresh tracks. Another tip for tracking would be if you are doing it at night or in the dark, hold your light low to the ground and watch the tracks illuminate!

Some other things to look for are "craters" left by winders who sat in an area and then left. The fresh ones will look like inverted cinnamon rolls with belly scutes. The belly scutes are key - you'd be surprised how often you can be deceived by a track made by a kangaroo rat who sat for a while to eat or rest and it's tail makes some interesting track. Seems wonky and hard to believe that it could get you, but it does.

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The more experience you get tracking, the more successful you will be. It can be frustrating at times, but tracking reptiles or any animals for that matter can be extremely rewarding. You learn a lot about their natural history.

I hope this give you a little tidbit of information that will help you in your travels in California. There is a lot of good habitat for them. Unfortunately out of the two localities you listed, I do not have experience with. It's a little late in the year but it's still doable. However, Sidewinders seem to be generalists in terms of behavior. Check weather for each and make an educated guess.

Good luck!! :beer:

Jeff
Kfen
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Re: Tips to find sidewinders without cruising

Post by Kfen »

I don't plan on being in sidewinder range anytime soon, nor can I help with the original question, but wanted to say the above post was very interesting and informative. Thanks for taking the time to put that together.
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frodaman
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Re: Tips to find sidewinders without cruising

Post by frodaman »

Kfen wrote: October 20th, 2019, 5:22 am I don't plan on being in sidewinder range anytime soon, nor can I help with the original question, but wanted to say the above post was very interesting and informative. Thanks for taking the time to put that together.
Thanks for the feedback!
DRDAN
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Re: Tips to find sidewinders without cruising

Post by DRDAN »

Great photos and question. I would add that winders will post themselves just within the shade/drip line of creosote bushes, or other shrubs, and relocate as they are exposed to the sun, just look for craters at the edges of vegetation and follow them around the bush. Found many a morning winder in this fashion.
Cheers
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frodaman
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Re: Tips to find sidewinders without cruising

Post by frodaman »

DRDAN wrote: October 21st, 2019, 11:07 am Great photos and question. I would add that winders will post themselves just within the shade/drip line of creosote bushes, or other shrubs, and relocate as they are exposed to the sun, just look for craters at the edges of vegetation and follow them around the bush. Found many a morning winder in this fashion.
Cheers
Absolutely!
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shanicy
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Re: Tips to find sidewinders without cruising

Post by shanicy »

Very interesting discussion!
I'm in the US right now, traveling around the national parks with my girlfriend.
I had a few tries on some dunes along the way (currently in Utah) but found zero tracks (and snakes). This season is tough...
As an Israeli, I tracked hundreds of Cerastes snakes at home and I still hope to find one here :)

Has any of you found an active/basking one during the day where the high temps are 65F and low are below 30? That's sounds too cold for me...
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frodaman
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Re: Tips to find sidewinders without cruising

Post by frodaman »

Yeah, those conditions are pretty tough. Generally when the night temps are below freezing, things seems to stay below the frostline. However C. cerastes can sometimes be found basking outside of their burrows on unseasonably warm days with warmer night temps.
DRDAN
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Re: Tips to find sidewinders without cruising

Post by DRDAN »

If you drop down to Az or Ca you might get lucky, we still have winders on the move down here by the Salton Sea. I saw several last week along with numerous trackways. Better hurry though it’s cooling off quickly.
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shanicy
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Re: Tips to find sidewinders without cruising

Post by shanicy »

I did manage to find 2 live ones at Anza Borrego in mid-November.
The first one found at midnight, it was very cold. Second one in the morning.

Also, I've seen tracks in other spots closer to the Arizona border, so there is definitely late-season activity of this species.

I can't attach the photo properly, so here is a link:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/shanicy/49183099811/

Thank you all for the tips!
Jimi
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Re: Tips to find sidewinders without cruising

Post by Jimi »

I did manage to find 2 live ones at Anza Borrego in mid-November.
The first one found at midnight, it was very cold. Second one in the morning.

Also, I've seen tracks in other spots closer to the Arizona border, so there is definitely late-season activity of this species.
Nice follow-up, thanks. And congrats on your success!

Yes, this species is widely regarded as quite cold-tolerant. Plenty of "accidental winders" get cruised by guys who have thrown in the towel at night's chilly end, and are headed back to the motel or home.
Has any of you found an active/basking one during the day where the high temps are 65F and low are below 30? That's sounds too cold for me...
So - was this pretty much the conditions you found them under?

And I'm curious - are Old World Cerastes found under similar conditions, or do they demand a little more warmth? How about ecological analogues like Echis, Eristicophis, Pseudocerastes etc? Know and of those guys first-hand? Just based on latitude and distance from oceans, I would think some of those guys must face some pretty cold temps. I wonder, do they take it like our winders, or do they hide?

cheers
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shanicy
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Re: Tips to find sidewinders without cruising

Post by shanicy »

Yes pretty much around the 50F at midnight.
The morning was warmer, and I found them by their tracks.

In Israel, Snakes are less cold tolerant, and especially in the desert, it will be almost impossible to find the snakes you mentioned in the winter.
However, at shoulder seasons, you might be able to find by day a basking cerastes, echis and pseudocerastes, but you will need a lot of luck.
mark buck
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Re: Tips to find sidewinders without cruising

Post by mark buck »

the first sidewinder I ever found was coiled up under a boulder mid day in CA's low desert...
cloudy days seem to work best

*tried to upload a pic but I guess my picture files are too large, and now TinyPic is belly up... that's nice...

also looks like you've gotten some great responses/pictures
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jonathan
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Re: Tips to find sidewinders without cruising

Post by jonathan »

Which Claremont campus are you at? I'm a HMC and CGU grad. You might already know, but Stephen Mahoney, a biology professor at HMC, is into herpetology and if you talk to him you might be able to accompany some outings whether or not you're actually part of his class/research group.

I haven't found winders in the day, but once in late September the night temps appeared to be too cold for cruising, so we began hiking the dunes instead. Found two sidewinders within not too long a search time, both half-buried in the sand. The one I found I was led to because I noticed increased insect activity at the edge of my light and figured, "that looks like a more 'active' spot" and sure enough found a winder within a few seconds.

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