Field notes, v1306
Page 121
Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Contributed by Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley. | www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Transcription
Greene, H. 1985 5 August Left ~0830 w/ Barney and Max for a talus slide ~8600' near Rustlers' Point. It is a S or SE facing steep slope, w/ oaks, pines, manzanita, and large open fields of talus. As we came over the crest to descend, heard a big commotion and saw a >400 pound red bull hanging by its neck from an oak tree crotch - it had apparently lost its footing and slid into that predicament. Barney dashed off to the car to get a saw at a Forest Service station up the road, but the bull evidently died about that time as it never moved again and D could detect no movements. Max and I began to search the talus, and w/in minutes (0940hr) we heard then caught a large adult Crotalus pricei. It had an empty stomach and seemed light so while taking photos we spotted it a Sceloporus virgatus which it ate! also saw numerous S. janzovi. It was bright and sunny when we arrived, but dark clouds blew in from the NW and a light rain fell sporadically as we left. Next stopped downhill (still well above the Southwestern Research Station) and worked up and down road along East Turkey Creek for an hour or so. Saw lots of Sceloporus, but the only snake was a nice young adult C. molossus Barney found sunning in front of a rock, a