![](https://rayhosler.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/western_skink.jpg?w=1000)
There’s nothing more enjoyable than seeing an interesting creature while out for a ride and today was a prime example as I saw a young Western skink.
I was riding up Stevens Canyon a mile or so from the entrance when I saw a small lizard with a blue tail, the kind that shouts to its predators: Come and get me!
That was a first for me, another in a series inside the lovely canyon with a creek that captivates the imagination.
Long ago I saw what looked like a corn snake only yards from where I saw the skink, but since these snakes are not native to this area, I suppose it was a California kingsnake, absolutely stunning with color.
On the way out of the canyon, I had to walk around a downed oak tree across the road. After 100 years I guess it decided it was time to go.
![](https://rayhosler.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/stevens-canyon-end.jpg?w=1024)
June 9, 2024 at 6:43 am |
Saw a turkey vulture eating a king snake in Saratoga on our ride yesterday!