iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 20/09/2025

A baby sidewinder's tracks tell the story of the last few minutes. First, an elegant change in direction and in sidewinding handedness, like the jibe of a sailboat. Then a startled squiggle as it realizes it's being followed. Mojave Desert Sidewinder - Crotalus cerastes cerastes #herps

The elegant track of a baby sidewinder zigs and zags up a sand dune. The sidewinder is visible at the end of the track at the top.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 14/09/2025

Banded Rock Lizard - Petrosaurus mearnsi Making it look easy. This lizard was found in the peninsular ranges of Southern California. Geologically and ecologically, these ranges can be thought of as the northernmost part of Baja California. #herps

A closeup of a slender lizard with a distinct black collar and gray banding under an overhanging granite rock. The rock is a yellowish granite.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 26/07/2025

The western fence lizard hatchlings are out! First thing on the agenda? Eat some bugs! This one found a line of ants crawling on the branch of our palo verde and was happily snapping them up. Keep an eye out for little lizards! Western Fence Lizard - Sceloporus occidentalis July 2025 #herps 🦎 🐜

A hatchling western fence lizard hunts on the branch of a palo verde. The branches, not just the leaves, of the palo verde are green, and that is the overwhelming tint of this photo. The fence lizard is no more than 2 cm snout-to-vent.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

Nearly every riparian canyon near my home in Southern California has some of these these pretty chorus frogs (aka treefrogs), often sympatric with their cousins, the Pacific chorus frog, which have a much wider range. California chorus frog - Pseudacris californiae May 2025 #herps

A light-colored california tree frog, with its characteristic mottled stony appearance, peers into the camera from its vantage point on a nearby granite rock.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 20/06/2025

Here’s a special toad. The Arroyo toad is a federally listed endangered species. Do yourself a favor and listen to its mating call. It’s both beautiful and eerie, a reminder of a sound far more common in the not-so-distant past. Arroyo toad - Anaxyrus californicus #herps #FrogFriday

A small toad is seen centered on a sandy substrate. This toad has a white base color with yellow and dark gray splotches. We’re looking at the toad at a slight angle from the head on.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

The mojave rattlesnake has strikingly large scales on the top of its head - an identifying feature. For some reason it has an undeserved reputation for being particularly fearsome. I wouldn’t pet it, but like all rattlesnakes, it just wants to be left alone. #herps 🐍

A small mojave rattlesnake with muted olive gray coloration and a dorsal pattern with ovals of darker scales surrounded by white. The rattlesnake is pictured from top down coiled in ambush position on yellowish sands.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

Unbothered by hikers and hitchhikers, this juvenile rattlesnake basked peacefully by the side of a busy trail. Contrary to popular belief, baby rattlesnakes have full control of their venom delivery and deliver less venom than adults. Southern pacific rattlesnake - Crotalus helleri #herps

A close-up view of the head and neck of a light tan and brown juvenile southern pacific rattlesnake, viewed from the side. The rattlesnake is on a sandy trail with sparse green vegetation - a bit of grass and clover. Most notably, a hitchhiker seed is nestled up against the neck of the snake. It does not look comfortable, but it does not seem bothered.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 12/05/2025

The LA Zoo has a great reptile house with a whole room dedicated to local reptiles. Last weekend I took my kids to the zoo to see it (again). Then, an hour later and a mile or two away, we went and found one of these local species in Griffith Park, fulfilling a long time fancy of mine. 🐍 🐍 🐍

A placard at the LA Zoo showing an english and spanish translation of a description of the Southern Pacific Rattlesnake which reads:

Southern Pacific Rattlesnake
Cascabel del Pacifico Sur

Crotalus oreganus helleri

Meet Your Neighbor
This rattler is a California native.
In fact, it's the only rattlesnake found here in Griffith Park.
Sometimes it's even seen on
Zoo grounds!

Te Presento a Tu Vecina
Esta cascabel es oriunda de California.
De hecho, es la única serpiente de cascabel que habita en Griffith Park.
A veces se las ve hasta por los terrenos del zoológico!

The placard also has a range map showing its local distribution in Southern California and Baja California.

A small Southern Pacific Rattlesnake, Crotalus helleri, in situ (as found) in habitat with woody debris and fresh newly grown green leaves and stalks of plants nearby. The habitat is shaded and the light is from a cloudy overcast sky.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 07/05/2025

Most people in the US live within the range of the Ring-necked Snake. It’s harmless, but tries its best to appear otherwise. The result is beauty. Ring-necked Snake - Diadophis punctatus 🐍

A close up shot of the bright orange-red ventral scales on the tail of a ring-necked snake, which is curled into a tight double loop. The tip of the tail, visible in the middle of the loop, is black, as are the edges of the surrounding dorsal scales, giving the red tail colors an almost gear-toothed look. The tail rests on a roughly textured, darkly colored rock.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 03/05/2025

Who can blame this horned lizard for frowning when its favorite native ants are being replaced by highly invasive argentine ants? They just aren’t as tasty. Coast Horned Lizard - Phrynosoma blainvillii #herps

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 18/04/2025

Take a few moments to stare into the soul of this frog. Imagine yourself surrounded by the deafening calls of dozens of other frogs, each fighting for survival in a fragment of untouched habitat in the Santa Monica Mountains. Pacific Chorus Frog - Pseudacris regilla Happy #FrogFriday. 🐸

A closeup image of a brown and tan pacific chorus frog sitting on a rock at night with a black background. The image centers on the eye of the frog, which is reddish brownish with golden flecks and a black horizontal oval pupil. The image has a strong bokeh, with all but the eye and face of the frog blurred. The frog is light tan colored underneath and, like all pacific chorus frogs, has a dark stripe across its eye starting at its nose and going back to its shoulder.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 17/04/2025

Here is a little legless lizard from LA County. People often ask, how come it’s a lizard and not a snake? It really comes down to genetics, but there are some big hints in its morphology: eyelids that blink, a tail that can detach. Southern California Legless Lizard - Anniella stebbinsi #herps 🦎

A golden, worm-sized, snake-like, limbless lizard rests on an outstretched palm, with a little of the sandy substrate and a few bits of dead leaves beneath the lizard. The lizard has a very thin black line down the center of its back and its body is curved in a s-shape.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 09/04/2025

Spot the snake and name the species! Answer key in alt text #herps 🐍

This image is a wide angle view of a mixture of dry (almost grey) and newly grown vegetation. At roughly 35% from the right of the image and 25% from the bottom, a juvenile Southern Pacific Rattlesnake (Crotalus helleri) is just visible basking, partially obscured by the new spring growth of a small herbaceous plant.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

I can see why they call it a red-spotted toad. And I’m a little surprised they could see it at all. Red-spotted Toad - Anaxyrus punctatus #herps #frogfriday

A top-down view of a small toad on a sandy granite gravel. The colors of the toad roughly match the color of the gravel. The toad is a light tan color with small raised bright red spots with patchy grey outlines.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

Red Diamond Rattlesnakes are a CA Species of Special Concern due to habitat loss, fragmentation, and other pressures. They like using the same spaces we do. They also bask out in the open, like this one I saw last week, making them easy targets. Red Diamond Rattlesnake - Crotalus ruber #herps

A large red diamond rattlesnake basks on a sunny day in the ruins of an old structure, surrounded by concrete blocks embedded in dirt and lush green but invasive grasses. Its body winds gracefully through its surroundings, crossing itself once. The snake is a rusty tan with faint white diamonds along its back and a black and white striped tail leading to a rattle with 8 or 9 segments.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

It is uniquely awe-inspiring to witness simple acts of living in the wild, such as this slender salamander I observed recently munching on springtails in the San Gabriel Mts near LA. ♥️🌎 Black-bellied Slender Salander (Batrachoseps nigriventris) Springtail sp., likely Ptenothrix maculosa #herps

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

I lived in SoCal for years before I learned we have these adorable little newts in the area. Up north they are especially toxic, locked in an evolutionary arms race with garter snakes that have enough resistance to their tetrodotoxin to prey upon them. California newt - Taricha torosa #herps

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

Slender salamander from SoCal showing off its lonnnnnnnnnng tail. Black-bellied Slender Salamander - Batrachoseps nigriventris #herps

A dark brown and black slender salamander is curled in the shape of a comma, with its small body seemingly dwarfed by its long tail. It’s on some dark wood streaked with some weathered white paint.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

We have been chosen! Excited to be watching this process unfold on our front porch. Mourning Cloak - Nymphalis antiopa

A spiky black and gray caterpillar prepares to become a chrysalis, hanging in the shape of the letter J from a brick above a white painted wall.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

Yesterday we were admiring the bright breeding colors on this male Skilton’s skink. Skilton’s skink, Plestiodon skiltonianus skiltonianus #herps

A skilton’s skink with bright orange labial scales, a white chin and venter, and grey dorsal scales is held in hand. The skink is held so its head is pointing up.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

Big ol’ fence lizard. Always a satisfying catch. Western Fence Lizard - Sceloporus occidentalis #herps 🦎

A child is holding a large western fence lizard belly up showing its bright blue belly. The ventral coloration is symmetrical from outside to inside with dark grey sides, fading to iridescent blue-teal, fading to black, with a thin white gray in the center. There is also a small blue patch under its chin.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 16/03/2025

It’s nice when one of the most common snakes in the area is also one of the prettiest. Red-spotted garter snake- Thamnophis sirtalis concinnus Multnomah County, Oregon #herps 🐍

A red-spotted garter snake posed in the grass with its body serpentine and its head raised slightly. The snake is mostly black with a single pale white dorsal stripe and bright vertical red-orange spots down its sides.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 14/03/2025

A fine looking toad for my toad lovers out there. California Toad - Anaxyrus boreas halophilus #FrogFriday 🐸

A toad with tan and dark green flecks on a white base sits with a wide stance on the wet ground surrounded by new grassy growth. It’s night time and the toad is lit from the front by flashlight, with the grassy background fading to a black sky.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

I have seen a lot of Pacific chorus frogs and the range of colors and patterns they have never ceases to amaze. The deep bronze on this one is particularly striking. The jaws of dead Western velvety tree ant are locked on its lip. I wonder how long it will stay there. #herps 🐸 🐜 #frogfriday

A small pacific chorus frog with deeply reddish-bronze color sits on a green leaf. We’re looking at the frog head on. The corpse of a western velvety tree ant, which is mostly light reddish brown with a dark brown velvety abdomen, has jaws locked on the upper right lip of the frog. If the frog were the size of a person, the ant would probably be the size of a banana.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 22/02/2025

Time for a little shout out to the BEST FIELD GUIDE EVER!! I have spent a lot of time with field guides of all kinds and California Amphibians and Reptiles is easily tops the list. Do yourself a favor and pick one up. Skip bezos and go local or order direct from the publisher. Details in comments.

A full frame view of a new files guide, California Amphibians and Reptiles. The cover shows the title, the authors (Robert W Hansen and Jackson D Shedd), and a photo of a horned lizard.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 22/02/2025

This diminutive frog seemed quite comfortable in its refuge among the duckweed in this small pond on a recent rainy evening, never more than a moment away from a quick retreat, surrounded by the deafening calls of its hopeful neighbors. Pacific chorus frog (Pseudacris regilla) #herps 🐸 #FrogFriday

A diminutive brown pacific chorus frog is peeking out from a pond covered in a layer of bright green duckweed. The frog appears to be looking in the direction of the photographer.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

The salamanders were moving the other night after heavy rainfall in CA. And so were the snails, in such vast quantities that they were crawling over the salamanders. I saw this happen more than once. This Southern California Slender Salamander was completely unfazed. Batrachoseps major #herps 🐌🐸🦎

A long, thin, adult southern california slender salamander, sits on a wet dirt road after rain. The salamander is curved slightly toward the camera. A snail, much taller and wider than the salamander but not quite as long, is crawling away from the camera directly over the back of the salamander as the salamander sits motionless beneath it, completely unfazed. The snail is has crawled about halfway across the salamander, close to where the salamanders back legs are, though its back legs are obscured by the snail.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

Rain in SoCal is bringing out the herps. Of the 17 lovely toads I saw out in the rain yesterday, this one stood out. As I passed, it froze in its tracks, letting me get a good long look at its unusually snazzy colors. Southern California Toad (Anaxyrus boreas halophilus) #herps #frogfriday 🐸

A small western toad speckled with white, green, and pink is standing very still, mid gait, on a gravelly trail wet with rain. It’s framed in the center of the image. This toad has a lot of white and red in contrast to other western toads.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

It’s hard not to love toads. Southern California Toad, Anaxyrus boreas halophilus #herps #ToadallyTuesday

The photo shows a southern california toad taking up 2/3 of the frame, shown from the side with its head on the left and its whole body visible. The toad is tan and brown with a darker back, large parietal glands, dark blotches and reddish raised bumps. Its back has a light center line running from the top of the nose to its rear end. The lower parts of the toad, including stomach and appendages, are a lighter tan. The toad is sitting on flat ground made up of dry grass covering dirt.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

Did you know brown anoles live in Orange County, CA? Anolis sagrei (introduced), sitting on a sago palm. 🦎

A closeup photo of a sago palm shows with fuzzy red seeds tucked in among fuzzy brown spike plant material. A hatching brown anole sits on top of the sago palm, partially obscured by brown plant material.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

Hatchling granite spiny lizard, Riverside Co. 🦎

A close up photo of a small granite spiny lizard with alternating dark and light bands being held in hand.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

Dewy in situ ringneck from last year. The dew evaporated in seconds when exposed to dry air and sunlight. Gotta be careful when flipping not to steal moisture from the animal or the cover. 💦🐍 🪨

In situ ring-necked snake after being flipped with lots of dew on its scales.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

Today I watched this osprey drag this huge fish up out of the ocean and start right in on it, seemingly unfazed by a growing crowd of gulls and people. I was worried it would abandon its quarry when an oblivious beachcomber got waaay too close but incredibly it managed to take off with fish in tow.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

Can you see the slender salamander here?? Neither can I, because it got away! #herps

Oak leaf litter and root-rich soil overhanging the edge of a stream, providing habitat for slender salamander.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

Batrachoseps, when you identify it correctly: high four! 🦎

A close up of the four-toed foot of the Batrachoseps Genus, specifically the Batrachoseps nigriventris.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

With my own family and home emerging from the LA fires unscathed, my thoughts have been turning to close friends and wild critters that were not so fortunate. I fear for these critters whose homes burned this week. Met them for the first time this fall. Godspeed #herps. 🐸 🐍

Boy holds a small San Diego Gopher Snake as the it curls around his fist.

A Southern California Toad with prominent red speckling and large paranoid glands sits well-camouflaged on the ground with rocks and twigs.

A small california chorus frog sits on a similarly colored gray rock between fallen branches.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 06/01/2025

Pigmentation varies dramatically among Pacific chorus frogs (Pseudacris regilla). These frogs were all found at one location in LA county a couple of days ago. First herps of 2025 for me! Not pictured but also seen: dark brown frogs and lots of other variations on these color themes. 🐸

A pacific chorus frog with light green sides and tan back sits in a sycamore leaf.

A lightly colored pacific chorus frog with dappled light brown and orange markings on its back.

A bright green pacific chorus frog rests on a rock with its body halfway out of the water.

A dark green pacific chorus frog sits on a shadowed, wet, mossy rock.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

After many failed attempts, I was shocked today when I actually found this little salamander! It was so tiny. Enlarged to show texture 🥣 Batrachoseps nigriventris #herps

A close-up shot of a black-bellied slender salamander on moist soil. The back of the salamander is coppery and the rest of the body is a speckled black. The long thin body is curled into an apostrophe shape.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

Child’s first snake (dressed for the occasion!) Fear of snakes is learned. Thankfully it can also be unlearned. Early exposure to snakes like this harmless gopher snake can help instill a love for these beautiful and oft-maligned creatures before the fear can set in. #addHerper

A child gently holds a small gopher snake out toward the camera as the snake curls itself around the child’s fist. The child’s face is not visible but the edges of a cape with a golden dragon-scale pattern can be seen draped over the child’s head and back.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

Nighttime herping turned up this little California tree frog (Pseudacris cadaverina), blending right in with the granite. Having seen some light ones and some darker ones it seems like they choose sit on rocks they particularly blend in with. I wonder if that would play out in the data.

A lone california tree frog is sitting on a granite rock surrounded by green leaves.

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

Here’s the most interesting creature I saw this weekend. It apparently wasn’t quite wet enough for the salamanders to be out, but the weather seemed to be working for this guy. (Strigamia epileptica)

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Phil Ngo @squamate.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

Spot the snake (easy). Hiked up this little Gopher Snake with my kids in LA county. It was their first snake!

A neonate Gopher Snake is barely visible among dry grass as it slithers away.

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