Canada`s only desert reptiles

Okanagan desert-palms · Mon Dec 26, 2011 10:30 pm

A film about Canada`s only desert . Very good naration along with awesome video showing the topography, the reptiles, Rattle snakes, Salamanders, Scorpions, all indigenous to the Okangan Valley British Columbia. A history lesson for me, and new appreciation of how important it is that we are encroaching on nature.

http://www.nfb.ca/film/Pocket_Desert_Co ... ke_Killer/

John

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Dec 27, 2011 8:01 am

Great video (24 minutes long) about our area John.

I've never seen a scorpion or burrowing owl here.

The continuing demand for farms with large cattle grazing "rights" (as well as subdivisions) doesn't bode well for any of these animals, nor for water sources.

Native peoples had it right, because they respected every creature.
Wish I could say that for the rest of us.

Thanks for posting the video.
Barb

Cameron_z6a_N.S. · Post by **Cameron_z6a_N.S.** » Tue Dec 27, 2011 1:54 pm

Nice post, John. I used to keep a fair amount of reptiles. One of my favourite Canadian natives was the Rubber Boa; you should check them out! No one would think that a member of the Boa family would be native to Canada, the same way that no one would think that palms will grow here!

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Tue Dec 27, 2011 6:14 pm

Good vid John.

They are Gopher snakes, not Bull snakes. Bull snakes are found on the east side of the mountains. Does not matter a good vid.

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Tue Dec 27, 2011 6:34 pm

Cameron_z6a_N.S. wrote:Nice post, John. I used to keep a fair amount of reptiles. One of my favourite Canadian natives was the Rubber Boa; you should check them out! No one would think that a member of the Boa family would be native to Canada, the same way that no one would think that palms will grow here!

Glad to see other reptile people here.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Dec 27, 2011 8:28 pm

Bull snakes are found on the east side of the mountains

Gopher snakes?
Both John's place and mine are on the east side of the mountains (the Coast range).

Maybe they're named after what they eat.
Gophers vs. well, er...a...bulls.

Barb

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 11:44 am

lucky1 wrote:
Bull snakes are found on the east side of the mountains
Gopher snakes?
Both John's place and mine are on the east side of the mountains (the Coast range).

Maybe they're named after what they eat.
Gophers vs. well, er...a...bulls.
Barb

Thats funny

Bull snakes are found on the other side of the continental divide more or less. They are very much like each other, but different like a W. robusta is to a W. filifera, not that it matters, but if you see some calling a date palm a coconut palm it might be hard not to say anything. Well for me...

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 12:28 pm

different like a W. robusta is to a W. filifera

...and you know how well I can identify those

Date palm and Cocos palm I can differentiate.
Especially the seeds

To further confuse the snake issue, the continental divide is nearby.

Thanks!
Barb

Okanagan desert-palms · Wed Dec 28, 2011 3:16 pm

I was quite surprised at the large size of the lizard "Salamander". Around here they don`t get that big but just 60 miles south they do apparently. The South Okanagan would be a perfect climate for Joshua trees and Y. rostrata ect. It is to bad very few know about them, or willing plant them. I think if a few were planted in prominent places such as city hall or the police station, public parks, people would take notice and open there minds to the options that are available to them.

John

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 5:01 pm

lucky1 wrote: To further confuse the snake issue, the continental divide is nearby.

Thanks!
Barb

The Rocky Mountains.

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 5:12 pm

Okanagan desert-palms wrote:The South Okanagan would be a perfect climate for Joshua trees and Y. rostrata ect. It is to bad very few know about them, or willing plant them. I think if a few were planted in prominent places such as city hall or the police station, public parks, people would take notice and open there minds to the options that are available to them.

John

So true. I work for one of those kind of places and it has taken many years to get people to except those kind of things in the landscape. But after many years of hard work "they" and the public have learned to have some trust. I planted the first public Y. rostrata here in a desertscape, I hope it does well for many years.
I need to find the time to show people pics of what it looks like.

Okanagan desert-palms · Wed Dec 28, 2011 6:57 pm

Aaron some pics please! It`s great that you are opening some eyes to what is possible instead of the stereotypical staus quo planted with very little imagination used.

John

Jubaea · Post by **Jubaea** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 10:44 pm

The terain looks a lot like high elevation desert in California between Bishop and Mamoth lakes.

Okanagan desert-palms · Wed Dec 28, 2011 10:52 pm

Jubea we are the California of Canada here in our desert valley of British Columbia. A little more global warming and W. filifera`s will be planted everywhere.

Thanks for your comments.

John

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Thu Dec 29, 2011 6:34 pm

Okanagan desert-palms wrote:Aaron some pics please! It`s great that you are opening some eyes to what is possible instead of the stereotypical staus quo planted with very little imagination used.

John

It's not a big rostrata, but I will try and post some pics this weekend. The lanscape is 3 different peoples ideas so it is not exactly what I would have like to see, but the people love it.

PS The public has more influence than they may think. Find some pics off the web or draw some, bring zone maps and things like that and I bet you could plant whatever you want.
Public officials love to hear from the public. Offer to volunteer to plant them or take care of them. Say these are great for dy hard to water areas, add year round interest.

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Fri Dec 30, 2011 9:11 pm

John, I have some pics of that Yucca rostrata.

Blog with more pics.
http://unkowndestination.blogspot.com/2 ... shone.html

Okanagan desert-palms · Fri Dec 30, 2011 10:05 pm

Aaron that`s a great looking Y.rostrata. How old would it be and how long has it been planted?

John

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Sat Dec 31, 2011 7:54 am

Okanagan desert-palms wrote:Aaron that`s a great looking Y.rostrata. How old would it be and how long has it been planted?

John

I planted it late last summer. I'm not sure how old it is, but it cost like $75.00 or more. They were suppose to get me three of them, but they only wanted me to have one!

They always want to plant the same old crap.

igor.glukhovtsev · Post by **igor.glukhovtsev** » Sat Dec 31, 2011 8:13 am

Who are those terrible "they"?

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Dec 31, 2011 8:42 am

That's worth a lot more than $75...

In front of those rocks, you planted it in a perfect position to show off its beauty, Aaron.

Barb