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<br />Soil Investigations for Data Collection in the Delta <br />Initial Study/Proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration 51 <br />south to San Quintin, Baja California, including the central San Joaquin Valley <br />and along the base of the Southern Coastal Range, at elevations ranging from <br />sea level to 5,900 feet (Thompson et al 2016). It does not occur along the coast <br />of California north of Ventura County. California glossy snake is found in <br />grasslands, coastal sage scrub and chaparral in areas where soil is loose. <br />California glossy snake is primarily nocturnal, active between late February and <br />November with activity peaking in May. Little is known about reproduction in the <br />wild, but young of year are generally found in September. During the day, it will <br />use existing mammal burrows and burrows under rocks or will dig their own <br />burrows. <br />California glossy snake has a moderate potential to occur within the Study Area <br />based upon presence of suitable habitat, species range and proximity to reported <br />occurrences. Although there are no reported occurrences within 6 miles of the <br />Study Area the reported occurrences occur both to the northwest south of the <br />southernmost portion of the Study Area, ranging from the Antioch Dunes in <br />Contra Costa County to south of Clifton Court Forebay, in Alameda County. <br /> <br />Implementation of mitigation measures to avoid impacts to potential habitat (MM <br />BIO-1), and individuals that could be moving through the Study Area (MM AES-2, <br />MM BIO-1 and MM BIO-2), would reduce impacts to California glossy snake to: <br />Less than Significant with Mitigation Incorporated. <br /> <br />Western Pond Turtle (Emys (= Actinemys) marmorata) <br />Western pond turtle is under review for listing under the FESA and is a CDFW <br />Priority One Species of Special Concern (USFWS 2015b, Thompson et al 2016). <br />Western pond turtle is a small to medium-sized aquatic turtle, measuring 6.5 to <br />seven inches straight carapace length. They are brown, tan, olive with a low, <br />unkeeled carapace with a non-serrated rim (Nafis 2019, Stebbins 2003). Western <br />pond turtle is found from the Pacific Coast inland to the Sierra Nevada foothills to <br />elevations as high as 6,700 ft above sea level. <br />Western pond turtle is a highly aquatic species and can be found in a variety of <br />habitat types including streams, rivers, sloughs, lakes, ponds, reservoirs, <br />marshes, seasonal ponds, and other wetland habitats (Thompson et al 2016). It <br />requires basking sites such as partially submerged logs, rocks, mats of floating <br />vegetation, or open mud banks for thermoregulation, and access to suitable <br />upland habitat with loose soils for nesting, dispersal and overwintering <br />(Thompson et al 2016). It is active year-round in warmer locations but will spend <br />winter months in colder climates in a state of dormancy often burrowing into <br />loose soil or leaf litter on land, or using undercut banks, snags, rocks or bottom <br />mud in ponds (Thompson et al 2016). Western pond turtle diet consists of <br />aquatic invertebrates, algae and other vegetation, small vertebrates and carrion.