Being in California, and hiking alot, you would expect to see snakes, but I don’t see them too often, I usually just hear the rattle snake, or just see one quickly going into a hole.
The sole water snake I’ve seen was actually a gopher snake. He was about 2 feet long, and actually underwater. I’m not sure what he expected to happen to him. It’s not like he’s going to turn into aquamanan. Its cool watching him slither (swim…idk) away in the water.