Two Snakes, One Day
Both Texas rat snakes, each around 4 feet long.
First one, I disturbed while trimming grass along my fence. It climbed the nearest tree, not in a hurry, just moseying along. It stayed in the top of the tree for a long time, and it was still there when I quit to go inside.
Second one, was lying in a well-traveled street. It appeared that the snake was crossing the street, and just couldn't resist lying there on the warm pavement for a while. Well, that was going to get the silly thing killed, so I sort of herded it, prodded it, urged it, on across the street, and blocked traffic while I did so.
I like rat snakes. Yes, I know they sometimes cause trouble with the chickens, but I think their taste for harmful rodents outweighs any poultry damage they may do.
First one, I disturbed while trimming grass along my fence. It climbed the nearest tree, not in a hurry, just moseying along. It stayed in the top of the tree for a long time, and it was still there when I quit to go inside.
Second one, was lying in a well-traveled street. It appeared that the snake was crossing the street, and just couldn't resist lying there on the warm pavement for a while. Well, that was going to get the silly thing killed, so I sort of herded it, prodded it, urged it, on across the street, and blocked traffic while I did so.
I like rat snakes. Yes, I know they sometimes cause trouble with the chickens, but I think their taste for harmful rodents outweighs any poultry damage they may do.
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you must not have blue jays local. i remember them screeching and attacking them on sight, grounded or in the trees, didn't matter, the jays pointed out the location 0 -
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Lindheimeri? 0 -
could be the one in the road was waiting for EMS to show up to get his buddy out of the tree......... 0 -
If you like snakes, God forbid if you and Dawnie ever get divorced, I know a couple of snakes ypu might be interested in dating 0 -
a black rat snake can go up an oak tree like a rocket ...don't know of another snake that can climb like them 0 -
chiefr wrote:Lindheimeri?
The Texas rat snake has been synomized with Pantherophis obsoletus (no recognized subspecies now), the Western Rat snake. lindheimeri was formerly the subspecific name. They climb at least as well as the black rat. We have seen some very cool neotropical rat snakes (Spilotes sp.) cruising around in tropical dry forest at 20 to 30 feet in the trees. At 7 to 9 feet they can support their weight across a number of small branches and crawl almost as if they were on the ground.0 -
Three days ago, as I was coming home a 4 foot black snake was laying in the road in front of my house. I did the same thing you did. Blocked traffic with my car, swatted his tail with my hat until he was in my yard away from the road. I also stop for turtles if they are in the road.
I hope doing these little things makes the Lord pleased with me. I need all the help I can get!!!0 -
The Texas rat snake has been synomized with Pantherophis obsoletus (no recognized subspecies now), the Western Rat snake. lindheimeri was formerly the subspecific name.
Who gets to decide this stuff? And why? Does someone just not have enough to do?
What was wrong with Natrix? Pseudemys?
Now it appears that Elaphe has been replaced with Pantherophis? Good grief!0 -
I saw my neighbor swerve almost off the road to run over a banded water snake. Next time I talked to him, I asked why he thought it was necessary. He told me he killed every snake he could. I told him he is an ass, and he needed to learn which snakes were harmless and which were not! The last snake I killed was a small copperhead that somehow got in the middle of our kitchen. Just didn't have time or equipment to get it outside before it got under the fridge! 0 -
?.very slow day.... 0 -
nunn wrote:The Texas rat snake has been synomized with Pantherophis obsoletus (no recognized subspecies now), the Western Rat snake. lindheimeri was formerly the subspecific name.
Who gets to decide this stuff? And why? Does someone just not have enough to do?
What was wrong with Natrix? Pseudemys?
Now it appears that Elaphe has been replaced with Pantherophis? Good grief!
Molecular biologists doing DNA work make the determination of species/subspecies/generic differences. Taxonomic rules dictate when you decide a snake is not Elaphe (which is now restricted to the old world), the name reverts to the earliest name used for the taxon. We have all long known the family Colubridae was a huge conglomeration of things probably not closely related but similar in morphology. DNA is proving that correct. I am good with Nerodia , I can live with Pantherophis, but Chrondropythron will never be Spilotes to me.0 -
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