304/365 - Snake in the Grass

I was photographing tiny spiders in webs in our large sago palm when I spotted this small (less than one-foot) snake nearby.

I thought it must be a harmless rat snake, but when Donald got a rake and tried to move it out of the yard, it started doing all kinds of odd things. It regurgitated a good-sized frog (see how fat he is in the photo, before he gave up his supper?)-- flattened itself out-- even rolled over and played dead.

Yes, this must have been a juvenile Eastern hognose snake! We've seen (at least) one adult frequently, over the past year or so, but this is the first young one I've seen.

If we have to have snakes in the yard, there are worse ones to have-- but even the harmless ones give me a bit of a shock at first.

199/365 - Snake

Donald found this little snake under some lumber he was moving (supplies for our pump house).

Its eyes were so cloudy (a sign that it's going to shed its skin soon, I've read) that it was hard to tell whether its pupils were round or vertical. (We didn't think it looked venomous, but sometimes it's hard to tell.) Fortunately, with the help of the camera's display, we were finally able to see that they were round (which means, in this area-- as far as I know, that it's non-venomous).

As for what kind of snake it was, I'm not sure. . . Rat snake would be my first guess, just because they're so common around here.

75/365 - Return of the Hognose

This afternoon, while bringing in groceries from the car, I saw a dark shape in our yard.  It looked like a shadow but was where no shadow ought to be.  Also, a small part of it appeared to be moving slightly, frontwards and backwards, repeatedly (something shadows in these parts aren't known to do on regular occasions).

I walked over to investigate and my suspicions were confirmed:  it was a snake. At first (from the very safe distance I kept), it looked like a moccasin, and I was thankful I hadn't let the dogs back outside yet. After taking some photos, though, I saw that it was only a hognose snake-- most likely the same one I photographed last week.

I tried to get a little video of the snake (which I haven't yet loaded or even viewed), then prodded him (or her?) with a shovel in hopes of getting it to play dead so that I could more easily relocate it outside our fence. Unfortunately, this one refused to play 'possum, but I was still able to scoop it up in the shovel. The last I saw of him, he was eagerly slithering away (outside our fence on the east side, for those familiar with the area). I hope he'll take the hint and stay out. My poor nerves have had enough "I think it's a moccasin!" moments for a while.

ETA: I've put together a few snippets of video of the snake, in case anyone's interested in seeing it in action. ;o) Sorry for the shaky camera. I was trying to watch the snake, hold the camera, and maneuver the shovel all at the same time.

68/365 - Snake in the Grass

This afternoon, I was treated to the harsh sound of Molly's "snake bark".  Fortunately, the squeaky toy trick I used last time worked again, so I was able to get her and Trixie inside quickly.

(Ever since last time, I've kept a very squeaky, highly desirable dog toy on hand-- one she hardly ever gets to play with, so that absence gets a chance to make the heart fonder.  She completely ignores the sound of my voice calling, begging, or scolding, but she apparently can't resist the alluring squeak of that toy.)

I went out (camera in hand) to see if I could find and identify the snake.   (I didn't actually see it earlier, but I could tell from the bark and the way Molly acted that there was one.)  The first I saw of it, it looked like just a loose piece of that black insulation foam that's designed to go around pipes-- but then the foam started hissing, and I knew I'd found the snake.  (g)

I couldn't get a really good look at it, because it stayed partially hidden under some overgrown grass, but our zoom lens let me take a couple of decent photos.  Though it had a heavy body and those rough (keeled) scales-- both of which (to me, at least) signal "MOCCASIN"-- I thought I also detected an upturned "nose".  That and the hissing (and the lack of the display of a milk-white mouth) made me a little more comfortable.  Looking at the photos on the computer, I'm convinced that this was a hognose snake.

Hognose snakes display some interesting behaviors when threatened.  They flatten out their necks and sometimes even lift their heads to further resemble a cobra.  They may also hiss and strike (though experts say that if you look closely you'll notice that the mouth stays closed, as the strike is only for show).  Supposedly, they are very unlikely to bite, even if handled.  Instead, they roll over and play dead until the coast is clear.  If a "playing-dead" snake is repositioned so that its belly is back on the ground, it will roll over again into the "dead" position.

All very interesting, but I'd rather it stayed out of our yard.  I don't trust it not to hurt our dogs, and I don't particularly want to stumble upon it, myself, the next time I'm doing yard work. . .