Snake - Beauty and Danger!
- Thread starter woodsorrel
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Its a remarkably similar species to to the European Vipera Ammodytes, which is a member of ou adders family, Vipera.
It may not be coffee, but I imagine finding one of those at the bottom of your mug would wake you up in the moring!
Its a remarkably similar species to to the European Vipera Ammodytes, which is a member of ou adders family, Vipera.
Would that be a case of convergent evolution?
Species becoming similar due to similar distribution on opposite hemispheres?
That's a tiny snake, jonothan. Is it physically capable of biting a human?
I'm also a bit surprised to see the OPs photos of the kingsnake and rattler together. People in the outback in australia would commonly keep a pet constrictor around, to deter rats and poisonous snakes. The two families don't get on.
I'm also a bit surprised to see the OPs photos of the kingsnake and rattler together. People in the outback in australia would commonly keep a pet constrictor around, to deter rats and poisonous snakes. The two families don't get on.
I nearly ran over a snake on my bike when I was a kid - I guess it was an adder as it had a very distinctive diamond/ zigzag pattern on it's bag. It slithered out of the undergrowth after my brother had gone along the path and I only just stopped before my front wheel went over it, maybe a couple of seconds then it was gone into the other side.
It was very quick not even a case of 'oh, look there's a snake - maybe I'll stop'
I remember my dad saying I was lucky I didn't run it over as it could have turn and bitten me before I'd finished running it over - that was more scary to me than seeing it in the first place... maybe that's why I wear high boots alot..
It was very quick not even a case of 'oh, look there's a snake - maybe I'll stop'
I remember my dad saying I was lucky I didn't run it over as it could have turn and bitten me before I'd finished running it over - that was more scary to me than seeing it in the first place... maybe that's why I wear high boots alot..
Good question, mrcharly. I thought the two were mortal enemies. It would be great to hear someone with knowledge of the subject explain it.
It seemed that the kingsnake had a meal inside it. I wonder if the rattlesnake could somehow be aware of that? But it still seems like a big risk for the rattlesnake.
The other possibility that occurred to me is that the kingsnake was not yet large enough to threaten the rattlesnake, and the rattlesnake could judge its size.
Maybe I should pose the question to a herpetologist from one of the local universities...
- Woodsorrel
Wow, that sounds like a close call! When I was young, I spent some time in the Florida panhandle. I was standing at the base of a tree looking up at my friend who was climbing it. A copperhead snake slithered through my legs as I remained motionless. I remember being very, very frightened, and there was nothing I could do about it.
- Woodsorrel
I'm a whole lot better than a herpetologist, I'm an ophiologist and my specialist area is Vipers and Elapids. Sadly though, there isn't any solid data to go off. The way they were moving and the environment they were in, including weather conditions and time of day and temperature, also an examination of the surrounding area for other animals and snakes would go some way in helping, but the only thing that would clinch a good explanation is how they were moving and their tongue activity.
A snake would not be interested in another snakes swallowed meal. Kingsnakes do eat other snakes including rattlers, but if it already had a meal in it, then that would rule out that option too. If the king had just killed and swallowed the prey and was still in that area, then the rattler could just have been following the scent trail of that prey item and came to its last known scent spot which was where the king had eaten it.
Snakes like all other animals are curious, so they investigate movement, especially on a warm day when they are active. They are also drawn to roads as they hold a good temperature long after other areas have cooled, so they could have been topping up energy depending on the temperature and time of day. Could just be coincidence. It happens a lot.
Ran over a horn rimmed viper last week.
Fantastic camouflage, looked just like a twig till i ran over it and it moved, stopped and walked back to see if i could get a pic but it had disappeared into the undergrowth.
Odd thing is i ALWAYS keep an eye out for them as they have a tendency to climb bushes to sunbathe, unfortunately this is often at shoulder height for us humans and because of the camouflage we often don't see them until it's too late.
Hiking is fine, but when riding single track on my MTB you're riding to fast to analyse all the bushes or in this case twigs on the fire road.
Jonathan,
I'm led to believe that early morning is the time to be more cautious as this is the times they'll likely be sunbathing, is this correct please?
Any other tips on spotting and avoiding them?
Fantastic camouflage, looked just like a twig till i ran over it and it moved, stopped and walked back to see if i could get a pic but it had disappeared into the undergrowth.
Odd thing is i ALWAYS keep an eye out for them as they have a tendency to climb bushes to sunbathe, unfortunately this is often at shoulder height for us humans and because of the camouflage we often don't see them until it's too late.
Hiking is fine, but when riding single track on my MTB you're riding to fast to analyse all the bushes or in this case twigs on the fire road.
Jonathan,
I'm led to believe that early morning is the time to be more cautious as this is the times they'll likely be sunbathing, is this correct please?
Any other tips on spotting and avoiding them?
This is true for European vipers. But if the weather is cooler they can bask up to 2 o'clock in the afternoon plus.
Thank you.
One more question please (sorry for the hijack) is it just in winter they are likely to be basking in bushes, would it be better to keep my gaze to the ground in summer?
They tend to bask in bushes when it is cooler or overcast. Or when there is a lack of ground basking areas.
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