Snakes page 1 nonvenomous 2001 -2002 Snakes page 6 Rat Snakes 2002 - 2021
Snakes
page 2 nonvenomous 2003 -2004 Snakes page 7 venomous 2002 -2021
Snakes
page 3 nonvenomous 2004 -2006
Snakes
page 4 nonvenomous 2006 -2021
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That's me on a trail (03/29/2004). As I get more pictures, these
pages expand. I've gotten enough images of snakes to collect
them on the snake pages. For most of my identification, I'm using "Texas Snakes-a field
guide", by
James R. Dixon and John E. Werler (2000, 2005)
It was possibly scared off by other
people walking on the sidewalk just a few yards away. I think I
found it again, and was taking pictures of it when a smaller snake
of the same species appeared. (new note 05/30/2024).
I've discovered that exclusively in this species, the oldeer male
snakes have small bumps (tubercles) under their chin
(Texas Snakes by Werler and Dixon (the big book) ©2000 p.217). I can
see them in the 2 cropped images below.
And then, without many "preliminaries",
the smaller snake attempted to mate with the larger one. There is video here.
The
snakes' tails
twisted together, and I assume that they were connected there. Their
vents were hidden by the contact.
On 03/05/2023 I
was talking with a group of visitors near the Observation
Tower, when this small snake crawled onto the trail,
almost between their feet. I picked up the snake so
it wouldn't
get stepped on, and because it was such a great
interpretive moment--especially since a few of the group
were apparently not snake fans. Using my hand for
scale, you can see how small it
was. Overall dark green on top with faint darker bands;
black background and yellow markings on belly; changing to
solid pale color under neck. Eyes with round pupils, head
oval viewed from
above,with back of head blending into neck. Scales on the
upper surface are keeled (each scale has raised ridge in
the center). There are extra scales between the bottom of
eyes and the
scales on the lips--not quite as obvious on such a small
snake (which is why I took the close images of its head).
I'm pretty sure this was a young Mississippi Green
Snake (Nerodia cyclopion).
It was very docile and easy to handle (I only handled this
one, because I work for BBSP.) I released it into
the grass on the other side of the trail.
From Brazos Bend State Park on
01/01/2023: Texas Parks
and Wildlife welcome the New Year by offering First Day Hike
events at various parks throughout the state. At BBSP, we
were
part of the celebration. We offered various
intrerpretive tables set up around the 40-Acre Lake trail;
along with various park staff and volunteers walking that
trail and doing
"roving interpretation" (I was in that group). The
even was from 8am to 12pm, and after that I rwas walking
back towards my car (along with 2 other volunteers), on the
North side of the trail,
when a park visitor riding by on a bike told us he'd
seen a snake further up the trail. We found the snake, and
while one of the other volunteers held it and shared facts
about it to some visitors,
I took a few pictures. It was another Western Mud
Snake. The scales seemed a bit dull, so it was
possibly ready to molt soon. The snake was released
further off the trail, closer to the water.
From Brazos Bend State Park on
11/06/2022 About
11:30am, I was talking to some visitors about the baby
gators when this beautiful Western Mud Snake (Farancia
abacura reinwardti)
crawled out of Pilant Lake and crossed the trail right
next to us! I kept the visitors back so we could watch
it leisurely cross to our side. I was trying to get details,
and describing the snake
for the visitors; so I didn't get an overall picture of
it to compare with the trail width.
Mud snakes are usually nocturnal. It was probably moving
during the day because Pilant Lake was dry.
The last image below is a detail of its interesting tail.
It's hard to see, but the tip of that tail is actually a
pretty sharp point It's not barbed, but it is
unnerving if the snake probes you with it. Some
sources say that they use the tail to probe the environment
for its favorite food (amphibians, especially sirens) and
flush them out with the point. Along with the photos,
I shot video of the snake.
If you'd like to see video of this beautiful snake crossing
the trail, it
is here.
About 5 minutes later, there more drama! Great
Blue Heron that had been stalking the area (as mentioned
above...baby gators were around) stabbed into the weeds and
came up with
squirming prey colored with stripes. At first I thought it
had caught a baby gator...but then recognized it had caught
a snake. With the apparent black with white speckled colors,
I thought at
first--Speckled King Snake. That didn't make sense (I don't
think this is its favored hunting zone). I watched the
events happen, and tried capturing enough images to identify
the snake.
Some of the images are grabs from video, too. Let's
try to identify the snake. The head is not shaped like a
pit-viper's (not blunt profile, no gland swelling at the
rear of the jaws). The top
(dorsal) color is a sort of dark green. Not any bands across
the body(head shape & round pupil & no mask(stripe
on side of head) rule out Cottonmouth. No stripes along the
dorsal and sides.
So not a Ribbon Snake or Garter Snake. Could be a water
snake. No orange colors on top or bottom--so not Broadbanded
Water Snake. But look at that pattern on the belly,
especially
visible starting near the tail and stopping about 4
inches behind the head. It's not a double line--so not a
Crayfish Snake. How about this: "numerous yellowish
half-moons, they cover most of
the belly, which is typically yellowish-white on the forward
third and grayish or brownish on the midbody and the rear".
--from Texas Snakes-A Field Guide by Dixon and Werler ©2000
page198.
This sounds about right to me. If it is, then this was a
Mississippi Green Water Snake (Nerodia Cyclopion) The
Heron dealt with the snake as they normally deal with large
prey. There were
multiple stabbing, picking up to sense movement, drop and
stab again cycles,; until it was time to swallow the snake.
This was a bit of a problem, because the snake had tied the
rear of its
body into a very large knot. This discourage the Heron, but
only for a little while. It did finish its meal.
Interesting times in a very small part of the park.
From
Fiorenza Park North on 08/27/2022
and 09/03/2022
While
I was at Fiorenza park on 8/27/22, I noticed a fisherman
using a cast net. I've seen others using cast
nets
there,
and I assumed that they were catching small fish (usually
shad) for live bait. But I noticed that this fisherman
was usually just dumping out his net, and discarding most of
the fish.
He
threw most back into the water, but there were always few
stragglers left on the bank. While I watched from the
hill above, I noticed a water snake swimming near him. As I
watched
in
surprise, the snake moved to where the fisherman had been
(and he hadn't gone far), crawled up on the grass, snatched
a fish and slithered back into the water!
The
snake came back, but was scared away by passing
bicycles. I went down to see if the snake would try
for any of the other fish remaining near the water.
The snake reappeared, and I
stood
near the snake and the few small fish hidden in the grass.
The snake came ashore, and was definitely on the hunt.
Unfortunately, it returned to the water when some other
people
came by. I did get some video which I've edited into this file.
I spoke to
the fisherman and discovered he was fishing for Tilapia.
Tilapia are invasive in Texas waters, and can be legally
taken in various ways, including
cast
nets. I spoke with the fisherman while he cast his net, and
a snake seemed to approach after he'd thrown and retrieved
the net a few times (it might have been the same snake, but
it
could
have been another). This surprised me, because the net
casting operation causes some disturbance--there's the
distinct "choof" of the multiple weights hitting the water,
and any
disturbance
while
retrieving the net. But, I wondered it at least one
snake had learned to associate those sounds with the extra
supply of fish; and so approached the disturbance.
I might
have been proved correct, because in the second or third
cast from the same spot the fisherman pulled out--a water
snake. I helped him and we easily released the
snake...which I
didn't
see again. I left the park soon after.
I
returned to the park on 09/03/22, and saw a
different person--also cast net fishing for Tilapia, and
therefore discarding the smaller bait fish. I started
looking for snakes, and told the
fisherman's family what
I
was looking for. I started watching snakes--2, maybe
three, moving around the banks, and apparently hunting. On
that day, the water had gotten high enough to
submerge the low bridge,
so
I couldn't get to the other side of the channel. The
snakes were certainly searching for prey near us. If we
stood still, they'd climb ashore just a few yards away,
search, and then return
to the water. I'd told the family that the snakes were there
for the fish, but I didn't think they believed me...at
first. I noticed a much larger fish, at least 5 inches
long.
(the small ones had been
2-3
inches long). The fish was moving through the water,
vertically, backwards, with its tail up. The fish was dead,
and since it was so large, I thought a turtle had it.
But it was being carried
by
a Diamondback Water Snake! The snake tried to swallow the
fish, but eventually gave up and spit it out. I shot video
and pictures. I think the fish was a Gizzard
Shad (Dorsoma cepedianum).
Judging
by the general condition of the carcass, I believe the fish
had been dead for a while before the snake grabbed it.
The snake might have been
induced to grab the carcass
because
it had already been searching for fish that were trapped on
or near the bank. Whatever the reason (the snake never told
me), it was a surprising experience.
To repeat, I've edited clips
from both days into this file.
Snakes page 1 nonvenomous 2001 -2002 Snakes page 6 Rat Snakes 2002 - 2021
Snakes page 2 nonvenomous
2003 -2004 Snakes
page 7 venomous 2002 -2021
Snakes page 3 nonvenomous
2004 -2006
Snakes page 4 nonvenomous 2006
-2021
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