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Natural History/Field Observation Field observations of corn snakes, field collecting, or just general topics about the natural environment they are found in.

Wannabe Thief
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Old 06-15-2014, 12:50 PM   #21
hypnoctopus
That is a pretty snake! I can't tell if she is gravid, but if she is, maybe you should keep get for a while until she lays her eggs.
 
Old 06-15-2014, 01:03 PM   #22
spyderk
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich Z View Post
Well, here's another black rat snake story I have.

Many moons ago my parents moved (I was still living at home at the time) to Fallston in Harford County, MD and the house butted up against a stream with a rocky hill on the other side. The entire area was heavily wooded. I always spent time in the woods, so I quickly did some exploring in the new environment I now lived in. Found an old abandoned building (perhaps a hunters cabin?) up on that hill and there was a tree next to it that had a good population of really huge black rat snakes living in it. If I remember correctly, I believe I counted six of them at one time. I would often go over there and put my hand in the lower branches of the tree and flutter it like a bird in distress. That brought the snakes down to investigate and they never seemed to get tired of that game we played. I caught a few of them just to handle them and then just released them back into the tree branches. Seems to me this went on all Spring and Summer into the early Fall.

Well, one day I went on over to the cabin and was devastated to find ALL of those black rat snakes laying dead on the ground underneath the tree. Looked like someone had shot them with a .22. I am surprised I didn't literally burst into flames I was so angry. Heck, it still brings tears to my eyes thinking about it. I seriously think that had the person or persons who had done that still been there at the scene of the crime, there would have also been at least one dead human body laying on that hill as well that day. Maybe mine for charging at someone holding a loaded gun, but still, I doubt I could have controlled myself. Damn, my blood still boils just thinking about it, even though it's been so long ago. Anyway, I didn't go back to that cabin for a very long time afterwards.

So, bear this in mind. Any neighbors of yours finding a snake like that are likely not going to be as thrilled as you are about it. There are still a bunch of genetically lobotomized people around who feel that the only good snake is a dead snake. And they will make every effort they can to make every snake they find a "good" snake.
That made me tear up. How horrible. We find so many snakes at our place, and I am so thankful that it was us who bought this place. Others have told us that if that was was their field and their land, those snakes would be gone. That would be a lot of dead hognoses.
 
Old 06-15-2014, 01:29 PM   #23
LittleFrog
Quote:
Originally Posted by hypnoctopus View Post
That is a pretty snake! I can't tell if she is gravid, but if she is, maybe you should keep get for a while until she lays her eggs.
I was just thinking the same thing!
 
Old 06-15-2014, 01:31 PM   #24
Nanci
I wonder if you could hand feed the wild population, every time one came around. I know you'd just be attracting them, so hopefully your chicks are safe. But wouldn't it be cool to see if they would learn to associate you with a meal, and seek you out?
 
Old 06-15-2014, 04:52 PM   #25
Aozora
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nanci View Post
I wonder if you could hand feed the wild population, every time one came around. I know you'd just be attracting them, so hopefully your chicks are safe. But wouldn't it be cool to see if they would learn to associate you with a meal, and seek you out?
Yeah, it's a given that we'll have snakes since the quail are out there. The quail roosters have started crowing, so that's only going to bring the predators in even more.

I hadn't considered that they might start associating us with food and seeking us out. I live in the middle of nowhere, and while I don't have *many* neighbors I do have a couple of neighbors. I should probably talk to all of them before I really start feeding the whole local black rat snake population.

Also, my roommate is in love with Thief #3 and wants to keep her regardless of whether she's gravid or not.
 
Old 06-15-2014, 05:47 PM   #26
Aozora
Oh lord... just went out to feed the quail, and Thief #1 has returned with a vengeance. It took both mouthwash and dunking him under water to get him off.
 
Old 06-15-2014, 05:51 PM   #27
Nanci
See! It's working!!
 
Old 06-16-2014, 09:31 AM   #28
steve roylance
IMO Black Rats are one of North America's most beautiful snakes! Which is probably why besides Corns I keep and breed them and offer them as pets. Been in love with them since I was a kid.
Great finds! I'm extremely jealous!
 
Old 06-16-2014, 01:32 PM   #29
Alli_Draggy
If you want to mark them, the herpetologist who is helping Allidraggy suggests ceramic markers (Painters is one brand)-they're non-toxic (designed to be food safe for humans), but hold up pretty well until the next shed. Use a color that won't make the snake too visible and any threat display colors for that species (more a concern for lizards).

I'm starting to be afraid that one of our neighbors did something to kill off our Rough Earth snakes. Last summer, we often found a dozen or more on the edges of the sidewalks. Yesterday, I went out to flip those grass borders up so they'd go farther in before mowing, and only saw 2 tails heading in.
 
Old 06-16-2014, 10:20 PM   #30
Aozora
Quote:
Originally Posted by steve roylance View Post
IMO Black Rats are one of North America's most beautiful snakes! Which is probably why besides Corns I keep and breed them and offer them as pets. Been in love with them since I was a kid.
Great finds! I'm extremely jealous!
Hi Steve,

Is that a leucistic black rat snake in the last picture, and if so are you offering any for sale? I would love to get me a pretty little lucy black rat snake. Seeing all these awesome wild snakes has just strengthened my desire to have a tame one.
 

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