Snake Crossing

[tamrock]

I saw this guy today crossing the bike path. It didn't seem to happy having to deal with a human with a camera as it made it's way to some rocks to hide. I'm sure it wanted to get across the path quickly due to being in the open where a hawk might spot it. I've seen hawks swoop down and grab these bull snake a few times or you might see a hawk fly by with one in it's talons. They must be good eating to a bird of prey. This snake was maybe around 4 feet long. They're pretty harmless, but will strike at ya if you mess with it.

 

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[DizzyDigger]

Always good to have around...they keep the rodent pop. in check!

 

[tamrock]

Always good to have around...they keep the rodent pop. in check!

Yeah, they're always welcome when I see them creeping along the foundation of my house. Ever since the county allowed people to keep up to 5 hens in a back yard, the rodents have grown in numbers with the surplus chicken feed being tossed around, so yes these are good snakes to have around.

 

[smokeythecat]

I have three hens in a pen. Spoiled rotten monsters. I was watching them the other day and a small mole snuck up to the pen and grabbed some food, then ran off. If the chickens catch it, it's all over. The chickens will kill and eat a rodent very fast. Mine caught one once, it was a blood bath.

 

[tamrock]

Yeah they do have a craving for blood. If you don't feed em, they'll start eating the weakest of their fellow chicken's.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Nice pics, as usual, Grant! They call them blow snakes around here. in California they call them gopher snakes. Some other places they call them bull snakes. Very defensive, but non-venomous. They will kill other snakes, along with rodents. As noted by others...good snakes to have around. They're very common in my area.
Jim

 

[Carolina Tom]

Beautiful snake! We don't have Bull Snakes in the South.

Thanks for the nice pic sir!

 

[RGINN]

Bull snakes are pretty cool, and I've seen them display several responses to a perceived threat. I saw one that raised up and actually flattened its neck in a pretty good cobra imitation. If they're in dry vegetation, they will sometimes start vibrating that tail and it kinda sounds like a rattler. They can play dead. Just cool snakes and good to have around. Growing up, I knew one old farmer who threatened to whup our butts if he ever caught us killin a bull snake. We never did, either.

 

[WannaDig3687]

I had a close encounter with a hawk carrying a snake. I was driving my grandma to my house and the windows were down. All of the sudden this hawk comes right at the passenger window. I told my grandma to close her eyes and she did. Man, I though for sure he/she was going to drop it in her lap!


Pretty sweet that you came across the snake. It is a long one!

 

[smokeythecat]

Grandma would have had a cow! I have never seen that species here. I have twice seen an Eastern Hog Nose snake. Google that baby. Anyway, I was with my daughters eons ago in the Virginia backwoods digging and I saw one about 12" long. I told the kids to stop. I picked up a very small twig and poked the snake gently. VERY gently. It did a "gasp! I'm dying! It got me! Arrggh!" fake death thing for about a minute and then laid real still to fool us. Well, it fooled us and we left it alone. It was quite comical.

 

[Peyton Manning]

I picked up a bull in ND, they do look mean

 

[tamrock]

I picked up a bull in ND, they do look mean

I have a great deal of experience in the art of Bull.

 

[old digger]

The largest bull snake that I caught was a six + footer, when I was in Oklahoma.

 

[tamrock]

Nice pics, as usual, Grant! They call them blow snakes around here. in California they call them gopher snakes. Some other places they call them bull snakes. Very defensive, but non-venomous. They will kill other snakes, along with rodents. As noted by others...good snakes to have around. They're very common in my area.
Jim

Rat snake is another name I've heard

 

[tamrock]

The largest bull snake that I caught was a six + footer, when I was in Oklahoma.

I've seen them as big around as a golf ball around here. There for a while they appeared to be falling in numbers around here, but now they seem to be increasing in numbers as I'm seeing babies to ones this size. Gotta be all the chicken feed bringing the rodent population numbers up?. Some places in the Denver metro are seeing increased populations in rats. Maybe I should look into raising these guys so they can be distributed to problem area. The snakes biggest threat around here are the skunks, raccoons and hawks. A fair amount of them also don't understand a busy highway isn't the best place to warm up on in the morning either. You will see a few run over on the roads around here.