I noticed some mouse activity around the stored bird seed in
the garage, so I knew that the Black Rat Snakes had moved out of the
house. Like many predatory species, the
Black Rat Snake breaks its home range into hunting parcels. It will hunt in one parcel until the prey
becomes scarce and then it will move into the next parcel. By the time it has made the circuit through
all of the parcels, the prey will have rebounded in the first parcel and hunting
will again be good. My garage and attic make
up one parcel.
Black Rat Snakes become more uniformly dark as they
age. In good light though, you can still
see a remnant of the handsome pattern worn by the snake as a youngster.
Snakes moving across a loose substrate cannot get the
leverage they need for smooth gliding locomotion. They must use their muscles in a different
way to achieve something similar to a belly crawl. This is their equivalent of a person crossing
an icy parking lot. I’ve heard people
attribute this condition to snake arthritis, road accident, dog attack, vicious
clubbing and many other imaginative afflictions, but it is really just a
natural condition for the snake under certain circumstances.
I found this snake coming around the corner of my barn and
noticed that it was in a perfect position for estimating its length. This wall was built with standard concrete
blocks which are 16 inches in length, including the space between blocks, when in place.
The front part of the snake stretches two and a half blocks or 40
inches.
Around the corner we find the tail end stretching about four
fifths of a block or 13 inches. Add on
another inch to cover the portion that wraps around the corner and the snake totals 54 inches or
four and a half feet. An impressive specimen.
The snake proceeded along the wall and entered the barn by
way of the small space beneath the large barn door. As soon as it got inside, it began scaling
the wall. These snakes are excellent
climbers and easily ascend what is practically a smooth vertical surface.
The shelf atop the barn wall is a preferred site for shedding
old skin. This is usually my first
indication that the snakes have moved into the hunting parcel that includes the
barn.
Here are three fresh sheds, all left within the past week.
I usually take the skins and hang them in a nearby
tree. With luck, there will still be
some lengths of skin around next spring that are suitable to those birds that
use this type of material in their nests.
While I was exiting the small barn door, this young snake
was trying to enter. Its juvenile
pattern is clear to see.
The small snake showed signs of having recently fed. I hope that bulge represents a small mammal
and not one of the adult fence lizards.
The water tubs at the barn corners are frequently used by
the snakes.
I usually see the snakes scale the barn wall to access the
water tub. This one chose to employ the
stepstool method.
Large quantities of water are often consumed at one
time. This one drank for almost a full
minute.
The snakes sometimes soak in the tub and I thought this one
was going to do just that.
Instead of soaking, it shot through the tub and out the
other side so fast all I could catch was the tip of its tail disappearing over
the back side.
It took off across the grass and entered the field beside
the barn. It’s fun to watch these snakes
going about their business undisturbed.
Happy Birthday to Sarah and Sophie
16 hours ago
How very cool! For some people, though, it would be a toss up whether the snakes or the mice are preferable. :)
ReplyDeleteFascinating!
ReplyDeleteHi, Lois. I've had guests who encountered snakes and others that encountered mice. From their reactions, I think the majority prefer the mice.
ReplyDeleteHi, Furry Gnome.
This was an enjoyable and informative post, as usual, Steve. I particularly like the part about moving across loose substrate - it does look like something is wrong with it. Would you happen to know why snakes often sun themselves on the road in an undulating wave versus straight out?
ReplyDeleteThanks, Katie. I have noticed that snakes moving into a large open area, such as a road, large rock or bare ground, will just stop and bask in whatever position they happen to be in when their entire length becomes exposed to the sunlight. I haven’t observed enough basking snakes to give my impressions any scientific validation, but it seems that the snake feels the warmth and simply pauses. I guess being in such a position would allow the snake to make a quick escape should danger approach.
ReplyDelete