After a loooong day at work, nothing could have cheered me up more than finding this little guy under a rock in the backyard...okay well maybe finding two would have cheered me up even more but hey...I'll not get greedy :)
I wasn't really expecting to find anything, and to be honest I've had the worst luck finding reptiles so far this year. I know it's only early Spring, but I am so ready to start finding more of these cute little guys!
I was about to give up and then decided to flip a few rocks next to the house before I went in...just in case. I wish someone could follow me around with a camera while I'm looking for critters to photograph, because I'm sure I look like a total dork-especially when I come across a snake. Any volunteers? Haha! Anyways, this Rough Earth Snake was nestled underneath the very first rock I flipped!
Rough earth snakes are very small non-venomous colubrid snakes that feed primarily on earthworms and small invertebrates. They're not an aggressive species at all. Of the many I've come across in the past, I've never even seen one open it's mouth...as most other snakes do :) If you're wondering what sort of defense mechanism a small, non-aggressive snake like this is equipped with...it's poop! A would be predator would get a mouth full of nastiness, and if you're a human...you'll definitely be temporarily stained by the bitter smell. Nothing a bit of soap won't take care of though :)
After taking a few photos, I placed him back near his rock home and watched him (or her) disappear into the grass. What a cutie!
Happy Herping!
No animals were harmed in the making of this post. Don't try handling a snake, unless you've positively identified it first! If you need help identifying a snake-send me a photo-I'd love to help!
I have no idea why, but most reptiles creep me out. I love looking at your photos, because I could never hold them like you do!
ReplyDeleteAwww thank you Stephanie! One of my goals is to help people see that snakes and other reptiles might not be as creepy as they imagine them to be :) Sometimes spiders creep me out, so I'm in the same boat with you on that one. I don't necessarily want to hold it, but seeing someone else do it is neat :)
DeleteWhat a handsome fella! I love your reptile photos so much. :D I saw a banded water snake on the river this past weekend - no photos though, because I was busy having a mini heart attack trying to figure out if I had just floated into a cottonmouth!
ReplyDeleteThank you Kelly! Oh my gosh, I would have been freaking out too. Running into them like that leaves no time for quick identification-panic mode sets in immediately haha! Glad to hear it was a Banded Water Snake though! Cool!
DeleteSo cute! I never would have thought of a snake as cute before, but you totally made it work. Looking forward to checking out more of your blog!
ReplyDeleteAwww thank you :) :) :)
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