Fox Snake At Carpenter
Today at Carpenter Nature Center, we found a fox snake right outside on the stairs. Apparently, there are quite a few slithering around.
At first we saw just one snake, but Larry said he saw two slither into a crack under the pavement on one of the building. Fox snakes are nonvenomous and constrict their prey (mostly mice, some small birds and eggs). They will coil up, vibrate their tail making a rattling sound and strike out when threatened. This defense probably developed to keep predators away since they could be mistaken for a rattlesnake. However, humans who don't know and mistake them for rattlers will kill them. Interesting that a behavior that evolved to protect them, now is more likely to get them killed.Below is an 8 second video of the fox snake giving its fake rattle:
Labels: Carpenter Nature Center
posted by birdchick at 2:56 PM
3 Comments:
I find your blog SO educative for my little urban (and also foreigner) eyes.
I love snakes (well, reptiles) and they usually get killed "just in case" because people are afraid they might be dangerous. This one is really courtign trouble with a rattle.
Nathalie
I am so glad you had this entry about the fox snake. We had one recently in our back yard. And I thought I looked like a rattle snake. But closer inspection of the tail convinced me it was not. We let it be. But we have seen more. One just yesterday, it, like a chicken, was crossing the road. I pondered it would be safe. Well a few hours later, I saw the snake close to the other side but dead. Who knows if it was killed intentionally or accidentally.
Angie in Western WI.
With all the bird seed around, there is bound to be loads of mice. I know that I have a mouse problem from time to time. When the mouse population gets to a certain level, those that eat them will show up; owls, foxes and snakes.
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