Mentally I’m seeing that thing all around our house now. Had a dream last night that one of the kids got bit by it. Hoping the kids listen to me about looking around when you’re playing and if you see a snake take 3 steps back.
They’re just awe-inspiring, honestly. I don’t often describe snakes as confident, but if you spend any time around them you’ll understand. Their size, their patterns, their ability to disappear mere feet from you and go from being right there rattling up a storm to seemingly vanishing from the face of the earth in a matter of seconds. Large fangs, high venom yield, a keystone species of some of the most at risk habitat in the country. I’ve been fortunate to have a lifetime of memories in the outdoors, be it for work or pleasure. Seeing a mature EDB in all of its glory in a classic hardwood hammock with dappled sunlight framing it perfectly amongst the scrubby oaks and palmettos…I get chills just typing that out.
I respect the fuck out of nature but zero chance I can ever view snakes like owsley, also admire him at the same time
Thanks to this thread, my algorithms started pushing snake-related material over the past year or so - mainly ID pages. It has resulted in several instances where someone has spotted a snake and I get to come in and act like I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express. *wife screams bloody murder* "there's a snake in our room." "Ah, no worries, just a garter snake. I got this." "it's a cottonmouth!" "Nah, that's just a black racer. Non-venomous." "you may want to get your kids out of the water. There's a water moccasin right there." "You mean that broad-banded water snake? They're harmless."
I ran over a rattler, about 10 years ago, with a mower clearing some land on my grandparents property. I'll still have a dream every once in a while that I missed the guy with the mower and he ends up getting me
This really only works with US coral snakes, and even then their pattens are highly variable and frequently abberant with red on black. So, while in theory it works, it’s best to be able to identify corals vs kings and milks than rely on it.
More people get bitten this way than just leaving them alone. Also, there’s like a 99% chance that somebody in your area would come get it for free. Coral snakes are awesome and super docile.
Don’t know where else to post, but Owsley what is the best way to facilitate habitat for grey tree frogs? I have four 30 year old maples and a black locust between my house and a neighbor that shade out the ground so much it’s just moss. Lots of wet mulch lining the base of my house over there that never sees direct sunlight. What more can I do to feed them and provide good space. They’re out there. I here them a lot, and I find 2-3 in the pipe vent on my roof (which they can’t enter, but just kind of hang out to prevent sun and getting eaten).
Grays tend to favor areas much higher in the canopy than other North American tree frogs. Their breeding will be driven by late spring rains and the creation of vernal pools, but they’ll also utilize whatever water bodies are available, including those of the anthropomorphic nature. Sounds like they’re pretty well set to me.
I have vernal pools by my tree line in back, away from the house. Can’t use a riding mower back there until late May because the ground is too wet. Never saw them in there though. My black locust is 35-40 feet, higher than the house. It’s been bone dry, but we had rain and they all came out last two weeks the day after the rain.
It is a mirror with an accordion mount. Good for sliding out to use and then putting back in its place when done. Great space-saving hack!
tarantulas were all over the place here the past few weeks but think it finally got cold enough that I'm not seeing them
I think it’s a “white oak” phase eastern rat snake. The face has a more distinctive Pantherophis taper/shape opposed to a big, blocky Pituophis shape. Florida pines also have very specific habitat requirements and rarely come into human habitats where rat snakes feel perfectly at home (though I shouldn’t assume this photo was taken in a developed neighborhood.) Beautiful specimen regardless, and I very much hope it was treated with the respect it deserves.
Im always in awe of Owsley 's knowledge of stuff in this thread. I cant even figure out how to pronounce stuff that he has in his head