I was delighted when I saw a snake on the edge of the highway as I was heading home. Especially since I still haven't seen a living rattlesnake in Nevada. I wanted to make sure he did not get run over, so I ran back to scare him of the road onto the shoulder. When I got closer, I was relieved to see that he wasn't injured. My disappointment that it wasn't a rattler passed when I got a good look at this Gopher Snake (Pituophis catenifer deserticola). It was close to sunset and was enjoying the warm road. Apparently, it did not much like my disturbing its peace. I have never heard such noises; from hissing, to grunting and moaning, plus tail 'rattling'. He started off towards the sage, so I quickly circled around to prevent his leaving before I got some pictures. Feeling threatened, he coiled up, flattened his head, came after me, and started striking. According to wikipedia, these bluff strikes are frequently with their mouth closed. I never saw the mouth open, but I still stayed out of reach, backing away slowly. Gopher Shakes are non-venomous members of the Colubridae family.
1 comment:
Looks like you got quite the show! I like when I can get photos of a relaxed snake, but that species almost always seems to either want to leave or make a fuss if you try to stop it for photos. Great snakes, and I love the hissing sound in large individuals.
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