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  • From: EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Snake color
  • Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:16:59 -0400

Could be, I haven't found a skin out there, but that doesn't mean anything. The day I got him he was super red, super coppery, his markings were bright, distinct. A day later, he was dull.
When I turned him loose and as he slowly crawled away into the woods, I noted that he was closer to 4 feet long than 3, still, even with muted colors, a pretty snake..
I don't think I shared my other little snake story..
The same day as I found 'Red' I had been moving some of the carpet around that I use between the beds. One strip had been rolled up for a few days, killing the grass. I know better than to unroll or move or open things by hand, so I was using my prong hoe. I saw a baby snake, about a foot long, so I stopped and looked at it. Realizing it was harmless, I picked it up and moved it over into the grass. I took my prong hoe and hit the carpet roll pretty hard in a couple of places to scare anything else that might be in there. I don't like surprises and barely *tolerate* non-poisonous snakes. In the next strip of carpet unrolled was another baby snake, but I had mortally wounded it I supposed by hitting the carpet. I just happened to hit it in the 'neck' apparently breaking it's spine just behind the head of all places. Considering the size of that carpet roll, and the fact that I hit it only a few times, to have a hit a pencil sized snake squarely behind the head is amazing. The thing about the second baby snake was that he was a 10" long baby copperhead...cute little pit viper mark on the side of his triangular head, kind of brown with a yellow tail. I don't know if one snake was hunting the other or if they had found mutual shelter, but I thought it was kind of cool. Baby copperhead became part of my homestead food chain, as the chickens fought over his little wiggly self. I suppose I will meet up with the other one next year or thereafter.

Karen L. Black wrote:
Bev writes:

Speaking of selling, I could not find a buyer for the red rat snake so
as promised, I intend to release him tomorrow. I did take a picture of him in the dirty little aquarium I put him in, but I noticed that this morning his color has faded in captivity. His coloration has definitely muted somewhat, but he is still a very pretty snake. Animals that can change their color have always fascinated me.

I wonder if you might have found this snake right after a molt? I saw a
garter snake last week that had brilliant bright stripes, which brought it
to mind.

Karen Black
Blodgett, OR
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