Serpents

 

The other thing materializing that is a sure sign of spring are the Eastern Fox Snakes.

They've thawed-out, emerged from their dens and have taken to sunning themselves at every opportunity.

Allow me to introduce you to Pantherophis vulpina – the Eastern Fox Snake.  This is a valuable animal to have around your yard as they dine principally upon rodents.  If you are a gardener they are your ally.  Belonging to the family of snakes that are constrictors - upon seizing their prey they coil around it to suffocate the animal.  After which they swallow it whole.  Their lower jaw is unhinged allowing this critter to swallow a rodent or bird five times the diameter of their head. Yum!

This snake has many large reddish-brown, chocolate brown or black mid-dorsal blotches along its back and other smaller blotches on its sides on a background color of yellow, tan or olive-gray. The head of adults is usually a dark copper, rust or orange color. They live in a variety of open habitats including marshes, sedge meadows, prairies and old fields.

Their diet consists primarily of rodents and ground-nesting birds. Young fox snakes will occasionally eat amphibians. This species is the most frequently encountered snake in people's homes, especially if the house has an old rock foundation where the snake(s) may be hunting for food or hibernating in the basement. The fox snake is often mistaken for the venomous copperhead due to its head color and subsequently is often killed. 

Copperheads do not live in or near Wisconsin. Fox snakes are also often mistaken for rattlesnakes, as they often "rattle" their tails in dry leaves, grasses or against objects when disturbed. Their pointed tail distinguishes them (and all other Wisconsin snakes with pointed tails) as a non-venomous species in Wisconsin.

Doggo is still trying to figure out if they are friend or foe.... 

Sloganeering

On February 23^rd President Donald Trump made it exceedingly clear to US Steel Chief Executive Mario Longhie that Keystone XL had to Buy American:  We put you heavy into the pipeline business because we approved, as you know, the Keystone Pipeline, but they have to buy ... steel made in this country and pipelines made in this country.  

If you were paying attention to the President’s speech to Congress a few days ago You observed and heard this:  New American pipelines be made with American steel.  

Two statements from Trump.  Are they one and the same?  Or has the earth under the pipeline shifted?

Consider this.  Trump’s Executive Order calls for U.S. steel to be used in “all new pipelines, as well as retrofitted, repaired or expanded pipelines”.   Keystone XL (first proposed in 2008) is currently in the process of being constructed and as a consequence we learned today that it does not meet the definition of a new, retrofitted, repaired or expanded pipeline.  It does not count.

Alas, if I had to hazard a guess I’d bet The Base still believes that only good-old, red-blooded, all-American, US steel is going into Keystone XL because they heard Buy American.  And that's what will make America great again.   Correct?  

Nope.   

And the old switcheroo is slicker than snot.  Steve Bannon's fingerprints are all over this.  Nice.  The man is a master propagandist.  You can learn more here.

Panzer Tortoise

Stumbled across this photo on the web.

click on the turret to enlarge

Never seen anything quite like it - a Tiger tank turret on a tortoise.  A perfect Friday the 13th post!

I can only hope that no glue was involved.

The Turtle Hatch

Not birds but reptiles.

With the arrival of spring the turtles hatched last weekend.  

I was puttering with the battery charger on the boat in the machine shed when I noticed this little guy (or girl?) scuttling north across the concrete floor. 

 click on images to enlarge

North is not the way out so I fetched the teeny tiny turtle - about the size of a quarter - and walked it out to the edge of the edge of the rain garden pond in the back yard.  

Placing the youngster at the edge I wished it - Bon Chance!

Several hours later I was rottotilling the large raised garden next to the shed and spotted this little turtle - slightly larger than the first - clambering through the dirt and determinedly heading north.  Turtle #2.

I hate to say it but the dirt coating this tiny turtle is evidence that it must have made it through a rottotilling unscathed.  No worse for the wear.  I promptly delivered this tough little survivor to the edge of the same pond.

As a consequence I am pleased to announce that the previous Turtle #1 had already moved on.

My best guess is that the smaller turtle #1 was a snapper - Chelydra serpintina.  It is distinguished by the prominent ridges on the upper shell and spiky teeth on the edge of the rear marginal scutes.  Big claws too.

Turtle #2 was larger and had red markings on the underside (plastron).  No spikes or sharp ridges.  My guess is a Painted turtle - Chrysemys picta.It is not uncommon for this turtle to hatch and remain in the nest over winter and dig their way out the following spring.

For both species of turtle the sex is dependent upon soil temperature. 

It's rather terrific knowing these reptiles are around.  Especially when they choose to nest right in your yard.  Sign of good habitat and a healthy environment.We've had adult visitors of both species rather regularly around The Platz - oftentimes walking across the driveway. 

Thawing Out

Been finding small snakes like this one sunning themselves on the blacktop driveway.  This little guy is only about 9 inches long and thin as a pencil.

click on image to enlarge

Storeria occipitomaculata - Red-bellied Snake.

This snake emerges in late April so it's right on time.

A Serpent Comes to Visit

Elaphe vulpina - Western Fox Snake or Spotted Adder.

Grows up to 55 inches in length and lives up to 30 years.  Hibernates in communal dens below the frost line.  It's a proficient climber and is a true constrictor - squeezing its prey to death by coiling around it.  Then it swallows it whole!

A Different Type of Shed

I'm not talking about a building where you store firewood.

Nor am I talking about the girl's favorite winter pastime of hunting for shed antlers.

I'm talking about this...

 click on images to enlarge

The Frau found this the other day.  A freshly-shed snake skin of about 18 inches in length.

All animals shed their skin.  Even people.  We actually replace our skin about every month or so by shedding millions of skin cells every day.  Snakes actually crawl out of their skin leaving it behind in one piece.

So what do you do with a shed snake skin?  

Seek out the neighborhood witch.  It is a common ingredient in making a witch's brew.

Sure Sign of Spring

One of the surest signs of spring is the reappearance of the little Red-bellied snakes (Storeria occipitomaculata). 

A small pencil-sized snake that emerges in late April.  This little fella was soaking-up the spring sunshine on the driveway.

click on snake to enlarge

This species comes in a variety of colors - Black, gray and brown.  They typically have 2-4 thin stripes on their back.

Their young are born alive.  It's a helpful snake that eats bugs and slugs.  It's also small enough to be eaten by other critters.