Snakes
Today I had a conversation with a snake.
It was pretty one-sided, I admit. I was asking him to let me pass him on the trail where I was walking, and he didn't say yes or no, just lay there, stretched out on the ground in the sun. I couldn't see his tail, because it was hidden in the weeds, but I had my suspicions. Rattlesnakes abound in the California hills.
He wasn't the first snake I'd seen this morning, either. I'd been walking along a narrow section, and came to a spot where I heard a strange noise coming from a rain gutter that ended right over the trail. I thought it was running water, and then I saw the writhing tangle of yellow and black bodies inside. I don't know how many there were. I didn't stick around long enough to find out.
But this snake, in the middle of the trail! He wasn't moving, and yet the thought never entered my head that he might be dead. I was quite sure he wasn't, long before I saw the little tongue flick in and out.
"Please," I said aloud. "Do you mind if I just, well, go past you? I won't hurt you, I promise." Pause. "And you...you won't hurt me either, right?"
Flick, flick.
"Hmmmm."
I didn't want to go back the way I'd come; besides, who's to say I wouldn't find myself facing the same problem again on the way back? Snakes could be all over the place! No, I wanted to go forward. I eyed the trail; it was quite wide. The snake wasn't coiled, so perhaps I could sprint past him quick enough to avoid a bite? I looked at the snake. I didn't think it was a good idea.
Well, I stood there for a minute, wondering what to do, and then he began to move at last. At first I thought it was bad news; that he had decided I was a threat and was going to get all coiled up and ready to strike. In that case, he would've won--I'd definitely have gone the other way. But no, he just began to make his slow, leisurely way across the trail to the other side.
And I saw that I was right--he was indeed a nice big rattlesnake.
Froggs like snakes about as much as they like sharks, which is basically not at all. Fascinating creatures, but I prefer to be fascinated from the comfort of my living room, when they are on TV and far, far away.
It was pretty one-sided, I admit. I was asking him to let me pass him on the trail where I was walking, and he didn't say yes or no, just lay there, stretched out on the ground in the sun. I couldn't see his tail, because it was hidden in the weeds, but I had my suspicions. Rattlesnakes abound in the California hills.
He wasn't the first snake I'd seen this morning, either. I'd been walking along a narrow section, and came to a spot where I heard a strange noise coming from a rain gutter that ended right over the trail. I thought it was running water, and then I saw the writhing tangle of yellow and black bodies inside. I don't know how many there were. I didn't stick around long enough to find out.
But this snake, in the middle of the trail! He wasn't moving, and yet the thought never entered my head that he might be dead. I was quite sure he wasn't, long before I saw the little tongue flick in and out.
"Please," I said aloud. "Do you mind if I just, well, go past you? I won't hurt you, I promise." Pause. "And you...you won't hurt me either, right?"
Flick, flick.
"Hmmmm."
I didn't want to go back the way I'd come; besides, who's to say I wouldn't find myself facing the same problem again on the way back? Snakes could be all over the place! No, I wanted to go forward. I eyed the trail; it was quite wide. The snake wasn't coiled, so perhaps I could sprint past him quick enough to avoid a bite? I looked at the snake. I didn't think it was a good idea.
Well, I stood there for a minute, wondering what to do, and then he began to move at last. At first I thought it was bad news; that he had decided I was a threat and was going to get all coiled up and ready to strike. In that case, he would've won--I'd definitely have gone the other way. But no, he just began to make his slow, leisurely way across the trail to the other side.
And I saw that I was right--he was indeed a nice big rattlesnake.
Froggs like snakes about as much as they like sharks, which is basically not at all. Fascinating creatures, but I prefer to be fascinated from the comfort of my living room, when they are on TV and far, far away.
posted by grackyfrogg @ 11:04 AM
3 Comments:
At 1:07 PM ,
Anonymous said...
It sounds terrible but I HATE!! snakes, I'm stoked we have none in NZ! mind you I'm not to fond of sharks either, tho I do admire them...from a distance. Don't get me started on poisoness spiders then again we don't really have them in NZ either, phew!
At 11:12 PM ,
teckron said...
Snakes strike more often from a "S" shape... Don't think you are safe because it hasn't coiled. I think they can strike half their length from an "S"
At 10:06 PM ,
amy said...
Oh Grace. Just the other day I was occupying a few extra minutes on the way to picking up my cousin, and so I was driving around in the mobile home park adjacent and imagine my surprise when two biys flagged me down and asked me to smush a rattlesnake with my car tire. Of course I had to get out to confirm it was a baby rattler and then had to go through a quick rationalization process that i wasn't happy about, and then I was back in my car aiming for the little baby while the boys directed me. Anyhow, it kept slipping away from my tire. So, this ended with me and the boys throwing sizeable rocks at it as it slithered under a porch. I am very very very saddened to say that we maimed but did not kill the snake. I saw blood. So inhumane. I feel horrible. I wish I could have killed it effectively. poor snake.
i wish i would have known Ron's advice about being able to strike from an "S" position. i had read your blog not too long before that and remember thinking, it's not coiled; i can be close to it. yikes! tricky snakes...
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