I (Maryann) worked a polling station this past Tuesday (presidential election 2012), and had an hour for lunch. Since I only live about 6 miles from the polling station (and in the country that's about a 10 minute drive) I decided to come home. Found this guy stretched out on the pavement, near the creek, apparently getting some warmth. Some guys stopped to ask me if it was a cottonmouth. I replied that I certainly would not be holding it as I was, if it were venomous. The snake complied by holding his mouth open, as pissed watersnakes will do, and showed them his mouth was indeed not white. Mind you, this is November 6th, and the temperature in my car said 55 degrees.
We're holding him until Friday, when the temps are supposed to be in the 70s, and then let him go. It's always interesting to see herps out so "late" as, in times past, we've had snow at this time of the year.
I also volunteer ar the local "Nature Center" and last weekend we had reports of a snake (the description fit that of a juvenile Black Ratsnake), box turtles, and water turtles out and about.
Can you say "global warming?"
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UPDATE: We are keeping him over the winter probably. After we cleaned him up, we noticed he had a gaping wound down his tail. He has movement, but it looks very bad. Therefore, we thought he'd be better off being rehabbed here rather than thrown out to fend for himself.
We're holding him until Friday, when the temps are supposed to be in the 70s, and then let him go. It's always interesting to see herps out so "late" as, in times past, we've had snow at this time of the year.
I also volunteer ar the local "Nature Center" and last weekend we had reports of a snake (the description fit that of a juvenile Black Ratsnake), box turtles, and water turtles out and about.
Can you say "global warming?"
*********************************
UPDATE: We are keeping him over the winter probably. After we cleaned him up, we noticed he had a gaping wound down his tail. He has movement, but it looks very bad. Therefore, we thought he'd be better off being rehabbed here rather than thrown out to fend for himself.
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