Woodland Life - Reptiles

You've already read how much rain this part of Seaford received the other day and there is still standing water at the back of the yard toward and into the wooded area.  

Some of you are terrified of snakes and I am not.  Matter of fact look forward to seeing the first snake of the spring and they are usually black or brown snakes.  Yesterday while near my shed saw some movement in a shallow water puddle and went to investigate.  

This is what I saw.  Naturally I didn't have my camera with me and wasn't sure the snake would still be there when returning with it ~ but it was.  If you tap the photos it will enlarge to see the bands around the snake.

I took two photos from the left side.  The snake is sunning in the warm sun and shallow water.

And two photos from the right side.  Was hoping to at least get one of the photos turned out so that I could identify the snake. 

Must admit that I was taken aback with the markings all the while wondering if it was a Copperhead.  Supposedly we don't have Water Moccasins in Delaware and since Copperheads ARE poisonous that was my concern with its markings.  No I did not kill the snake, never do as they have a purpose in the cycle of life.

If you would like to learn the identity of northeastern turtles, snakes, frogs, click on this link HERE.

Once I was riding my bike in the neighborhood and saw a snake slithering across the roadway so stopped my bike to look at the first snake of the season.  At a standstill by my bike the snake lifted it's head and flattened.  Now that scared the bejesus out of me even tho I knew full well this is not a Cobra snake state.  Nonetheless I hightailed it out of there and left the snake alone.

Come to find out it was a Hog Nose Snake which has a first line defense of that behavior and if that doesn't send the visitor away it will roll over on it's back and stick out its tongue as if it were dead.  That is its second line of defense.

Oh I'm sure neither Kim nor Lauren have managed to get this far to read this post.  Bet they both were gone when they got a look at the first photo.

Have a great Saturday night.

Saundra