Posted by:
FL_Herps
at Thu Sep 25 19:31:43 2008 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by FL_Herps ]
I'm laughing even harder now...
I can't believe that so many of you think that it is a snake that looks almost nothing like the one in the vid.
Now, I won't waste my time for very much longer on this topic (if you want to think it's a Nerodia) then whatever...but think about a few of these basic observations:
1. The snake is very heavy-bodied from head to as far as you can see (not just the middle section).
2. It is JET black as far as I can see, and I've never seen any water snake from Florida that didn't have some pattern.
3. It has white under its chin (never seen a water snake from Florida with distinct white under its chin either).
4. It eyes are large and buggy, and situated somewhat on the top of its head (not characteristic of Nerodia at all).
5. The area behind and under its eyes is flattend (very characterisic of a hognose).
6. AND...IT'S ROSTRUM IS UPTURNED! (At around 4:12 the light really shows where its head stops and the upturned rostral scale begins).
Like I said in my first post, I know that Eastern Hognoses have the least pronounced curve on their snout of any Heterodon...but if you pause the video, it should be plain as day.
Oh, but I suppose since it was found at night that I should just ignore all that and call it Nerodia.
If you really want to convince me that you are right, post a picture of a Black phase Eastern Hognose and a Nerodia that occurs in Florida that looks more like the snake in the video than the hognose.
I have no problem with being wrong, but in this case I firmly believe (unless you post a picture of a Nerodia native to Florida that looks totally different than anything that I have ever seen) that I am right.
~Alex
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RE: You Hog Guys still Laughing? - FL_Herps, Thu Sep 25 19:31:43 2008