Posted by:
lithops51
at Sun Jul 17 03:50:13 2011 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by lithops51 ]
Things seem a little slow, so I thought I'd post some anecdotal observations for comment. 1. Once I collected a Speckled Kingsnake (L.g.holbrooki) about 32 inches long for a short term observation. Having never personally seen snake predation on another snake I introduced an Eastern Gartersnake about 20 inches long into its enclosure expecting to see the King constrict and eat the Garter. Instead the King grabbed the Garter behind the head, threw one coil near its neck and another with the posterior of its body near the base of the Garter's tail. Then it simply staightened out its own body between the coils. The Garter's body was stretched almost to the breaking point. Once all movement ceased on the part of the Garter (A very short time) the King released and devoured it. I am absolutely sure the Garter died not of constriction but of multiple spinal separations! I realize most of us aren't in the habit of feeding snakes to snakes, but has anyone observed similar behavior? 2. At one time, I had frequntly observed a large Blue Racer (Coluber c.foxi) in the same general area. Whenever this snake felt threatened, it always took refuge in a certain set of small mammal burrows. Once I surprised it well way from its retreat and unintentionlly got between it and its "home". Rather than take refuge somewhere else, it insisted on returning to where it felt safe. This required it charging between my legs to reach the burrows! Had I not known where "home" was to this particular snake I might well have interpreted this as aggressive behavior. I have frequently wondered if this sort of behavior might be the source of reported snake aggression, especially attributed to large Racers and Coachwhips. 3. I once collected a large and massive Eastern Gartersnake (Thamnophis s. s.), again for short term observation, about 34 inches long. Shortly thereafter, I returned home from work to find my then wife sitting outside on the wellhouse (and refusing to go in) and my stepson inside laughing. It seemed that during the day the Garter had revealed the source of its massive girth. The quarter inch mesh screening on one side of the cage I had put it in was more than sufficient to contain it, but proved no obstacle at all to the fifty-four (or more-we'll never know!) offspring she had produced. Needless to say, it was a day of indoor snake hunting! Keepers of large Natricines, be forewarned of your captive's reproductive potential! Just some (hopefully) interesting stories. Anybody have more?
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