Thanks Frank, as you said sometime not long ago one of things that makes the forum difficult is the replies are either a mile long or short and lacking details...so I keep attempting to get back into things on here and fail since my posts end up pages long. One thing you said REALLY answered a question I was almost afraid to ask. Your comment about the snake so full of lizards it had tails hanging out its mouth. I recently read an article in Reptiles Mag about Leopard Lizards....and it said they like to eat other lizards and sometimes cannot fit the entire meal into its belly. So it is noted they can be seen basking with the tail end of another lizard hanging out its mouth. I wondered if snakes did this. ESPECIALLY during winter. Not too mention your questioning of where the smaller snakes were in dens. Were you trying to hint that it is possible some are devoured by other snakes during the winter? One question which was not addressed was the one asking if you or anyone knew of someone who was set on the notion they killed a snake during brumation by cooling it with too much food in its stomach? I asked about the snakes being gravid over winter simply because I have seen some snakes in captivity overpower the females and breed them wether they appeared willing or not. So I wondered if a snake was seriously horny could he possibly force a female to copulate? She has the ability to attempt to flee but that does not mean a big male could not tire her out and win. Then what choice would she have but to become gravid? Either that or possibly if not probably lay a clutch of eggs much earlier than snakes who bred at the more appropriate time in early spring. In closing I will say I used to be very into Bass fishing. During the winter I either wanted the tiniest lures...micro jigs....weighing one 32nd of an ounce or lighter,....or a large piece of bait. It seemed to me that depending on how much weight the fish had on it, it would either want one or the other with no in between. A large heavy fish may want the micro jig suitable to catch a tiny little fish simply because in the cold water it would be easy to digest. Yet the large, but scrawny fish may want a very large piece of bait, so large its tail may even stick out of its mouth....knowing for the most part it would be very stationery waiting out the winters cold waters for spring. This is something I related to snakes. Especially denning snakes. Which was why I asked if you had ever seen any with tails hanging out of their mouths....and also if you thought it had to do with not many young small snakes being found in dens with larger snakes. ttyl Tom Stevens

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