June 27, 1992 I was herping on 277. The only others up there that night were Forky and Tremper riding together. A bit after 2AM I ran across them working a big cut about a mile N. of the rest area. I stopped and asked if they had seen anything, to which they repoled that they hadn't. I hadn't seen a snake all night so I told them I'd scream ahead a bit to get out of their way but that I was heading for the barn. They said they wouldn't be far behind.
I cranked up the car to about 55 to get well ahead of them and, as I crossed the Cheney Creek bridge I saw a snake coming off the shoulder on the south side of the bridge. I locked up the brakes, pulled off, ran back and saw NOTHING.I started looking around and eventually found the snake way over on the east side of the road. I picked it up and, as I got back to the car I saw Joe's lights coming toward me so I stood there by the side of my truck, gently swinging the snake back and forth with a VERY smug look on my face.They pulled up next to me and I handed the snake to Joe, who looked at it and pointed out the tire tracks on the tip of the tail. No wonder it had scooted across the road so fast.
Fortunatly it was just the last inch or so of the tail so nothing essential was damaged. 30" male, 78F, 2:15 AM
