Maybe not the coolest herp, but arguably one of the top three meanest! Here's a Diamondback water snake, Nerodia r. rhombifer rescued from the car behind me between Aransas Pass and Portland on Hwy 181. If you've never seen a snake go from 1/2 m.p.h. to shoot, he's coming for me! it is very funny, they have no traction and jump and wriggle doing the electric worm! My helper asks all the questions, "Is it poisonous?, No, but I did see a dor cottonmouth the other day here. Will it bite? I should have said nah, grab it, but I want him to appreciate snakes, not have this clamp, chew and, again, arguably one of the foulest musks I have ever used as cologne, spray him and knock him unconcious!! So I grabbed it, somehow avoiding the fecal spray and a bite and show him and we photo it. Then I let it the small adole(scent) male go in the direction it was going off the road. Also saw a dor Texas rat in the a.m. from the night before. It rained heavily but briefly around noon, with intermittent showers through the afternoon. Not a great find, but I am fondly reminiscing of the snake I "cut my teeth on" as a kid. After catching many of these brutes, I fear no snake!!!
Todd Hughes
