Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Very interesting read,
It's Californian ground squirrel versus rattlesnake
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Jason A.
"Long time Herper, first year Breeder `07."

>>Very interesting read,
>>It's Californian ground squirrel versus rattlesnake
>>-----
>>Jason A.
>>"Long time Herper, first year Breeder `07."
>>

Hmm doesn't like not having a .something I guess. Below is the link.

www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn12477&feedId=online-news_rss20
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Jason A.
"Long time Herper, first year Breeder `07."

>>>>Very interesting read,
>>>>It's Californian ground squirrel versus rattlesnake
>>>>-----
>>>>Jason A.
>>>>"Long time Herper, first year Breeder `07."
>>>>
>>
>>Hmm doesn't like not having a .something I guess. Below is the link.
>>
>>www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn12477&feedId=online-news_rss20
>>-----
>>Jason A.
>>"Long time Herper, first year Breeder `07."
>>

Ok third time is a charm must have been to many characters.

Californian ground squirrel versus rattlesnake
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Jason A.
"Long time Herper, first year Breeder `07."

I am not sure thats in any form of real life context.

All it tells me is, a squirrel may know the difference between a gophersnake and a rattlesnake. Dud, I think I already knew that. They also know the difference between a big one and a little one. As to how it effects their reactions.

As to what it relates in nature it has no context what so ever. Both rattlesnakes and to a lesser extent, gophersnakes, ambush feed and would have hit that squirrel before the squirrel knew they were there. Thats how it works. Gophers pin rodents in their burrows also, there the tail is of no use. I did find a very large pacific gophersnake, that had just consumed an adult ground squirrel. So the tail thing may not be all that effective to stop a feeding snake. hahahahaha

Again, educationed rodents are not going to be caught by a snake. Its the uneducationed that have problems.

I am fortunate to see lots of odd things in the field. Such as, quail following a rattlesnake. In a strait line. Or rodents chasing off snakes of many kinds. The snakes are not in feeding mode. Or a gophersnake shoving a gila out of a burrow, while it eats the baby rabbits(cottontails). Or seeing gilas, torts and rattlesnakes all sitting together, WITH A RAT sitting right in the middle. ITs a party.

The main context is the mode each are in. If the snake is in feeding mode. a tail wave will do nothing, but maybe allow the tail fur to be bitten while the squirrel runs off.

But to say its a secret weapon is a bit silly and well meaningless. A weapon to inflict what? A weapon is to do something harmful. Where is that in these tests???

The tail thing is a deversion at best. Not a weapon. Did you know Pack rats have tail skin that falls off when grabbed? If a snake bites the tail, it only has a mouthfull of skin. Another deversion. Cheers

"Its the uneducationed that have problems"
Amen to that!
Good to see you back Frank.
:Mark
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Surrender Dorothy!

crimsonking.piczo.com/

Aint that a fact! I'll give you another Amen Mark! LOL!!
-Phil

I never left, I come and look at the beautiful snakes so many of you produce. Simply awesome.

There is little need to post here as so many do so well. So I my time is spend over on the monitor forums where simple breeding of a normal to a normal is very very very rare(other then for me)

For the most part, they have reached a level of getting monitors to feed.

Thanks for posting pics of all those beautiful kings. Cheers

Why do all your post replies have all of the clutter of the previous post in them. It makes reading your replies tuff to sort through.

-Phil

>>Why do all your post replies have all of the clutter of the previous post in them. It makes reading your replies tuff to sort through.
>>
>>-Phil

The forum was being picky when I tried to use a url pointer and I didn’t pay attention to it double quoting my previous text. For me it’s easier to read responses this way, the option is located under user prefs. The stuff at the bottom is what you want to pay attention to and doesn’t contain >>. As for the article I thought I would share something interesting.
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Jason A.
"Long time Herper, first year Breeder `07."

For that kind of articule. While its published in a "Young scientist" or something similar. Its really a fluff piece on animals. There is no meaning to it.

Its really a fun read for those who know little about animals. But for those that have an education or experience, its sorta, well, what it is, a fluff piece.

If your interested, you should check out how they came about their information. Like, were the encounters staged or not. You see, if they were staged, that would eliminate 99% of their natural behaviors, the first being to simply ignore eachother, as that IS WHAT THEY DO. On the rare occasion that a squirrel would bicker with a snake(squirrels bicker all the time) There would be a very quick confrontation, then they would ignore eachother. That is, if they had the chance.

Why I bring this up here is, all about the box. To test these events, meant they had to confine them, to confine them means, what they are doing is not valid. As mentioned above.

You actually could apply a meaningful definition if you understood their natural behaviors, but then you would understand, it would not happen in a box(staged)

Which kinda goes for snakes in boxes. Just something to think about. Cheers