Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This is so ironic, with the previous post from Chris. I was just admiring all the photographs (thanks for posting Chris)…and thought, “It just rained over here (Melbourne, Fl) and the temps and time of day would be perfect for a park walk.” I reiterated my thoughts to my girlfriend, and told her “we could see all kinds of wildlife”...well damn if I wasn't correct!

Found this little jewel about 5ft up on a partially rotted tree...it took me about 3 seconds to realize that it was a S.K. and grab it...which is about 2.5 seconds slower than normal. When you're even an experienced snake hunter...you still triple check in your mind before grabbing something that looks like a coral snake. I don’t know where I heard it…but I just remember a traffic light…red and yellow…caution. It’s very easy to remember, much better than any stupid rhyme that everyone screws up anyway.

Like I stated in the subject line...this is only the second specimen I've ever found of these little guys...I consider it very lucky.

I plan to release it tomorrow evening, after feeding it if I can, in the exact spot in which I found it.

Very small S.K. by the way, probably just a year old… at about 11 inches in length.

Enjoy the pics...this little bugger was very difficult to photograph:

-Rusty

At that length I bet it's a few years old. I am so jealous.
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..Doug
~ aka dougsnake

Very nice find! It's nice to have all the conditions set up and actually find something! I'm sure it still would've been a nice walk... but this would make it much, much sweeter. Looks a bit thin... errr normally proportioned for a smaller wc snake. Anyhow I'd definitely toss it a meal (or two) for it's trouble. Was it climbing? Visible?

Very cool...

Chris

completely visible, climbing on the outside of a tree. The tree was half dead, and he/she was about 5ft off the ground. It was just after a rain, and about 6:30pm.

I tried feeding it a mouse tail, and a Cuban Anole...without any luck. The last time I caught a S.K. I was searching (in Tampa) for ground skinks for scenting purposes (for my mountain kings)...I put the S.K. in the same container for the drive home. Of course, by the time I made it home... it had eaten all the ground skinks I caught!

I'm going to look for some ground skinks after work, but any other suggestion would be greatly appreciated. I was thinking crickets?

-Rusty

Hmmmmn well there's something about the skinks that does drive them mad... given it's recent capture status I'd try just tossing a small anole into the freezer then simply thaw and offer it. I'd try that first... the non-moving prey is alot less stressful and I've had significantly more success w/ this than using live anything with most freshly wc SK's. Obviously if you find a skink that'd be ideal... just as well it does not look like it has the fat reserves to handle alot of stress. So your thought on release is probably the wisest should it not decide to take you up on your hospitality!

Now as for finding it @ 6:30 climbing a tree in plain view -- OUTSTANDING! Right place, right time -- Great snag again man!

Thanks for the post...

Chris

Awesome find, Rusty! Maybe if someone posts some pics of indigos, you can go out and find one of those. Great find!

Dave
DNS Reptiles

I'm all for that...I've only seen one Indigo in my life and let it go (I was only 9 or 10). After I looked it up...I was so upset that I didn't show anyone what I had found.

They are awesome snakes!

-Rusty

This 84" monster was my first ever, an unfortunate DOR that I found early one morning in deep South Texas back in 2003. I happened on another 5 footer nearly an hour later hauling across the same dirt road into an irrigation canal. Amazingly, I saw one more at dusk. As it creeped out onto the pavement, the damn car in front of me proceeded to run over it mid body.
I have found a handful of others over the past few years both alive and road killed but I'll never forget stopping upon this beast.

I hate seeing something like that...very sad.

-Rusty

Go get 'em!

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Todd Hughes

Wow Nathan that is insane! Good talking with you today man.

Dave
DNS Reptiles