Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was recently visiting a small state park near Des Moines. While walking through some tails, my friend and I found a small pond. Everywhere I stepped, I would have to watch out for tiny Blanchards cricket frogs. I then saw a water snake dart under water, but its tail was bright red. At first I thought it could be a juvenile cottonmouth with its bright red tail, but I realized that cottonmouths dont live in Iowa. The little guy swam to another part of the bank, where I was able to gently grab him. Half of his tail had been torn off, and the red tail was actually muscle hanging out of the wound. When I turned him over to check for more injuries, his intestines where protruding from hi cloaca. I wasnt sure of his chances of survival, so I let him go. I think that his tail would heal nicely, but Im not sure about the cloaca. I hope that he can survive. To make things worse, on my way back up the trail, I found a large foxsnake laying in the dirt. My initial reaction was exitement. But it wasnt moving. My freind thought that it might be playing dead, but then I noticed a few ribs sticking out of her scales, and her scales where bloody in a few places. Just 15 minutes before, I had been walking down the trail, and in that time, someone clubbed this poor snake to death.(It was still alive when I found it, but within a few minutes, all of her movement stopped.) If I had been a few minutes fasster, I might have saved it. On top of that, she was gravid and she was so badly beaten, that her eggs were probably smashed. I picked her up and let her live out her last few minutes of life on some soft moss under a tree.

I think alot about what i'm gonna do when i come across that person. I post on a local mountain bike forum about snakes I see on the trails and one guy always replys by telling me to cut them in half and then he'll buy me a beer. I'm not sure punching someone in the face would help anything, the snake is already dead, but I would feel better.

People going out to the woods - to bike or hike on a trail and they highlight their 'nature trip' by smashing a snake. Goddamn ignorant bastards.

I hope they get hit by a fricking tree trunk.

Peter Jolles

i'm sorry to hear about your unfortunate trip. nothing is worse than finding a victim of humans ignorance. on a better note, i just moved back to the des moines area and plan on doing a lot of herping this summer. lately i've always been going out alone but i'm looking for some other people to go with (the more eyes the better). if you are interested contact me at ballpythons4u@netscape.com what areas do you normally herp at and what do you typically find. i am mainly interested in snakes but i also enjoy photgraphing all iowa wildlife. i hope to hear from you and happy herping.

adam