Many years ago, as a kid, I would let my Burmese Python cruise around in the my huge backyard so he could get some exercise, and take a dump, man! he was like a friggin' Mockingbird "magnet"!,....they would gather from all over the place to jump around in trees, and on the ground close to the snake raising their wings in defiance of the snake...keeping just out of reach. What was funny is, the more that came, the more would follow because of all the comotion they all made.

On the same token, I have seen lone Mockingbirds doing this behavior while I was outside,.....remembering this behavior from my past experience with the big Python,....so I quickly learned that it more than likely is because a snake is in the area, or other animals as well that they don't particularly like. Sure enough, more often than not, I'd see a diurnal Black Racer appear on the scene.

I think in grass, and leaf litter, tri-colored snake's ringed pattern helps greatly in breaking up their silhouette, making them much more cryptic than in the bottom of a twenty gallon aquarium at a pet store, especially in the low light situations you mentioned. Look at a tiger,....they stand out like a sore thumb out in the open by themselves, but put them in some tall brown grass like what's in their native environment, and they friggin' disappear!...it's all about how light and shadows play on each other, and the way an animal perceives the two.

See!,....notice how these two milksnake's practically disappear in the bottom of their deli cups!..LOL!!!


~Doug

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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

[ Hide Replies ]

• Tricolored pattern and mimicry/crypsis - Sunherp, Thu May 1 14:53:09 2008
• RE: Tricolored pattern and mimicry/crypsis - jawn, Thu May 1 18:51:24 2008
• RE: Tricolored pattern and mimicry/crypsis - Joe_M, Thu May 1 19:09:56 2008
• Fo shiz... - Sunherp, Fri May 2 09:11:55 2008
• RE: Fo shiz... - cn013, Fri May 2 13:28:48 2008
• RE: Tricolored pattern and mimicry/crypsis - Jeff Hardwick, Fri May 2 16:21:50 2008
• RE: Tricolored pattern and mimicry/crypsis - Dniles, Sat May 3 20:27:47 2008
• RE: Tricolored pattern and mimicry/cryps - CKing, Thu Jun 12 08:29:18 2008
• fun experiment - Jeff Hardwick, Fri May 2 16:50:58 2008
• RE: fun experiment - DMong, Sat May 3 01:44:57 2008
• RE: fun experiment - CKing, Thu Jun 12 09:03:40 2008