On the Fourth, Blue Jeans & I went for a drive over to the Saguaro Nat'l Park while our daughter & her hubby were with friends. As we were entering the Park, a very long & very thin snake was crossing the road just before you get to the visitor center. It was moving fairly rapidly. The snake was mainly black from the head and all its body, but the tail was reddish. I remembered seeing a photo of a snake which this one looked like last week when I was looking up snakes to see what I had cough in her house. After looking again, I found a picture which looks like what we saw. It is a Coachwhip Snake. A long (up to 1,728 mm or 68" in total length), thin snake with variable coloration and markings. Across much of its range in Arizona it is a red, pinkish red, orange, rusty brown, or olive-brown snake with dark brown or black bands or suffusions on the neck and anterior portion of the body. Some specimens lack banding. Entirely black specimens are not uncommon in some parts of its range including south-central Arizona. A long (up to 1,728 mm or 68" in total length), thin snake with variable coloration and markings. Across much of its range in Arizona it is a red, pinkish red, orange, rusty brown, or olive-brown snake with dark brown or black bands or suffusions on the neck and anterior portion of the body. Some specimens lack banding. Entirely black specimens are not uncommon in some parts of its range including south-central Arizona. It is an impressive predator that eats a wide variety of animals including lizards, snakes (including rattlesnakes), mice, birds, insects, bats, frogs, toads, and small turtles. Coachwhip
After leaving the park on the way back, we saw a very skinny, female coyote crossing the road.
Female? Because, she stopped to urinate on the road before strolling off.
Does anyone know what this rock formation is called in Tucson? Rocks
I have named it Castle Rocks, just wandering if they have a name.
Photo taken from Houghton Road at Victburgh St. on east side of Tucson. Sunny Day
* This post was
edited 07/07/09 07:55pm by DesertHawk *
DesertHawk - Las Cruces, NM USA
2005 16' Scamp Molded Fiberglass Travel Trailer
Side Dinette, Front Shower & Head
2009 White Ford F-150 Reg. Cab
Long Bed with A.R.E. Molded Fiberglass Topper Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart. -Confucius
Sounds a bit like the king snake in our area. It has rings of white, but lately the rings can only be seen from an angle. But we also have the blue racer which gets confused with the black snake. Walking throgh our fiels one day i heard a squeeking nosie, tracked it down, and snake had a rodent in its mouth, soon as i got close the snake spit it out. But one of the best looking snakes you can see is the corn snake, right after they shed and their colors are fresh and bright.
"Neat" and "Snake" are an oxymoron to me I prefer "Dead Snake". I know, it is irrational and wrong so forget the flames since after 67 years you ain't going to change me.
The Johnsons (incls a Bouvier, Lab, and Newfie)
Cedar Island, NC (Gateway to the Outer Banks)
2008 Winnie Sightseer 35J
Our Mexico trip Blog
I too enjoy snakes, probably from coming from an agricultural background. Never had a crop damaged by snakes as you can from rodents. In high school I made a part of my spending money catching and selling live rattle snakes to a buyer. A big one would bring about $3. Doesn't seem like much now, but 50 years ago it was a lot to a broke teenager. Now in Florida where we currently live there are rattle snakes but they tend to be somewhat different in color than what we had in southern and western Oklahoma. Last summer I saw a steel gray rattler in the Florida panhandle along side the road. Stopped to look him over but he had a real attitude problem so it was a fast look.
Where we live in south Florida, the most common snake is the black racer with some rat snakes. My wife hates snakes, learned from her mother. LOL Normally I will catch two or three racers in the backyard a week. I wear a pair of cotton gloves and after making sure they are not vipers or corals, I grab at them and they will strike my hand and get their fine teeth caught in the cotton of the glove. Then they are mine. I have a wooded area a few blocks from the house where I ride my bike, with snake in hand to release them.
joe b.
South Florida, Stuart
Formerly of Colorado and Alaska
Driving a Dodge/Cummins/Lance www.pajbcooper.com web site http://www.picturetrail.com/jbpacooper
Alaska 2004/2006/2009 - Colorado photos
"Without challenge, adventure is impossible".
Belgique wrote: "Neat" and "Snake" are an oxymoron to me I prefer "Dead Snake". I know, it is irrational and wrong so forget the flames since after 67 years you ain't going to change me.
I like snakes and have owned some that were Boas.
Rescued garden snakes in the snow in back yard,(weather had warmed for them to come out of hibernation and got caught in snow blizzard next day) when we had the stick house. Took them inside put in a 10 gal dry aquarium with tree limb and rocks. Fed them tiny feeder fish until the weather warmed up to release them.
Last pair we rescued ate over 200 feeder fish before they were released.
* This post was
edited 07/06/09 01:50pm by Dustytuu *
2008 dodge 5500, diesel,Laramie, pressure pro. RBW hitch 22K.
2008 Carriage Carri-Lite, 36SBQ, 4 slides,dishwasher,washer/dryer,2 fireplaces
D & D
Two Schnauzers, & cat
Belgique wrote: "Neat" and "Snake" are an oxymoron to me I prefer "Dead Snake". I know, it is irrational and wrong so forget the flames since after 67 years you ain't going to change me.
Amen to that!!!
X2!!!!!
Linda B. Our Blog
2009 29' Fleetwood, Fiesta V10 - The Little Bus
2008 Saturn Vue (Toad)with US Gear UBS
& Demco baseplate and tow bar.
Traveling with Robin(friend),Liz(cockapoo)&Buddee(cavalier)
Offline
I prefer "Dead Snake". I know, it is irrational and wrong so forget the flames since after 67 years you ain't going to change me.
