photo taken May 2010

one year ago: Film Still
two years ago: Swaggering The Canyonbottom

One May afternoon, while I was working inside, I heard Chloe barking like crazy outside.  I found her focused and fearless, alerting us to the presence of a rather large snake.

Though the snake was hissing and posturing at Chloe, I could see by the tip of its tail that it was a bull snake, not a rattlesnake ~ these two snakes look very similar but a bull snake’s tail ends in a graceful point, not a rattle.  Bull snakes eat mice and they eat rattlesnakes, too, and though they will strike if they have to, they do not harm.  Their hiss sounds like a rattle-shake; this combined with their coloring is their defense.

Chloe was determined to protect us all from the snake (and you can see that Charlie was going to let her – he stayed behind her the whole time!) but she came to me when I called her off.  I proceeded to distract the canine duo long enough for the snake to catch its breath and slither on; I hope it found a more peaceful spot to catch the afternoon rays, and I hope it feasted on a good meal of mouse on the way.