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Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Snakeskin

We have a lot of snakes around here.   Most of the time we don't see them, but sometimes we do.   I see racers, rough green snakes, ring necked snakes, garter snakes, brown snakes, prairie king snakes, black snakes and water snakes each maybe a couple of times during the season.    I like snakes and I don't mind that they're around.    We see them in the water and on the road and paths and once or twice a summer, the cats will bring one around.

What's really fun, though is finding a snakeskin.     I found this one, whole!, on the path when I was mowing in September.

It's large - 56 inches long and still a little crinkly, so the snake it came off of was likely bigger.    I'm guessing a prairie king snake or a racer.

That's the head on the right.

Fact:  Great Crested Flycatchers and Tufted Titmice regularly use snakeskin in their nests.   Cool!