The aim of the Ramble is to demystify snakes for our audience, and demonstrate why no one ever need fear them. At the same time, we introduce our visitors to many of their local neighbors, including lizards, amphibians, turtles, and four to six live snakes, usually including rattlesnakes. Last week I was one of the assistants, and was fortunate to demonstrate my favorite snake, Leo the common kingsnake. A visitor took a video of my presentation, though it was so windy the sound is very bad. Still and all, this is a good idea of what Reptile Ramble is like, on the docent's side.
Showing posts with label common kingsnake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label common kingsnake. Show all posts
Monday, October 12, 2015
Reptile Ramble--Close up and Personal
I have written here many times about Reptile Ramble, the educational show we present at Tohono Chul Park in the warm weather. The program is helmed by two professional scientists who are assisted by two or three docents each week, and sometimes I'm lucky enough to be one of the docents.
The aim of the Ramble is to demystify snakes for our audience, and demonstrate why no one ever need fear them. At the same time, we introduce our visitors to many of their local neighbors, including lizards, amphibians, turtles, and four to six live snakes, usually including rattlesnakes. Last week I was one of the assistants, and was fortunate to demonstrate my favorite snake, Leo the common kingsnake. A visitor took a video of my presentation, though it was so windy the sound is very bad. Still and all, this is a good idea of what Reptile Ramble is like, on the docent's side.
The aim of the Ramble is to demystify snakes for our audience, and demonstrate why no one ever need fear them. At the same time, we introduce our visitors to many of their local neighbors, including lizards, amphibians, turtles, and four to six live snakes, usually including rattlesnakes. Last week I was one of the assistants, and was fortunate to demonstrate my favorite snake, Leo the common kingsnake. A visitor took a video of my presentation, though it was so windy the sound is very bad. Still and all, this is a good idea of what Reptile Ramble is like, on the docent's side.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Snake sex!
You've probably seen a photo or video of two snakes standing on their tails, intertwined, swaying back and forth, and may have thought this was a picture of snakes copulating. Nothing could be farther from the truth--when two snakes engage in this sort of "dance," as it is called, they are most likely males engaged in ritual combat.
The snakes I have observed having sex are much more sedate: generally they lie next to one another, with the male's tail wrapped around the female, holding their bodies close together while the male inserts his hemipenes (two penises) into the female's cloaca. The beautiful kingsnakes (Lampropeltis splendida) below began their romantic activities in the afternoon a couple of days ago, and I was told they were still together at sunset, but were gone by the next morning.
The pair of western diamondback rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox) in the photo below began copulation during a live music show at Tohono Chul Park one Sunday afternoon, and were still at it when I took the photo the next day. I was told that the female occasionally wandered off (to eat?) and then returned to resume activity.
Here is the possible outcome of such amorous activity: several baby diamondbacks from a group of eight that were born in a hole underneath an organpipe cactus a few months later, not far from the scene of the mating.
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| Oregon rattlesnakes, via Wikipedia |
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| Photo by RobandUrsula Garrwald |
Here is the possible outcome of such amorous activity: several baby diamondbacks from a group of eight that were born in a hole underneath an organpipe cactus a few months later, not far from the scene of the mating.
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| Note that the baby rattlers are so young their eyes are still cloudy |
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