Studio8 - Uniting the Arts

 

(oh, and northern Massachusetts)
 
             

just awaken...! (everybody!) Great spring shots sasha!!!!!!!!!!!

thanks, glad you enjoyed

I was especially happy to find the snake - most I find have been flattened by cars. This one was stretched out straight in a patch of sunlight, & so still I wasn't sure if he was alive. But once I poked him, and he assumed the position. I would have picked him up for a closer look, but I just didn't feel like dealing with his musk. That smell lingers, and I was on the outward half of my trek....

i've never experienced snake musk. note to add to bucket list.

judih wrote: ↑

May 11th, 2021, 10:27 pm

i've never experienced snake musk. note to add to bucket list.

It's pretty nasty. It's a viscous fluid they squirt from anal glands while thrashing around to make sure it gets on your clothes. And it has staying power - washing your hands doesn't always get rid of the smell. This time of year (mating season) they're likely to bite too, but their teeth are barely able to break the skin. There's some recent evidence suggesting that they're mildly venomous, but I've never had a reaction to a bite.

Ribbon snakes are more docile - they still void their musk, but I've never had one try to bite. Some sources say they're more skittish, but my experience has been that if handled gently after being grabbed, they lose the perception of danger, and settle down. They almost seem to enjoy the heat of my hand, and are often reluctant to leave once I return them to the ground.