Ahg-snakes are out too

Let me admit right off that I am fairly phobic of snakes. That said, I also value them as part of the complex web of life forms and do my best (within my fear limits) to conserve them--outside my yard that is (I don't kill them but have got a neighbor to move them to a pasture down the street). I use a stick or sometimes my foot to get small snakes to move off the trail so they don't get run over by bikes. I sometimes do the same for large snakes, though at a greater distance.

Anyway, in addition to the bear scat I found several small snakes while birding on the riverwalk this morning. In fact I was taking a photo of the bear scat when I apparently disturbed the snake in the top photo that was hidden under the leaf litter at the side of the trail. I heard it slithering quickly away from where my feet were, then it stopped to hide-in-place.

Then my younger dog who was interested in the first snake jumped back as it disturbed a second snake near where the first one had been. I pulled him away as I don't want him to think he should chase snakes (he has rat terrior in him and thinks he is supposed to attack all forms of varmits or other things that move, including leaves blowing in the wind) as we hike in rattlesnake country.

More in next post. SeEtta