Bad Match Breeding

[d_virginiana]

We have a large population of water snakes since we live near a creek, and it's very easy to get close or even touch them even though they're healthy. There are lots of gigantic rocks (I mean like, hundreds of pounds) that are wedged up about three or four inches off the ground by other rocks. The snakes are always near easy cover and a great basking spot, so I think this makes them bolder than they'd normally be. It's a really unique little area, though it's a little less fun when the copperheads decide they're going to sit there and be just as bold...
But mostly, the snakes around here just run. My dog will chase them to cover somewhere and I can catch them then. Not a lot of garters in this area though...

[infernalis]

I do to, but mostly the sit there... I have a bored population

Wayne says his wild snakes are "bored" .

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[kibakiba]

Snakes here will coil up and put their tails over their heads if they see you, but if you get too close they'll make a run for it.

[d_virginiana]

I like the ones that rattle their tails at you before running. It's usually rat snakes that I've seen do that. I wonder if they're trying to imitate rattlers or just attract your attention away from their front ends?

[kibakiba]

Ember and Squirt would do the coil with the tail over their heads and Ember will rattle his tail around. He also whips you with his tail as he's fleeing. He makes a big show out of water changing time. Haha

[RedSidedSPR]

I like the ones that rattle their tails at you before running. It's usually rat snakes that I've seen do that. I wonder if they're trying to imitate rattlers or just attract your attention away from their front ends?

I've seen racers do that... Not rat snakes though... Man when they do that, you know it's gonna hurt whenyou grab him

[ConcinusMan]

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Ooops

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

I've seen racers do that... Not rat snakes though... Man when they do that, you know it's gonna hurt whenyou grab him

pretty much every species of rat snake I have ever kept does the tail rattling. Even the asian king rats. I believe it's actually a defense mechanism common among many snakes from all over, but the rattle snake took it to the next level. It's not that snakes are trying to mimic the rattle snake, it's that a lot of snakes have always done the tail rattling and the rattlesnake took it a step further.

[RedSidedSPR]

Interesting.......

[ConcinusMan]

pretty much every species of rat snake I have ever kept does the tail rattling.

Want to hear something even more interesting? Yellow bellied racers do that from Southern Oregon into CA but only where rattlesnakes also occur. They will often not flee but instead will sit in dry brush and rattle their tails. They do not rattle their tails here in the northwest where rattlesnakes do not also occur, instead preferring to flee rather than stand their ground. Same snake, but different behavior depending on where they are. Now that on the surface seems to support a mimicry theory.

It's either that or the snakes simply evolved the behavior and of course, it was only an advantage where rattlesnakes also occur. Tail rattling was not an advantage where rattlesnakes do not occur, and so they simply dropped the behavior or never developed it in the first place.

In those areas where racers, fence lizards, and rattlesnakes occur, I've seen yellow bellied racers twitch their tails while sitting still, to attract lizards to come closer. In those areas the racers feed almost exclusively on lizards. Here in western WA/OR, they feed mainly on small rodents such as shrews and voles and the very young snakes even eat locusts/grasshoppers.