Well I guess this poor little fella was way past the whispering stage when I came upon him yesterday. Although it doesn't appear obvious in the photo, parts of him were flat and I don't think this was natural ! I suspect he'd been run over a few times by any or all of the golf carts that ply the roads within the park.
And if that wasn't a good clue that he was an ex snake, then the relatively large hole towards his tail was the clincher. I think he'd been doing his 'circle of life' thing for some considerable time - so despite some recent advice about avoiding any local Coral Snakes, I felt pretty safe aproaching this one. I had a pebble handy just in case.
Although 45 species of snakes are found in Florida, only 6 are venomous. I've gone to various sites to try and identify this one but I suspect that having been run over a few times and then having a chunk removed from his body and then lying in the hot sun for a while.....oh and then being dead......he may have lost some of his distinctive colouring. If he ever had any.
So basically I donno what he is, or was.
It's still a novelty for a Brit to see a snake of course, hence this post. St. Patrick was probably glad he never made it to America as he'd have had his work cut out removing all the snakes from here. Would've been handy if some other Saint had thought to irradicate ants and mosquitoes and, well, anything that bites. Even hamsters ! But I digress.
When I went past the same place this morning, old snakey had gone. As I very much doubt it was under his own steam, I think he became a meal for any number of park critters and even a couple of not so fussy park residents who don't care where their next meal comes from.
Probably more nutricious than anything sold at McDonalds.
4 comments:
I think that snake was an Old Silverback. :)
A coral has colored sections of red, yellow, and black. There is a non-poisonous snake that also has red, yellow, and black. The way you know which is which is summed up in a little jingle:
Red on black, you'll be back.
Red on yellow, kill a fellow.
I recommend that all visitors to Florida (the only part of the U.S. where coral snakes slither) memorize that little jingle! Oh, and not throw rocks at alligators!
Ah yes, but how about the Olde English rhyme:
"Throw rocks at snake and alligator
They'll flee: you can come back later."
Daphne, you made that up! I have racked (wracked?) my brain and I can't think of any earthly reason why there would be an Olde English rhyme about snakes and alligators....
Aw.. poor little snake. Poor little flat snake. *Sigh*
There's no reason why there shouldn't be an old English rhyme about snakes! We have snakes!!
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