In May of 2000 Ron and I returned to the same spots where we had seen so much the year before. This time our target was to find a Canebrake Rattlesnake (now regarded as the southern variation of the Timber Rattlesnake, Crotalus horridus). We were hopeful because temps were warmer this time around, but when we arrived we also discovered that conditions were much drier. Perhaps that accounted for our not seeing as much on the second trip (unfortunately, no Canebrakes) but we did find some different species. The first was a great spot by Ron. We were searching the edges of a small, weedy wetland and his eye caught the slightest bit of movement in the middle. There was a tiny something sticking up just above the surface of the water among the weeds, and we decided it was either a real little frog or maybe the tip of a snake with his nose peeking out. Only one way to find out, so Ron goes wading up to his knees in mud carrying the net we brought for just such occasions. He gets out to the spot, does sort of a blind scoop in the general vicinity of the dot, and comes up with a nice fat Redbelly Water Snake, which promptly rewards him by disgorging the very slimy, disgusting remains of a green frog. We did not take a picture of that.
Redbelly Water Snake Nerodia e. erythrogaster
Had a repeat experience in another grassy pond, but this time the nostrils belonged to a turtle.
Common Musk Turtle Sternotherus odoratus We also caught several Black Racers, including one under the same piece of tin where we flipped a Kingsnake the year before.
Flipped another piece of tin and almost missed this cute little guy, thinking for a split sec that it was an earthworm, and for good reason: it's a Worm Snake.
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