Monday, February 4, 2019

Speckled King Snake






Also called the Salt And Pepper King this highly beficial snake not only eats other snakes it seems to specialize in Copperheads. Interestingly and maybe coincidentally, on the property I caught this one on I have never seen a Copperhead in spite of it being relatively undisturbed and ideal habitat for them. They also eat a lot of mice and rats. It's a pointless shame people would kill such an interesting, harmless and beneficial animal on sight.



3 comments:

an Donalbane said...

Daughter used to catch small snakes under the deck or by the a/c compressor. I was generally supportive of such doings, with the obvious caveat that she watched out for poisonous varieties.

el chupacabra said...

hey Don- Same here. Funny thing about that though, Zacs mom told me about a time neighbors were worried about a snake near the truck. Zac walked up took one look and said, Oh thats just a grass snake! and picked it up, walked to the back of the property and released it near the pasture.

He was about 5.

I had never referred to a snake as a grass snake around him.

There is no telling what kind of snake it was.

RPM said...

Let me preface by saying I am anti-snake by nature. They freak me out, OK? Having said that, I now feel guilty/dumbass for killing one of those while cutting down a dead tree a couple years ago. I suddenly saw a snake danger close, had an axe in my hand, things happened.