I’ve never seen a snake shed its skin. It might be fascinating. Probably is. But I wouldn’t want to see the process in person.
I think it’s about 3 feet long. It’s from today’s dog walk. The dog’s had no response at all.
I’ve never seen a snake shed its skin. It might be fascinating. Probably is. But I wouldn’t want to see the process in person.
I think it’s about 3 feet long. It’s from today’s dog walk. The dog’s had no response at all.
MK pix 
Wow ! That was a big, very big snake ! Scary !
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Yes it sure does look big enough that I would run screaming down the mountain if it wasn’t just an old overcoat I found!
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Wow, lucky find.
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Very very lucky indeed, Peggy. I considered taking it home, but then my partner suggested that other hikers would also enjoy seeing it on the trail. She’s wise that way.
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Great decision. I wonder how many other people stopped to admire this wonderful slice of nature.
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There are not many people who use this trail, which makes it very pleasurable to walk. The only folks I’ve seen up there are real hiker & bird watcher types. So I think these are the very people who’d enjoy it.
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Que dire Wow 💕
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Oui, nous avons été très chanceux alors voir. Je ne l’ai jamais vu un juste traîner dans la nature.
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I’ve seen one or two discarded snake skins on hikes, but snakes creep me out so much that I usually rush past pictures of them… used to be in books, now I have to do the same online!
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Okay, so you just peeked at these pictures with one eye closed, and the other eye just open for a second or two!!!
No more pictures of snakes are in the pipeline. 😉
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Yikes! Did it have a rattle? Is it a rattlesnake? I don’t think I would like to see the owner of that skin!
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I studied & took a couple of pictures of the back end, and it doesn’t look like there was any room for a rattle. So I think not. But just to be safe, I went to the garage and pulled my stomper hiking boots from my camping supplies.
I don’t recall whether I posted a picture of another snake we came across (a live one) — it was pink & yellow. I took a picture on my phone, and looked it up. It was a boa. Can’t remember what kind of boa (like that dogwood flower!!!) but I do recall that it’s not dangerous.
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FYI… keep the stomper boots handy. Rattlesnakes don’t shed their rattles. They add rattles each time they shed their skin. Stomp hard when you’re hiking in their territory!
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Yikes! Thanks Gunta (and Eric too I think). I do wear a little bell and I carry a small canister of pepper spray. I will be stomping next time I’m out.
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I lived in rattler country long enough to be aware (& yes, Eric confirms my thoughts). They’re generally not aggressive, but don’t like being surprised. So some stomping is in order, but mostly don’t reach for a rock or a hunk of wood with your hands. I would be more concerned about the dogs. They aren’t always aware of the danger and far more apt to get a lethal dose.
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Oh, I’d forgotten about you living in Utah. Of course you’d know about rattler encounters.
Thank you for the very good advice. Yes, we’re going to have to keep a tighter leash on the dogs.
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Actually, I don’t think the rattle sheds, come to think of it. You can tell the age of a rattler by the number of segments in its rattle. What I would worry about is its striking distance – three feet is a lot! You know to freeze when you hear that sound, but Rufus and Frieda? I dunno!
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Rufus & Frieda will be on shorter leashes, for sure. I think, though, that they won’t feel cheated as long as they get to go. They fancy themselves Forest Dogs. All they need is a chauffeur.
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😀
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It’s actually really fascinating to see in person. Also, I think it was a good thing to leave it for others to see 🙂
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I’m glad we left it too.
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Quite extraordinary. And very cool photographs.
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Something I don’t see often, and I am glad for that.
Thank you Otto.
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Very cool series of photos ~ wonderful.
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