Regular readers of this irregular diary are already aware that I've been playing "mom" to various foundling snakes for the past year. So it won't surprise any of you that there's a new slithery member of the household who needs "civilizing."
Two weeks ago the Audubon center acquired two "found snakes." It's not their usual policy to accept critters, but they figured they'd hold on to these two to show me (because I love a good snake) and one thing led to another and it's been two weeks ... and they've named the snakes. You know where THAT leads -- you name something and all of a sudden it's part of your family.
So they have two new snakes. Although I'm still a Novice Snake Mom, I have had a year of experience taking care of reptiles and have a decent setup for emergency housing of slithery creatures. The Audubon centers don't regularly take animals but right now, both centers have an "IF we accept them we will raise them to a certain size and then release them," which I think is a win-win situation. I make sure it's free of mites and so forth, and it gets housed and fed until it's near adult size (several months.) After that, it's released into an area where it can help keep the mouse and rat population down -- an environment away from the major areas where the frogs are breeding.
It's not surprising because the area is urban-verging-on-countryside and this is the time of year when the hatchlings which survived the first rush of "OMG!! YUMMY BABY SNAKES!!!" predators are following the ages-old urge to find a place (without things that eat little snakes) to sleep for the winter (close to places with things that little snakes can eat.) Generally this translates to "rocks" and "rocks near places with bugs and mice and frogs and lizards."
And all of THOSE creatures (except for frogs) thrive very well near humans, who also put up nice rocks in their gardens, have nice wood piles and so forth. Sadly, humans don't seem to appreciate these little slithery vermin hunters.
So... two snakes. The first is a rat snake like Jellybean and Jujubee (http://www.dailykos.com/...) who spends most of its time hiding. The second is an 8 inch long Western Hognose (the Gloyd's subspecies)snake that spreads its jaws into a cobra-hood-like shape, huffs and puffs (sounds like a miniature steam locomotive) and jerks its head upwards every time someone went near. They're called "puff adders" but aren't related to the species of vipers called "puff adders." These guys are harmless and fairly docile even as wild-caught snakes.
Of course I fell in love with him and named him Puffy Pants (because "George" was already taken -- by my husband, who doesn't wish to be confused with a Hognose.) Western hognoses are really very charming snakes -- small and plump with a thin tail and broad . Puffy Pants will only grow to be 2 1/2 feet long -- Freckles the Rat Snake will grow to be 5 feet long and the Racer Sisters will grow to be over 4 feet long. Right now he's about 8 inches long and as thick as my thumb.
His jaws are interesting -- he can push them sideways to make his face appear wider (imagine being able to threaten your boss by doing THAT!) Although he (like other snakes) doesn't have eyelids, his eyes are very moveable -- unlike rat snakes, whose irises move but whose eyes are basically immobile hemispheres. His nose has that famous upturned scale feature that allows them to dig in sand to help hunt down prey. As far as I know, they are the only snake that can dig.
In spite of the huffs, neck flares, and striking display (he strikes with his mouth closed and never attempts to bite) he's a pretty mild-mannered little guy. The Audubon Center would like to keep him if they can and add him to their growing herp collection, which means I have to get him used to being handled and have to get him to accept a diet of frozen dead mice from the pet store.
If he can't adapt to those two things -- and there's a chance that he can't -- I have pre-selected two possible release spots for him so that he can be returned to the wild. We're all a little snake-crazy here, but realize that we simply can't keep EVERY snake that gets handed to us, no matter how cute they are.
After hours of handling, Puffy Pants is over the first hurdle -- he'll accept my presence without huffing and striking and I can pick him up with a minimum of snake hysterics. It remains to be seen if I can get him to eat. I have read (and will have to try) that you can help them recognize dead mice as edible food if you "scent" it with the juice of Vienna wieners.
No, I'm not kidding.
But either way I can give him a good life -- either as a pampered pet or as a wild returnee... the latter, however, will be short because nature as a rule isn't very kind to little snakes. So I'm hoping he will go for the first option, but we are all prepared to give him the second option.
(The famous hognose "dead snake" pose)