Busy Water Snakes and some others

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Andrew G
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Joined: June 7th, 2010, 1:53 pm
Location: South-Central Kansas

Busy Water Snakes and some others

Post by Andrew G »

Headed to a spot in Central Kansas on Saturday. Overall didn't see anything too spectacular but the diamondback watersnakes put on quite the show.


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This guy eventually swam to a part of the marsh where he wasn't as accessible to finish off his meal. Shortly after I noticed this amorous couple.

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Red Sided garters were out as they always seem to be. Here is a good looking one.


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Saw a couple DOR racers. I have seen a couple of these guys alive on other trips but have yet to manage to photograph these speedsters.

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A few other herps were out as well, including numerous bull frogs...

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Red eared sliders....

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And even a snapping turtle!

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All in all not a bad day!
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BChambers
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Location: Boerne, TX

Re: Busy Water Snakes and some others

Post by BChambers »

I always wonder how those Nerodia get past the locked pectoral spines on a bullhead, without getting pierced, that is (an occurrence which, I can personally attest, is quite painful!). They must have some kind of system, since catfish are a staple in their diet. Nice shots!
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KingCam
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Re: Busy Water Snakes and some others

Post by KingCam »

Andrew G wrote:Saw a couple DOR racers. I have seen a couple of these guys alive on other trips but have yet to manage to photograph these speedsters.
They can be challenging to capture in a photograph :P They move SO fast when it's warm outside.

Looks like you had a nice outing to me. I would have loved to witness that nerodia eating its catfish :P And the snapper is pretty sweet, too! I haven't manage to find one yet this year.
BChambers wrote:I always wonder how those Nerodia get past the locked pectoral spines on a bullhead, without getting pierced, that is (an occurrence which, I can personally attest, is quite painful!). They must have some kind of system, since catfish are a staple in their diet. Nice shots!
I found myself wondering the same thing. And what if for some reason the snake needed to regurgitate (as snakes sometimes do)?? Wouldn't the spines be pointed in the wrong direction for that?? They're like the sword swallowers of the snake community.
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Andrew G
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Re: Busy Water Snakes and some others

Post by Andrew G »

Yeah it was definitely a good trip, and I thought that the nerodia had bitten off a bit more than he could chew for a minute there! Admittedly I am much more into snakes, but the snapper was a nice bonus, I hadn't seen one in several years.
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Crimson King
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Re: Busy Water Snakes and some others

Post by Crimson King »

I see at least one Nerodia per year that has a catfish spine sticking out of its body...I imagine some do not make it but obviously most do. Thanks for the post!
:Mark
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Hans Breuer (twoton)
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Re: Busy Water Snakes and some others

Post by Hans Breuer (twoton) »

Nice shots!
Snake Junky
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Re: Busy Water Snakes and some others

Post by Snake Junky »

looks like good day to me. Amazing they can eat good sized catfish. reminds me of coming home after school one day to find my escaped garter snake eating my moms angel fish on top of her aquarium.
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Andrew G
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Re: Busy Water Snakes and some others

Post by Andrew G »

Snake Junky wrote:looks like good day to me. Amazing they can eat good sized catfish. reminds me of coming home after school one day to find my escaped garter snake eating my moms angel fish on top of her aquarium.
LOL... I bet that went over well with your mother!
troy hibbitts
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Re: Busy Water Snakes and some others

Post by troy hibbitts »

BChambers wrote:I always wonder how those Nerodia get past the locked pectoral spines on a bullhead, without getting pierced, that is (an occurrence which, I can personally attest, is quite painful!). They must have some kind of system, since catfish are a staple in their diet. Nice shots!
when I worked on Dixon's Concho Watersnake Project back in '89, we had a couple of big rhombifer with radios in them (comparing their movement patterns with the harteri). Once found one up in a tree with a bullhead or channel cat in it, spines actually sticking out the side of the body! As it was basking for the next couple of days digesting the meal, as the fish's head got digested and the bolus moved down the GI tract, the spines slid back into the body and all was well. The snake itself survived at least the remainder of the summer.

Troy Hibbitts
Brackettville, TX
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