Four years ago, I stumbled across a northern pinesnake in a state park. That particular incident is what rekindled my interest in reptiles and amphibians, and began my tromping escapades.
Since then, I have been trying like mad to find another pinesnake, and have had absolutly zero success.
Today, however--in one awesome hour, I broke an unlucky streak of four years by finding two Pinesnakes. One was found on a trail, and the other was trying to bask on a road.
The first one was a healthy adult measuring around 5 feet in length. It barely put up a fight, hissed just a bit . . . it was a textbook capture. A triumph.
The second one was a bit different. I noticed the snake in the road on the way home . . . only about a mile from the entrance to the park. I immediatly pulled a u-turn and stopped the car, and as I flagged cars away from the HUGE animal, he was struck twice by some careless bastard. His bones were crushed in two places on his body . . . he futilly struggled to move away from the road--but he could barely move at all . . . his head was slack and there was blood in his mouth. This formerly healthy snake was around 6+ feet in length and probably approaching 20 years old. It is now dead and rotting in a ditch on the side of a road.
http://www.njpinebarrens.com/module...ery&file=index&include=view_album.php
To whoever hit this snake despite my pleading traffic to avoid the animal: F*** YOU. You paid no heed to my frantic motions and direction . . . your lack of respect for other living things sickens me. You didn't even stop. I hope someone runs down your little yuppy bastard chihuahua with an equal level of apathy. (spits in disgust)
-Bob.
Since then, I have been trying like mad to find another pinesnake, and have had absolutly zero success.
Today, however--in one awesome hour, I broke an unlucky streak of four years by finding two Pinesnakes. One was found on a trail, and the other was trying to bask on a road.
The first one was a healthy adult measuring around 5 feet in length. It barely put up a fight, hissed just a bit . . . it was a textbook capture. A triumph.
The second one was a bit different. I noticed the snake in the road on the way home . . . only about a mile from the entrance to the park. I immediatly pulled a u-turn and stopped the car, and as I flagged cars away from the HUGE animal, he was struck twice by some careless bastard. His bones were crushed in two places on his body . . . he futilly struggled to move away from the road--but he could barely move at all . . . his head was slack and there was blood in his mouth. This formerly healthy snake was around 6+ feet in length and probably approaching 20 years old. It is now dead and rotting in a ditch on the side of a road.
http://www.njpinebarrens.com/module...ery&file=index&include=view_album.php
To whoever hit this snake despite my pleading traffic to avoid the animal: F*** YOU. You paid no heed to my frantic motions and direction . . . your lack of respect for other living things sickens me. You didn't even stop. I hope someone runs down your little yuppy bastard chihuahua with an equal level of apathy. (spits in disgust)
-Bob.
I was wondering, how you can tell how old a snake is? Snakes are out and crawling all about now. My friend John, (who is in the snapper fyke pictures of Barry's) has seen four black snakes where he lives in the woods in Shamong (Indian Mills). .Sue......