Wednesday Walk Thursday Edition
Well, you gotta know that I'm not so good at following rules or suggestions, but I really like the @tattoodjay challenge and idea so the Wednesday Walk is on Thursday this week. I have plausabile excuses that I chose to keep to myself.
The Wednesday Walk is a fun challenge by @tattoodjay that you can read about for yourself here
We are back out in the desert near my home, and you know it's going to be a good day when Sam takes care of business right away. That means I don't have to pick it up and he feels a lot better. Everybody is happy.
I know @tattoodjay suggests looking up, and trying to see things you don't ordinarily see, but it's that rules and suggestions thing again. I look down most of my walk. We had big rain for a few days here, and yesterday was the first day in a while that you could really see tracks. These are mostly lizard tracks, with some bug activity thrown in.
There were literally millions of these little structures on the desert yesterday. They belong to a bug that is an egg buried in the sand until it gets enough moisture to complete it's life cycle. Then it hatches and digs it's way out. It also builds a little fortress around it's home, and has a little protection from other bugs and lizards through it's 48 hour life cycle. Yep. By the weekend new eggs will be laid and waiting for the next rain.
This is what I'm really looking for when I am looking down. Sidewinder tracks. These are post rain, and you can tell they are really fresh because you can still see individual scale marks. I'd guess about 2 hours old. I really don't want to step on one. In the words of a friend "Sidewinder bite won't kill you but it'll make you wish you were doing something else."
Do you see him? This picture was taken a couple of weeks ago, but there is a sidewinder in this photo. Look for the tracks, then find the snake.
I really pay pretty good attention and I just darn near stepped on this one. That is hunting posture, they can shake themselves all the way into the sand so nothing is showing but their eyes. That's why looking for tracks is so important.
He was intent on the next lizard that walks by, and didn't particularly care what Sam or I thought about him. He never coiled to strike, and didn't move on, either. Just waited paitently until we left him alone.
So there it is. My mid week stroll. I enjoyed having you along.
All words and photos in this post are mine. For better or worse.
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FOR TSE: It's a fairly small one, isn't it? Took me a while to make him out -- even when you put an arrow pointing at him. (Saved the picture and zoomed in before I was sure what I was seeing.)
Probably about 18 inches long. Makes it an adult just coming into first breeding season. Fully mature males are usually about 2 feet and females that have birthed will be up to 3 feet. Sidewinders are pretty polite, it's the Diamondbacks that are unpredictable generally speaking.
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That little sucker was definitely hard to see, you have snake boots on I hope when you are walking. If not you might consider them and I mean like soon.
I don't wear them, never have. I'm funny that way, I guess. Sam smells them and (mostly) stays away, but I have to rely on my ability to see them, and I really do pay pretty good attention. Sam and I had a pretty good discussion about sidewinders when I saw him about 6 inches from a coiled and buzzing one. Scared the crap out of me.
Oh my word, that's so scary, he really camouflages himself! Snake lovers will tell us they're more afraid of us but I'm terrified of them ssssnakes!
I'm not terrified, but I have a very healthy respect for them. Most people, even those that go into the desert regularly, have never even seen one. They really do stay out of the way for the most part.
errrr sneks! It's pretty cool to see, but I'm glad I didn't see a snake IN your photos. 😅
There's one in the two bottom photos. About a half meter sidewinder all rolled up in hunting posture. They really do look like where they are, are incredibly hard to see.
I for one have never been big for rules like you and thats why I have guidelines and not rules :)
Such cool shot son your walk, I am glad the sidewinder wasn’t interested din you, especially since you got so close before you noticed it
Thanks for joining Wednesday Walk tip!
I just love it, think it's a really cool idea. I think next week we will walk down by the river unless something better comes up between.
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