Out last night trying (and succeeding) to find a new Estate Find, I came back to the outside door to Walkabout Studios and saw a distinctive pattern, right alongside the steps: an eastern kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula) emerging from a burrow about as close to my door as it could be. The day after World Snake Day as well, when I spent so much time trying to locate any. I was unable to get a hold of it before it slunk backwards into its burrow, so I resolved to keep checking for its eventual reappearance, while I put together the Estate Find post.
On my third check, there it was again:
The hindbody is still partially within the burrow to the right, just under my orange kayak, while the head is at the left edge of the frame – I had to fire this off quickly with the macro flash rig and didn’t have time for adjustments and making sure the light was even. After this shot I set down the camera and pounced, getting a firm grip on the snake, but it still had enough body within the burrow to prevent me from drawing it out, and eventually I gave up the fight and let it recede again. Same one as before? Quite likely, though I never saw its full length to be able to compare it.
Naturally, this is too late for the holiday, and did the snake know this? I have no doubts myself. Meanwhile, there have not only been a pair of Copes grey treefrogs right outside the office making a racket for the past few nights, I’ve also seen an eastern spadefoot toad hanging out under the edge of the very same kayak – at least until yesterday evening. Only the fact that the snake is still emerging suggests that it has not found any substantial meals yet – otherwise it should be holed up digesting. But now the question remains: do I have one of its eggs?