Page 23 - Sentinel July 2017

WILD SIDE Continued from page 21 can make a hissing sound out of their throats that may sound
like a rattle, or even a very annoyed momma bear. In its defen-
days in the 90s and no rain. And of course, the accompanying
high fire warnings permeate the news broadcasts. It was only sive posture, it makes the same S shape as a rattler.
a few weeks ago that a grandson’s graduation at Red Rocks was
snowed out.

But through the snow, the mating rituals continued, the hum-
mingbirds persevered, and the babies in nature happened. Tra
la!

This festive time of year puts a bounce in our spirits and steps
before the summer doldrums set in. The annual Renaissance
Festival adds to the celebration of summer, but nature provides
the real substance.

A big difference is that bull snakes, which can get to be 4-6 feet
long, constrict their prey, as rattlers are vipers that literally go
for the juggler to sink their fangs and inject the lethal poison.
Bull snakes innately can determine if a potential prey exceeds
their digestive abilities, so they will make themselves larger
and threatening while hissing and doing a backup maneuver
without the beep-beep-beep. Now pay attention. Rattlers will
raise their tail in their air to achieve the most effective rattle,
while bull snakes keep their tail on the ground while vibrating
it against something.

The robins serenade us in the evenings, sometimes well after
dusk. This evening the lucky dude took an energetic bath in our If you encounter a bull snake – make sure quickly that it is one,
bird bath as his love looked on approvingly. do as with rattle snakes and back away slowly and give it room.
They are our friends in keep the rodent population in check. I
even painted one on a garden mural in our dining room as a
Hubby Dave, in performing the yearly property maintenance,
noticed that a somewhat dead narrowleaf cottonwood tree had special tribute.
fallen and needed to be taken out. One section was hollowed
out inside with a substantial nest in it. The flickers, obviously. Note: the bull snake is very adept at climbing trees to raid bird
That is the reason that the forest service encourages people with nests and eat the eggs and the young.
property to leave at least two dead trees per acre. Not only do
the trees provide a nesting habitat for the woodpeckers, but they Ironically, our lab-timber wolf of years ago, was not afraid of
allow beetle larvae to eat away the dead wood while providing ANYTHING including momma bears, except for bull snakes.
food for insectivores such as the blue birds and wrens. He went 50 feet out of his way to clear one near a hiking trail.
And ironically, he was bitten by a young rattlesnake in his old
age. Our Ollie has a healthy curiosity for them and looks for
Speaking of, Dave got too close to a wren nest while running
the tractor around. That mama wren let out a string of unmis- them in their usual haunt in the dog park, one being the park
takable epithets to make one blush, while she buzzed him. mascot.
Seven years ago, I wrote about the garter snake seek-and-de-
Snakes Alive!
Unfortunately for one bull snake of my in-laws’ neighbor, it is stroy mentality when it comes to koi fish, those beautiful exotic
no longer alive. An over-reactive response, the neighbor think- Japanese exports. A raccoon this past winter took out all but
ing the snake was a rattlesnake, left one less rodent eradicator one of our koi that had finally become large enough to avoid a
in nature. snake attack. So, hubby Dave made a new, improved pond that
was deeper, giving the koi places to hide, complete with feng
shui basics:
It is common to mistake the bull snake for the Western rattle-
snake. No, it is not because they wear little cowboy hats and • Place an energetic fountain near the front door. Check. We
issue yodeling sounds. They both occupy the same territory, have that covered with a water fall.
namely central U.S., Canada, and into Mexico. They have sim- • Clear the entryway to the home. Check. The entrance to the
ilar coloration, markings, and scale distribution. The bull snake Continued on page 24
Perry Park Sentinel July 2017 - Page 23