Occasionally in the woods, or even in the city, most of the birds in an area will gather and make a cacophonous racket. That means one of two things. Either an owl or a snake raiding a nest. In the case below the Bull Snake had eaten four robins. I have a picture with two feet sticking from the snake’s mouth but chose not to use it here.
Some, perhaps the males, will pose and hiss. They won’t even strike at a stick, however. The only time I have been bitten by one was when I stupidly stepped on it. It hurt its mouth more than my pant leg. It was so frightened that it did not hiss, it truly barked. Both our hearts were pattering. I apologized and left it alone.
Bull Snakes mating at Prewitt Reservoir.
The male is the one biting.
A baby Bull Snake.
Some of the snakes in the Pawnee Buttes area are blackish.
They flair their heads to make themselves look like rattlers, but they only make themselves more pretty.
This one was super docile. I probably could have petted it.
They readily swim. And they know where they are going.
Bull Snake trail.