Bikeabout Guide to Road Snakes

We've seen our first snake of the season. And as the weather warms, there will be more of our fine scaly, legless friends out there in the wild and semi-wild places we like to visit.

I will not claim to be an expert on all snakes. I seem to seldom encounter them during the regular routine of riding and hiking. I have occasionally seen one of the local pigmy rattlers that come out after dark on the local trails, but they have been kind enough to warn me of their presence and thus prevent me from disturbing them or being disturbed by them.

From Bikeabout

The snakes of which I am most familiar are the snakes I have encountered while on Bikeabout, bicycling along lonely dirt roads in far-flung corners of the American West. My purpose in those times has been to do a small amount of beating on otherwise unbeaten tracks, while seeing as much as possible of the landscape, plant-scape, and creature-scape around me. The snakes' purpose under these circumstances seems, usually, to be to warm themselves in the sunshine on the open gravel or dirt roadways where the most likely of traffic is the passing cyclist with a camera.

Please pardon me, then, if I presume to call myself somewhat of an expert on these snakes whose lifestyles have so frequently put them in contact with my wanderings. And allow me to present, for your enjoyment and education:

The Bikeabout Guide to Road Snakes

Bull Snake

From Bikeabout

Garter Snake

From Bikeabout

Clip-headed Strap Snake

From Bikeabout

Coachwhip Snake - Western Black Racer

From Bikeabout

Rope Snake (Note bulges from recent meals)

From Bikeabout

Lesser Steel-Belted Rubber Snake (Molting)

From Bikeabout

Wire Snake

From Bikeabout

Ruddy Iron Snake

From Bikeabout

Cone-tipped Pine Snake

From Bikeabout

Alloy Stitch Snake

From Bikeabout

Western Tread Snake

From Bikeabout

I mistook this specimen for the Orange Twine Snake.

From Bikeabout

A trained handler with proper equipment can safely handle the Orange Twine Snake.

From Bikeabout

But it turned out that it was actually a rare and aggressive Prairie Twine Constrictor. Lesson learned!

From Bikeabout

--Greg