Feeding

The Whiptails Strike Back

Around our home, the most commonly seen snakes are Eastern Patch-noseds, the high-elevation sister species of Western Patch-nosed Snakes. Like their lowland cousins, Whiptail Lizards are a staple of their known diet, so we assumed that was what the one we spotted was after as he diligently excavated a burrow in our yard one June …

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Snakes Are Good Neighbors

How viper* behavior increases their effect on prey populations *Vipers are a family of venomous snakes that includes Copperheads, Cottonmouths (Water Moccasins), and Rattlesnakes in North America. The sound of domestic cats fighting is probably familiar to many readers. Like most predators, cats defend their turf and the resources within. Prey is often scarce and …

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Western Patch-nosed Snake Digs for Her Dinner

Have you ever watched a Whiptail Lizard run from you at lightning speed and wondered how anything ever manages to catch and eat them? Well, I’m about to tell you. One summer afternoon, I noticed a Western Patch-nosed Snake stretched out in the bare soil next to a walking path. She immediately continued on her …

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Pretty in Pink

28 April:  Molly basks briefly before leaving the security of the den to fulfill what is on every rattlesnake’s mind: the first meal of the year. It’s been over seven months since they’ve last had a chance to eat, so they’re probably quite hungry. Molly comes out first and coils on the left. The snake …

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