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Sarasota News Leader January 11, 2013 might explain siblicide? Well, let us look to the nest itself. Despite the parents' constant meticulous attention to cleaning the nest and replacing dirty pieces of it with new materials, the nest is a putrid bacterial Petri dish of rotting fish scales, swarming flies and mosquitoes and even poop from the Anhinga family living right by it. At an early stage, many nestlings contract various ailments, particularly parasitic diseases. Dear Otus, The other day I discovered a slender black snake about a foot long in my garage. At first I thought it was a "child" version of the much larger (three or four feet in length), harmless black snakes that have taken up residence on my property — and terrified both my son and daughter who are in their 40s. I was going to just pick it up and return it to the grass when I noticed a narrow red band around its neck. Could this be a snake whose venom would be detrimental to my health should it happen to bite me? Taking no chances, I gently directed the snake to the driveway with a soft broom. I believe you find snakes to be tasty morsels. Can you identify the one who trespassed in my garage? Ardea's sibling, if diseased, would display signs of anorexia and unnatural jerky movements, thus demonstrating its increasing weakness and discombobulation. Her sibling would no longer be a recognizable bird, but something more like a foundering fish. It is the nature of animals to attack weak prey — it is easier and safer to attack something that is not going to fight back as hard as a healthy specimen will. It is also nature's way of swiftly weeding out those doomed to a slow death. Dear Curious, JMHO (just my humble opinion)! THE NEXT STAGE Page 85 Curious P.S. I love your column! All my feathers fluffed up when I read your letter. I love it when people give pertinent information and precisely detailed descriptions. You perfectly described a Ringneck (or Ringed-neck) Snake (Diadophis punctatus). It is a common snake around Florida, but, unfortunately, I have not eaten or seen one on south Siesta Key in close to four years. Ardea fledged some six weeks after hatching. She spent her very early adolescence accompanying her parents to their favorite hunting grounds — bay and Gulf sides as well as around the lagoons and yards of homes and even public parking places. She watched them with the utmost concentration while imitating their hunting tricks, grooming routines and I am delighted to learn that they are thriving elsewhere. Awfully tasty! their defensive and offensive postures. She also diligently practiced their vocaliza- For more information and some really beautitions — a pity in a way, because the Great ful photos of Ringneck's underside, please see Egret's voice is similar to that of a speared the Online Guide to Florida Snakes. Dr. Kenbullfrog's and that discordant noise detracts neth Krysko is a celebrity herpetologist and renowned scholar at the University of Florifrom its ethereal beauty. da's Museum of Natural History in Gainesville. Otus It was Dr. Krysko who positively identified the