Sarasota News Leader
May 24, 2013
and chicks, which is the source of one of its
common names, 'chicken snake.' It lays eggs.
Breeding occurs from April-July; 5-27 eggs are
laid during the summer, and newborns hatch
from July-September."
Oh! I should mention I knew that the Rat
Snake is quite active at night, as are its tiny,
delicious young'uns! So, there is no need to
worry that you will all be overrun with these
tasty creatures, as I and many nocturnal and
diurnal raptors are literally "on top" of the
problem!
As we are all — human or animal — enthralled
or mesmerized to some degree by danger,
please go to the excellent Florida Museum of
Natural History website to see what poisonous snakes we actually do have around here!
Page 77
The Red Bug Slough field trip was sponsored
by the Sarasota County Butterfly Club, which
is proud to count among its membership highly experienced amateur lepidopterists and
ornithologists (and herpetologists!) to help
guide and instruct novices on how to spot a
butterfly (not always that easy!) and how to
identify one (seldom easy!). On this particular
trek the president of the Sarasota Audubon
Society again joined in and pointed out (and
identified!) to amateur nature enthusiasts a
Green Heron, deeply concealed in the mangroves; an Anhinga drying its wings; and a
Roseate Spoonbill. It is a thrill for people to
see a Roseate Spoonbill in full breeding plumage. The contrast of its colors — from its deep
orange tourmaline eyes set in that pale Key
lime face to deep roseate feathers highlighting
A close-up look at the Rat Snake. Photo courtesy of Rick Wulterkens
