Some flora and fauna are easier to identify than others. The white neckband of this little fellow that Tiny discovered on the terrace this morning was a dead giveaway: Ringneck Snake (Diadophis punctatus), which turns out to be common and "secure" (as far as conservation status) throughout our area. Even so, we weren't about to let our precious puddy do it harm. Check out the ITIS (Integrated Taxonomic Information System) Standard Report for complete family tree.
What's Tiny staring at? we wondered this morning. All we could see was one of the bricks of the terrace. Remembering B. Kliban's insight that "cats see things we don't," we were almost ready to believe it was nothing. But then, a flash of movement along one of the interstices between bricks: A tiny, tiny, tiny snake, 2 inches long at best.
Tiny enough for you? As we started focusing our camera, Tiny sauntered over and started to play with her find. Paw provides a perfect illustration of just how small the serpent was.
We picked it up by the tail, vaguely wondering whether such a baby could harm us even if it were poison (it is, in fact, what is called -- always with reference to our own species rather than its prey -- harmless). We ran inside for a bowl and dropped the snake into it, then back outside for some art shots.
Then Baby had his turn, fascinated with the winding movements of this new toy.
Once we'd gotten our shots, we returned the snake to "the wild," letting it go near the woodpile behind the house, which was probably where it had been headed when it was so rudely interrupted.
Update: We interrupt this blogpost to call your attention to the Friday Ark at Modulator.
That snake (yuck) looked a lot bigger in the first picture. So glad it was very tiny. My kitties look at phantom insects in the air, but have never found a snake. They gave me a present of a bird once and it took me a while to figure out where they got it. They are all inside cats, scared to go out so I was at a loss. Finally figured out that the bird had flown into the grill of my van and they had found it in the garage already deceased.
By the way, thanks for commenting on my site. Do you have any sculptors? I had never looked at it that way.
Posted by: srp | August 05, 2005 at 09:58 PM
My Molly of long ago was a sculptress like your boy.
Posted by: Sissy Willis | August 05, 2005 at 10:09 PM
Yay! Post more of the snake!
Posted by: andophiroxia | August 06, 2005 at 02:05 PM
Beautiful. Can anything so delicate and so perfect be real? Our kitties seem to think so. It moves, so they attack. So very real to them, danger or not. I love it. Thanks.
Little Pond
Posted by: pb | August 06, 2005 at 03:09 PM