It’s no secret that the Houston Zoo Reptile House staff love rattlesnakes… but why?  What do we know that you don’t?   For many people, the sight or sound of a rattlesnake results in sheer terror.  Yes, rattlesnakes are potentially dangerous due to their elegant venom delivery system, but they typically give you a warning well before they strike – why do you suppose that is?  Let’s touch on some rattlesnake physiology…

Eastern Diamond-backed Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus)

Rattlesnakes are highly evolved animals.  Their skull is very delicate, having an open framework with fairly thin bones – compare this to a python, which has a reinforced, almost solid skull.  A python needs a heavy skull because they grab and hold their prey, which is often kicking and thrashing about (I can’t say I wouldn’t do the same). A rattlesnake relies on its venom to subdue its meal;  it bites and quickly lets go because a thrashing animal could do some serious and irreparable damage to the snake’s skull.  After envenomating its prey – a rodent for example – the rattlesnake then patiently waits for the venom to do its job.  At this point the rodent may have wandered off before dying, so the rattlesnake tracks it using some pretty cool high-tech equipment:  heat sensing pits (which form infrared images, allowing them to “see” in the dark) and a complex chemosensory system  (allowing them to “taste” their way around with great precision and accuracy).  Using these amazing built in tools, they can safely track the same rodent they bit a few minutes before and eat it in peace without any injury from a struggle.  Check out some amazing rattlesnake footage from David Attenborough’s BBC series “Life in Cold Blood” here.

Mojave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus)

So back to the rattle… when a rattlesnake rattles, it is threatened – something or someone has invaded its personal space.   Although most people are under the impression that ALL snakes are out to get them (especially rattlesnakes), this couldn’t be farther from the truth.   These snakes want absolutely nothing to do with us and will always flee if there is an escape route available.  An animal of our stature could easily kill a snake as small as a rattler – if a human were to accidentally step on one, that fragile skull I mentioned earlier would be crushed.  So if you threaten a rattlesnake (even by accident) and it has to protect itself, its rattle will send you a clear message:  Don’t tread on me!   This audible warning makes rattlesnakes pretty darn polite in my opinion…   But the real reason they give you fair warning is (again) they don’t want a confrontation and  they don’t want to waste venom on an enemy unless they are forced to.  Venom takes a lot of energy to make and the snake would rather use it for its intended purpose (to catch food).  So,if you ever hear/see an agitated rattlesnake in the wild, simply stop, stay calm, locate the snake and slowly back away from it until you are out of harms way.

Canebrake Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)

Rattlesnakes are often misunderstood and underappreciated animals.  They are unique to the Americas and are found nowhere else in the world – the American Southwest and Mexico boast the highest diversity of species.  They have very caring courtship behaviors and give birth to live young; parental care has even been documented in some species. They have striking colors and markings yet blend in perfectly with their surroundings.  They play the very important role of  predator in many ecosystems and keep populations of other critters under control, while being a prey item themselves for other snakes and hawks.  And come on – they have RATTLES on the end of their tails!  How cool is that?!!

Those who care for rattlesnakes for a living will tell you that they are peaceful and curious animals.  Working with them on a daily basis allows us to get to know them as individuals – yep, they have distinct personalities and quirks just like every other animal!  Starting to see why we love rattlesnakes so much?  Hopefully you are beginning to understand why we want to protect them.

Rattlesnakes were once well respected and  even symbolized our great country in its infancy.  Now, hundreds of thousands of rattlesnakes are persecuted and needlessly killed every year.  Rattlesnake roundups – events in which these snakes are collected from the wild and slaughtered as a public spectacle – are a severe threat to rattlesnake populations in the state of Texas.  As a native Texan, I am painfully embarrassed that these events persist  – the animals are treated disrespectfully before they are killed (and they are ALL killed) and this sends a horrible message to event attendees, especially children.  Help us put an end to the killing and ask that these yearly festivals be changed to educational ones that advocate respect for nature – before it’s too late for the rattlesnakes of Texas.

Aruba Island Rattlesnake (Crotalus unicolor), the rarest rattlesnake on Earth. Photo: Jeff Whitlock

So take the time to learn more about the fascinating world of rattlesnakes and then spread the word – shout it from the rooftops!! RATTLESNAKES ROCK!!

Still don’t appreciate rattlesnakes?  Think the only good snake is a dead snake?  Hmm… I hope you don’t mind a few hundred rodent house guests because without snakes around, I can guarantee they’ll be moving in soon!

Rattlesnakes and Texas: the words just sound right together don’t they?  While we do not have the most species of rattlesnake (that honor goes to Arizona) we can boast of 8 species (10 kinds if you go by subspecies). 

There are about 30 species of rattlesnake all together and they occur only in the Americas.  Baby rattlesnakes are born (live) with a single little “button” that does not rattle.  Every time the snake sheds (which is about 2-5 times a year depending on age and food intake) a new rattle segment is added to the tail.  Sound is produced as the rattle segments hit each other when the tail is vibrated.  Because the number of times that a snake sheds in a year’s time is variable, along with the fact that the rattles can break off, is why an accurate age of a snake cannot be determined by the number of rattles. Rattlesnakes come in many sizes from an adult length of about 15 inches all the way to about 8 feet.  Rattlesnakes are pitvipers (along with our local copperheads and cottonmouths and many other snakes around the world).  They have a very sensitive heat sensing pit on each side of the head between the eye and nostril.

While odds are you will never find a rattlesnake in Harris County you still might find one if you drive an hour or so out of town.  We look at 3 below.

One of the most well known rattlesnakes is the Western diamond-backed rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) which is widely distributed across the southwestern U.S.  The closet to Houston that they occur is Galveston.  The record size is 7 ft, 4 in but average size is only 3-4 feet.  Color is variable but usually dark grey or brown with diamond shaped markings down the back (which can be faint in some specimens).  If you’ve heard the phrase “coon tail” applied to a rattlesnake this is because the tail has black and white alternating bands.  Diet is mostly mammals.  While there are definitely exceptions, these snakes in general tend to be high strung and easily provoked, rattling in a defensive posture with the front part of the body raised in an “S” shape.  Though if not further provoked or harassed they will usually slowly back away and calm down.  Most of the venomous snakebites that occur in Texas are from this species.

Western diamond-backed rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox)

Next is the rarely seen Western pygmy rattlesnake (Sistrurus milarius streckeri).  These little guys occur from east Texas to the east coast.  Adult size is only 15-20 inches and their rattles are so small they can barely be heard rattling from a few feet away.  Basically grey, they then have small dark spots going down the back and sides and usually an orange tinge running down the top of the back.  There are black lines on the head to the neck and also from the eye to the back of the mouth.  Diet is varied and includes, mice, reptiles, amphibians, and insects.

Western pygmy rattlesnake (Sistrurus milarius streckeri)

Last, we have a beautiful serpent-the Canebrake rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus atricaudatus).  This is a subspecies of the timber rattlesnake that ranges all the way up north where that strange thing called winter occurs.  This is our second biggest rattlesnake, averaging 40-60 inches.  Base color is usually tan or grey brown with dark brown or black crossbands running the length of the body. Overall color gets darker toward the tail.  A dark orange or pinkish stripe runs down the top of the back, fading the further it goes.  A wide dark brown stripe runs from the eye to the jaw.  Canebrakes like moist woodland/mixed pine forest and eat mostly mammals.  They are in general pretty laid back for a rattlesnake.  They are listed as “threatened” by the state of Texas.

Canebrake rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus atricaudatus)

Rattlesnake “roundups” are touted as fun and educational but are basically nothing more than organized persecution and slaughter.  Thousands of rattlesnakes are collected for some of these events only to be crammed together in small spaces and then have their heads chopped off for entertainment purposes.  Large scale collection/extermination of an animal such as the rattlesnake can throw all kinds of stuff out of balance resulting in things such as rodent overpopulation which brings its own problems.

S0-while you can definitely be hurt by a rattlesnake, your odds of dying from drowning or being struck by lightning and many many other things is waaay higer.  Snakes mostly just want to be left alone to go about their business and won’t bother you if you don’t bother them.  Surprise, surprise, most snakebites occur to people that are trying to kill or catch the snakes.

Written by Judith Bryja, Herpetology Department Supervisor

For more information on Texassnakes, Judith has reccomended these two resources: http://www.herpsoftexas.org/ and  The Field Guide to TX Snakes written by James Dixon and former Houston Zoo director John Werler.

We’ve just expanded the tortoise habitat from the Duck Lake sidewalk near the Dolly’s Ride sculpture all the way around toward the food court. We’ve installed new grass and almost doubled their area. They move faster than you would think. Why don’t you stop by?

There are three kinds of Tortoises who live together there – Radiated tortoises, Galapagos tortoises and African spurred tortoises.  Let’s talk about the latter. The African spurred tortoise, Centrochelys (Geochelone sulcata), is a large tortoise found along the southern perimeter of the Sahara desert in Africa. It is the largest species of tortoise found in Africa and is surpassed only in size by the Galapagos tortoise and the Aldabra tortoise.

The African spurred tortoise

The species gets its name from several large prominent spurs that are located on the hind surfaces of the thighs on the rear legs. Males can be distinguished from females by having a pronounced concavity on the underside of their shells and by their larger tails. Adult males also are larger than females and can reach weights of up to 180 pounds, while females rarely get above 100 pounds.

Diet and Reproduction: In terms of diet, Spurred tortoises are largely herbivorous and will accept a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. At the zoo, they can often be seen grazing on the grass inside their enclosure. These animals are prolific diggers, and can dig burrows of over ten feet long. In the wild, Spurred tortoises breed between November and May and can lay on average anywhere from 13 to over 30 eggs.

The eggs take around 120 days to hatch and the young weigh around 50 grams each. Like other turtle and tortoise species, the Spurred tortoise exhibits what is called “TSD” or Temperature Sex Determination. The sex of an individual is determined not by sex chromosomes, but by the incubation temperature of the egg. Learn more about TSD!

Lifespan: African spurred tortoises can live a long time! Captive longevities of over a century have been reported, and there currently are a number of captive animals that are over 50 years old. Our animals at the zoo were acquired as young adults in 1988. Because of their long lifespan, the Spurred tortoise figures prominently in many animal legends among the native tribes occupying its home range.

The Galapagos tortoise

Spurred tortoises as pets: Spurred tortoises breed readily in captivity and hatchlings are often seen for sale in local pet shops. However, there are several things to consider before purchasing one:

1. Size. This species will grow to a large size very quickly, and adults are very powerful. They have been known to overturn central air conditioning units, and to dig extensive burrows underneath houses which can undermine the foundation. Spurred tortoises need a very large, secure area to roam and they also require an indoor area with heat when temperatures drop below 50° F.

2. Longevity: If properly cared for, there is a very good chance that the Spurred tortoise purchased will outlive the person who bought it in the first place. If you are buying a tortoise for a child, think about what you will do with the animal when the child grows up and goes away to college. A long-term plan is needed for keeping this species (note: the zoo does not accept Spurred tortoises as donations; we already have all we need).

3. Diet: These animals need proper nutrition in order to have normal shell growth. There are many captive turtles that have shell malformations due to poor diets. Even though they will eat a variety of different fruits and vegetables, the portions and the types have to be carefully monitored.

4. Lighting: Proper lighting also contributes to proper shell growth. Inadequate lighting also will result in shell deformities. Spurred tortoises need ample exposure to unfiltered sunlight.  When kept inside, they need special heat lamps that provide the necessary light wavelengths.

The World Chelonian Trust also provides useful information on caring for Spurred tortoises. Visit their website http://www.chelonia.org/articles/sulcatacare.htm if you’d like to learn more.

The Radiated tortoise

Please come and see our African spurred tortoises, along with Radiated tortoises and our Galapagos tortoises on your next visit and write us to let us know what you think.

Don’t miss a special evening with a  Galapagos tortoise researcher on December 9, 2011. Our Call of the Wild Speaker Series will feature Dr. Stephen Blake from the Max Planck Institute of Ornithology with a special introduction from Dr. Joe Flanagan, Director of Veterinary Services, Houston Zoo. Event begins at 7:00 p.m. Drinks and hors d’oerves will be served. CLICK HERE for tickets and information!

If you’d like to read about the Galapagos tortoise, click HERE to read our Dr. Joe’s blog series about his adventure to the Galapagos Islands and how he helped several Giant Tortoises!

Written by Stan Mayes, Herpetology

The Texas coral snake is our only native elapid. Rattlesnakes, copperheads, and cottonmouths are all pit vipers. The main differences are venom composition and fang structure. While the fangs of pit vipers fold up under the roof of the mouth, elapids have short fixed fangs. Elapid venom tends to have a lot of neurotoxins compared to most pitvipers.  There is nothing simple or black or white about venom so we won’t go there.  The coral snake is also the only venomous snake here that lays eggs instead of having live babies. 

Texas coral snake (Micrurus fulvius tener)

The coral snake has bands along its entire glossy body of red, yellow, and black.  Narrow yellow bands are between the alternating red and black rings.  The red rings are mottled with black.  The head and tail are black and yellow only.  The head is small and indistinct from the body.  The eyes are so dark you can hardly see them against the black head.  This is a small slender snake, averaging about 2 feet as an adult and about as big around as a pencil.
 
Coral snakes like mixed hardwood and pine forests.  They are very shy and secretive and usually stay hidden in leaf litter, rotten logs, etc.  If escape does not work, a coral snake will often suddenly push part of its body against the threat.  It may also flatten the last part of the body and raise and wave the tail along with hiding its head within its coils.

Coral snakes may be active at any time of day depending on temperature and other conditions.  3-8 elongated white eggs are laid in the summer and hatch about 2 months later.  Babies are about 6 inches long and look the same as adults.

The main prey of the coral snake is other snakes including a lot of earth snakes and Dekay’s snakes (covered in blogs #1 and #2 of this series).  They will also eat slender lizards such as ground skinks.
 
There is another native snake with the same colors as the coral snake though they look quite different. The old rhyme of “Red and yellow, kill a fellow; red and black, venom lack” works well to tell apart the coral snake and the Louisiana milk snake (below).

Louisiana milk snake (Lampropeltis triangulum amaura)

This snakes gets much larger, is dull compared to the coral snake, has light white/beige mottling on its snout, and the red and black bands on the body are the ones that touch.  While that rhyme works well here at home, do not try to use it south of the border-it doesn’t work there.  There are many other kinds of coral snakes that look completely different.  While the venom of the coral snake is potentially quite dangerous, these snakes are in general very shy and inoffensive. Almost all bites occur when someone grabs one or tries to kill it, meaning it usually takes some personal effort to be bitten by one.  If you leave them alone they will leave you alone.

See you right back here next week for another installment in this great Snake Series!

For more information on Texassnakes, Judith has reccomended these two resources: http://www.herpsoftexas.org/ and  The Field Guide to TX Snakes written by James Dixon and former Houston Zoo director John Werler.

Our featured snake for this week is the water moccasin a.k.a. the cottonmouth. 

This is the most notorious venomous snake in this area. They are venomous pitvipers just like copperheads and rattlesnakes.  They are variable in color and pattern and many other species of snake are mistaken for them.  Black, brown, or olive with or without markings describe this snake.  Babies have distinct markings (and a bright yellow tail tip just like the copperhead) but these fade with age so that some old animals don’t show any pattern at all. 

Western cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma)

These are stout bodied snakes; the body is thick and they have short tails (the body hardly tapers and then all of a sudden there’s the tail).  The belly is dark brown or black.  Usually visible is a dark cheek stripe.  And we can’t leave out the reason for the moniker of cottonmouth.  The inside of the mouth is white and they don’t hesitate to show it to you when you come across one. 

Average adult size of this snake is 24-36 inches despite the stories you’ve probably heard.  The biggest one ever recorded was right about 5 feet. 

Cottonmouths can be found near just about any kind of aquatic habitat such as swamps, marshes, and streams.  When swimming, much of the body is visible above the water line and the head is held up high.  They are opportunistic and not super picky eaters.  The bulk of their diet is frogs, fish, and salamanders though they are also known to take mammals and birds.  Mating takes place in the spring and live babies are born in the fall.   

A very light uniformly colored cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma)

If they have a convenient escape route when approached, these snakes will usually take it.  If not however, these guys get quite intimidating.  They will look up at you and strike a pose as in the first photo in this blog, the tail is twitched back and forth like a cat or rapidly vibrated against the ground, and the mouth is held wide open showing off the brilliant white interior.  They are also happy to strike if you get too close.   A western cottonmouth can be seen on display in the Reptile/Amphibian building.

Juvenile cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma)

 Are you coming back for another installment in this cool Snake Series? Yep, we hope you are!

For more information on Texassnakes, Judith has reccomended these two resources: http://www.herpsoftexas.org/ and  The Field Guide to TX Snakes written by James Dixon and former Houston Zoo director John Werler.

Frequenting the same habitat as the venomous water moccasin or cottonmouth, water snakes are numerous in species and numbers. They prefer wooded areas near slow moving water.  Swamps, ponds, marshes, bayous, small streams, even muddy ditches are all places where you can find these snakes. 

Their diet consists mostly of frogs and fish.  Babies are born live usually in the early fall.  They’re excellent swimmers but will spend considerable time on land and sunning themselves on submerged logs.  When swimming (unlike the cottonmouth which holds its head high and with the back visible) the head is held just barely out of the water and the body is mostly submerged. 

Like most snakes, their first reaction to a threat is to get away, but if they cannot, they will vigorously defend themselves by striking and biting and by releasing a foul smelling liquid from their scent glands. There are about 10 species in Texas with about half of them occurring in the Houston area.  We will look at what are probably the 3 most commonly encountered.

The broad banded water snake (Nerodia fasciata confluens)

Color is variable but usually the background is yellow, brown, or even red.  Wide irregular bands of black or brown break up the ground color.  The yellowish belly has random splotches of black/brown.  They have a dark stripe that runs from the eye to the end of the mouth.  Except for brighter colors, babies look the same as adults.  Adult size is 20-30 inches. 

The yellow-bellied water snake (Nerodia erythrogaster flavigaster)

Color is grey-green (though sometimes darker to almost black).  The back may have indistinct darker crossbars.  The belly is bright yellow as is the area around the mouth.  Babies are heavily patterned and have a pink hue. Average adult size is 24-36 inches.

The diamond-backed water snake (Nerodia rhombifer)

Color is any shade of olive, grey, or brown with dark markings which look sort of like chain link fencing or diamonds (hence the common name).  The belly is yellowish with dark scattered crescent shaped marks.  The head is large and flattened with a distinct neck; this is a good example of why the “triangle shaped” head thing does not work to distinguish venomous from nonvenomous snakes.  Babies look pretty much the same, just brighter.  This is our largest water snake with an average adult size of 30-48 inches.   It is also in general our most cantankerous water snake, not hesitant to get right into the thrashing, striking, biting, spewing stinky stuff part of its defense repertoire. 

At present, we have a broad-banded water snake on exhibit here in the Reptile/Amphibian building right next door to the venomous cottonmouth with which it is often confused.

Come back for the next installment in this Snake Series!

For more information on Texassnakes, Judith has reccomended these two resources: http://www.herpsoftexas.org/ and  The Field Guide to TX Snakes written by James Dixon and former Houston Zoo director John Werler.

Of the four subspecies of copperhead, the Southern copperhead is the one in our area. Copperheads are pitvipers, as are rattlesnakes and cottonmouths. If you look between the eye and the nostril at the tip of the nose (in the photo below) you will see a hole. This is the heat sensing pit. This is probably the most common venomous snake in Houston. 

One convenient thing about them is that they pretty much always look the same.  Base color is a light beige, peach or almost pinkish shade and they have hourglass shaped markings running down the back. The thin middle part of the hourglass shape is on the spine and the markings get wider as they go down the sides toward the belly. The belly is whitish with maybe some brown splotches along the sides. 

Baby copperheads look the same except for a bright yellow tail tip which disappears with age. Average adult size is 24-30 inches. Breeding occurs in the spring with about 6 babies born live in late summer.

Copperheads like partly shaded woodland with lots of fallen logs and branches and leaf litter that provide shelter for them and also for their prey. They camouflage quite well against dead leaves and pine needles. Very opportunistic in their feeding habits, they eat a variety of prey including frogs, large insects, and even birds, though mice make up the biggest part of their diet. Like most snakes, they prefer to avoid confrontation and when disturbed will usually remain still. They may vibrate the tail really fast which makes almost a rattling noise if done on dead leaves. If further bothered, they usually try to get away but will strike if cornered.

While copperheads are the most abundant venomous snake in our area, they are also the least toxic. As with any suspected venomous snakebite, the best first aid is to stay as calm as possible and get to the hospital.

 Come back next week for the next installment in this amazing Snake Series!

For more information on Texas snakes, Judith has reccomended these two resources: http://www.herpsoftexas.org/ and  The Field Guide to TX Snakes written by James Dixon and former Houston Zoo director John Werler.

The Eastern hognosed snake (Heterodon platirhinos) is a local harmless snake with some interesting characteristics and behaviors which we’ll get to in a bit.

Basics first.  Adult size is about 2 feet.  Coloration is super variable; usually yellowish with brown splotches but ranging also into orange, olive, grey, and black.  Red is unusual but does occur.  The splotches are darker in color, irregular, and pretty much all over the back and sides of the snake. 

The belly is usually grayish and mottled.  The underside of the tail is lighter than the belly.   Sometimes the pattern has faded so much in older animals that you can’t discern it any longer and sometimes there are individuals that don’t have a pattern at all.

This snake has the distinction of a strongly upturned snout.  It uses this to “plow” and move soil and debris to make burrows in which to shelter.  It also comes in quite handy for rooting around and catching their preferred diet of toads.  Toads make up the majority of their diet though they will also eat frogs and salamanders and on occasion, lizards and/or their eggs.   They like fairly open wooded areas (good toad hunting habitat).   

Hognosed snakes rarely if ever attempt to bite.  I’ve tried many times (just to see if they would)  and they steadfastly refuse.  They do however have some very interesting defensive behaviors that are usually put into action in a predictable order:

1. Lie still and hope the threat goes away

2. Run away

3. Strike a scary pose which consists of raising and flattening the head and neck. Some of the neck ribs are elevated which spreads the neck just like a cobra. The snake inhales and exhales deeply and audibly resulting in a loud hissing noise.

4. Stike menacingly at the offensive party. The funny part about this is that they usually never open the mouth at all.

5. Finally, if none of the above work it’s “play dead” time.  The snake will fake “death throes” writhing and twisting its body until it winds up completely upside down.  It often discharges fecal material and a stinky fluid from its musk glands, opens its mouth a bit, and will even loll the tongue out of the mouth.  But wait, it gets even funnier.  If you take one in this stage and flip it right side up it will immediately flip itself back over and go right back to being “dead”.  After a few minutes of being left alone, they will right themselves and continue on their way.  These snakes should get academy awards for these performances as elaborate as they are.

Due to some of these behaviors they are often called puff adders or spreading adders.  Yet another example of the confusion of common names-there is a very large venomous snake in Africa called puff adder.  At present we have a western hognosed snake on exhibit but it will soon be replaced with an eastern

For more information on Texas snakes, Judith has reccomended these two resources: http://www.herpsoftexas.org/ and  The Field Guide to TX Snakes written by James Dixon and former Houston Zoo director John Werler.

The Texas rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta lindheimeri). Nonvenomous

The Texas rat snake is probably the longest snake that you could encounter in Houston.  Average adult size is 3.5-6 feet.  There are many kinds of rat snakes but this is the one called “Texas”.  They are basically grey with a pattern of dark blotches that run along the back with another row of smaller blotches below.  This pattern fades with age so that some old animals appear to be almost a solid color with no markings.  Often the skin between the scales and the scale edges are a red or yellow color.  The chin is white.
 
Texas rat snakes will live in a variety of habitats but they really like wooded areas with lots of trees.  They are excellent climbers and birds and bird eggs make up part of their diet. 

Texas rat snake climbing a tree

Have you heard of a chicken snake?  Well, this is the same thing, called so for their tendency to frequent henhouses for eggs, chicks, and/or rodents that can be found there.  This is another fine example of multiple common names for the same species and the need for set scientific names. 

Texas rat snakes breed in the spring, laying 5-20 eggs by summer. They often lay them in small spaces such as tree hollows and under rocks.  Babies usually hatch in the fall and are about 12 inches long.

These are gutsy snakes, often choosing to stand their ground rather than flee.  They will raise the front part of the body above the ground and form an S shape. Holding the mouth open, hissing, and striking are common behaviors.  Something else they will do (along with many other snakes) is to vibrate the tail very fast; if the snake happens to be on dead leaves or debris a noise similar to a rattlesnake’s rattle is produced. 

If a predator or human is not sufficiently scared away by all of that and grabs the snake they usually wind up bitten and covered in feces and musk.  The snake is just doing what it can to protect itself.  Bites are not dangerous, basically some pinpricks that bleed a bit.

Written by Judith Bryja, Herpetology Department Supervisor

For more information on Texas snakes, Judith has reccomended these two resources: http://www.herpsoftexas.org/ and  The Field Guide to TX Snakes written by James Dixon and former Houston Zoo director John Werler.

Last Friday, we posted a photo on Facebook and asked you to leave your best caption in the comment section. Then readers could “like” each caption comment to vote for their favorites. Their votes, combined with those of our own panel, determined the caption to appear under the picture right here on the Official Houston Zoo Blog this week. We hope you’ll come back for the fun EVERY FRIDAY.

YOUR VOTES HELP DETERMINE THE WINNERS!

Here is the picture that was posted on Facebook last Friday, with the top voted caption by Kathy Burgamy! (Insert happy dance)

Ok so I'm a guy right? So who is trying to trick me with this egg looking thing?

FIRST RUNNER UP:

Kristen McGrady: If these green pigs won’t eat the egg then I will!

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SECOND RUNNER UP

Erik Burington Why can’t we go back to the good days where they used to hide our pills in our food?

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MANY Funny Honorable Mentions:

Kathy Russell: I hate it when they misplace my bowling bag

Aurora Gonzalez: It’s “JAWBREAKER VS JAWBREAKER!

John Larkin: Smaug!! How many times do I have to tell ya – stop biting your brother!!!

Alma Garza Mescher: I’m a professional. Do NOT try this at home!

Mica Arismendez ‎Maybe I should forget about this ball, the foot in front of me would be much easier to gnaw on!

( …and the opposite opinion!) Jonathan Plazek: The foot is tempting, but I’ll take the egg

Barbara Blanchard Reed From the Schweddy family recipe  

Alan G Pallister Whoever invented all-day gobstoppers is a genius.

Brad Orr Is it just me or are these pills getting bigger???

Dorothy Simms ‎Oh I get it, the largest egg on earth for the largest lizard on earth!

Dana Rice ‎ Well, she said ‘go suck an egg’…I hope this makes her happy

 Racheal Emig: Fido’s got nothin on me!

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