Snakes
Anyone come across snakes hiking in the southwest? Being from Michigan I have never seen them, but now in the southwest they are out and they scare me when hiking. I came within a few feet face to fac...
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Frequently, but as a geologist I climb around on rocks, and a lot of snakes like to sun themselves on the rocks, or shade themselves under rocks. I've been warned by a rattler once, was able to see where it was and back away.
Here in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, where I camp, hike, go fishing, take care of the yard, clear brush, gather firewood, I see a lot more snakes than I've seen in the arid Southwest; but I here more of the time. Blacksnakes I see more often in the fields; garter snakes and green snakes in the gardens and lawns; copperheads hiding in the rocks, brush or woodpiles (they'll come out tonight); cottonmouths swimming near the shore, sunning on the shore, or resting on low overhanging branches. I try to leave the snakes alone, have enough of a presence that they will move away (hate it when I run over one with a mower).
I also find tarantulas in the fields and edge of the woods, scorpions in the gardens. Scorpions will come into the house.
If you are not seeing the wildlife, you may not be looking carefully enough. Not seeing a poisonous snake can be a problem because you can get into trouble stepping on one. That's more of a risk a night, when the snakes that eat rodents come out of hiding to hunt.
Here in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, where I camp, hike, go fishing, take care of the yard, clear brush, gather firewood, I see a lot more snakes than I've seen in the arid Southwest; but I here more of the time. Blacksnakes I see more often in the fields; garter snakes and green snakes in the gardens and lawns; copperheads hiding in the rocks, brush or woodpiles (they'll come out tonight); cottonmouths swimming near the shore, sunning on the shore, or resting on low overhanging branches. I try to leave the snakes alone, have enough of a presence that they will move away (hate it when I run over one with a mower).
I also find tarantulas in the fields and edge of the woods, scorpions in the gardens. Scorpions will come into the house.
If you are not seeing the wildlife, you may not be looking carefully enough. Not seeing a poisonous snake can be a problem because you can get into trouble stepping on one. That's more of a risk a night, when the snakes that eat rodents come out of hiding to hunt.
