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Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Solution - Guess The Critter


I have the solution for yesterday's Guess The Critter game! Take a look in the picture above and you'll see that I have drawn a red shape around the critter that was such a mystery to us all. But what kind of critter is in this picture? The critter in this picture is a small Butler's Garter Snake. Check out that link for some good information about it.

A lot of you guessed this one correctly. I didn't expect that! There were even a few of you who were very accurate. If any of you want to know who they were, look at the comments section of yesterday's post. Now I'm going to list the winners right here in the order of their comments:


Congratulations to the winners. You saw the snake maybe easier than I did. I listed your names and links. I only listed one link for those of you who have more than one blog. I tried to make the most appropriate choice. If any more of you slide in before this post goes live I'll add you to the list. Please everyone, go and take a look at these blogs on this list. They are all very good.


Here in this picture is a little better look at this little snake. This little snake is only about 15 in. / 38 cm. That's kind of short for a garter snake. I've seen a few that were about twice that long. These are the most common snakes where I live, and they are mostly harmless.

At the same time, I discovered this snake right beside the hiking trail. I heard it a long time before I ever saw it. The only reason I knew what I was hearing is because I have learned through experience what a snake sounds like when it moves through the weeds. You might say I have learned to speak snake.

So any of you who have decided to go hiking or to a small nature park, if you are inexperienced, just remember that these little snakes might be lurking in the weeds, or even right on the trails. I have almost stepped on a few that way. So stay on the trail and watch where you step. Just so you don't get too afraid, garter snakes are probably less dangerous than an ordinary squirrel.


Here's a better look at a Butler's Garter Snake for you. I took this photo last spring when the grass was just beginning to grow, the green was finally coming back to the forest, and the animals were coming back out for the warmer weather. The nature park I was hiking was just full of these snakes. I heard them slithering through the old leaves every few minutes.

I do have to admit snakes give me the creeps, maybe that's why I'm so fascinated with them. And I know these little garter snakes won't bother me. They're the same as any other animal of the forest, like a squirrel or a chipmunk. Finally, I have to say that it's one of the most exciting things for me when I get to see a garter snake on my everyday adventures.

(One last thing. This post took me a very long time to write. I missed reading some of your blogs because of this. I'll try to catch up with all of you later today. I hope I didn't miss anything good. Vote in the poll!)

20 comments:

  1. That was a great picture, Ratty! I couldn't see anything for the life of me..

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  2. haha! same with me Icy. i imagined different creatures with the fallen brown leaves. :(

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  3. This is not my favourite. I have the good reason for not seeing it.

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  4. Ratty, I didn't see that at all. And, thanks for the advice. I never even think about snakes when trekking through the gardens. I never really follow paths either but go through wooded areas so I will be more cautious. If I came upon a snake suddenly I'd probably have a heart attack.

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  5. I imagined seeing a slug (top left), a frog (middle right) and a dragonfly (bottom left). Somehow I completely missed the snake!

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  6. YEAH I got it right. I don't mind snakes just don't ask me to touch one....lol Thanks for the link back, greatly appreciated

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  7. Good, I'm glad I wasn't the only one that didn't see it. I hate to think it's time for new glasses.

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  8. I couldn't see the critter even when pointed out to me. I'm so rubbish!!

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  9. Oh wow, so that's the mysterious critter, a snake -yikes! You're brave, you were even able to take photos...wow!

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  10. SCORE! I'm like a snake-spotting professional now, Ratty. LOL! It's a good thing I didn't guess a skinny red stocking like the drawing--hee!hee!

    We saw a couple of garter snakes the other day when we went for a bike ride. Yeah, like you, we thought they were creepy/cool. One was squished, one alive. I liked the alive one better, believe it or not.

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  11. I saw the stripe and figured it had to be a snake..thanks Ratty, for listing me on your winner list!
    You speak snake..that cracked me up!

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  12. These other photos are very good of the snake! Thank you for listing me Ratty. You always have very entertaining posts...

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  13. too small to be seen! slithery snakes give me boosegumps! i mean, goosebumps!

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  14. Wow! It really is a Butler's! We don't have them over here. I'm very jealous. I've seen them in a nature presentation, but not in the "wild" that I recall. Very cool- you do speak snake.

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  15. Just like I thought.. a Forest Spirit in form of a snake :D Nicely hidden Ratty!

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  16. It seems very adventurous. All pic are awesome.

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  17. I would have been very hard pressed to find that snake in your picture! What fun! See what I missed by working too much. :(

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  18. That was a fun game, I kept thinking I saw something and then talked myself out of it. I would have sworn I saw eyes under the leaf.

    I actually like snakes, I once scared my poor step child half to death when I held a boa constrictor.

    SQ

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  19. Youch! I didn't realize how much I've neglected these comments, and there were some great ones here. I read them all, but had no time to answer each one. Thanks to all of you for your comments this time.

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