Cellar Coachwhip
10/13/2006 @ 4:14:31 PM MDT
This western coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum) thought s/he had found the perfect place to winter, in someone's cellar office in the Eldorado subdivision near Santa Fe. We released it in the arroyo behind the house.
posted by guruphiliac @ 9:06 PM
9 comments
9 Comments:
How many times did you get bit catching it? Its rare (for me at least!) to catch any Masticophis without getting nailed. Oh, well, that's part of the fun!
It didn't try to bite me once. It was coiled under some toys in the basement. I just moved a few of them and tailed it into the box. I got stinked but not bit.
I guess that was lucky. Once I lifted a piece of plywood in Laguna Hills, CA. There were three coachwhips and a baby California kingsnake under it. When I went to pick up the king, two of the coachwhips lunged at my face.
Of all the snakes I've come across so far, the coachwhip is definitely the most aggressive.
Holy cow! Laguna Hills is my hometown! And now you're telling me these little buggers are there having parties in three's?! I shan't inform my mother as she's phobic of snakes as is.
Beautiful, though...
And really quite random that you mention Laguna...
And really quite random that you mention Laguna...
Not really. I lived in and around there for about 12 years.
Only that I'm living in Canada now and I randomly found your blog so...still random for me.
Hi.. It's May 13, in Eldorado, Santa Fe, NM. I was cleaning up my back yard, and saw a long pink 'piece of rope'. Boy, what a surprise when I got close and that beautiful snake lit out for the hills. So I looked all over the web, and decided it's probably a western coachwhip. And I'm sure glad I didn't try to catch him after reading these comments!
Hi Brian.
It was definitely a coachwhip. It's our only pink snake. They can be pretty mean when you corner them. I've been chased by 6-footers more than once.
While out on a walk picking up trash along La Vida Trail in Aldea, west of Santa Fe, I came across a three foot pink coachwhip. It was sunning its self on the walking path. It was near the rosd so I picked it up and placed it in the nearby arroyo so that it would not get run over. It hissed and struck at me, but I was not bitten. Beautful snake.
I had the distinct honor of seeing what I believe was a coachwhip in the Sandia Mountains
a few days ago.It was a brilliant salmon pink,at least 4 ft.long.I can think of nothing else from my research that it could be.It was stretched out and basking in the sun.The color was so striking!
-Alma May 13,2012
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