Vipers and such... (Wildlife Part 1)

... coolest thing about roaming the woodlands is encountering wildlife. Over the years we've crossed paths with just about every critter out there, many seldom seen, from bobcats to flying squirrels and otters to porcupines. Swear I even saw a large black panther minutes before dark one night along the 'Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail' - crossed the trial about fifty feet in front of me - just got a fleeting glimpse. Yea, I know that there's "none around here" and no one believes me when I tell this, but it was a damn-big and thick coal black cat - around 80lbs - with a long thick tail - and I'll leave it at that. Don't worry - if I'm gonna' spin a "tall tale", it's going to be a good one ("let me tell you about my weekend with Raquel Welch....").... Whoa!!! - speaking of which - just did a simultaneous google-search for 'Cougar' on-line - linked me to some "interesting" websites - going to have to return to investigate when I'm through here....

Anyway, probably the most frequent encounters are with snakes. The forested and rocky ridge-tops around here are prime habitat - will leave it at that as well. Here's some photos accumulated over the years.....

... check out this monster 'Black Snake' (either a 'Northern Black Racer' or 'Northern Rat Snake' - I get 'em confused, so usually just leave it at 'Black') - easily five feet in length - those are 'Tent Worms' hangin' on for the ride...

... another one - easy to see the markings and body shape - 'Rat Snake'...

... same guy close-up...

... 'Norther Copperhead'...

... 'Timber Rattlesnake' - black phase...

... here's a monster rattler, about 4ft long...

... same guy, close-up...

... this "guy" is an apparent 'pregnant' female - note the "bloated" body as it tapers toward the "tail" (was also "that time of year")...

... here's a monster "yellow phase" 'Timber Rattler'...

... pregnant female as well (again, note the bloated body)...

... this snake had some girth - her head must be three inches across... 

... although supposedly not their range of habitat, by the markings this could be an 'Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake' (then again, it could be a 'Black Panther')...

... anytime scrambling around rock ledges, give that lower step a little berth...

... got up early one morning to purposely hike up to a known local 'den' to get some photos - always noticed that the rattlers would "lay out" at the top of the cliff before the sun got too hot... hiking up through the woods I noticed a large 'Hawk' circling high above the cliff... made it to the top, camera at the ready, and noticed two black phase and this yellow phase rattler moving from the open and back to their den... just as I was about to step out into the open, the hawk swoops out of nowhere and just missed snatching the 'yellow phase' from the cliff-top - my sudden appearance apparently disturbed his "attack"...

... how cool would that have been to get a photo of the hawk making off with the snake - unfortunately, only got this photo of the hawk flying off (was a cool sunrise 'ta boot)... I'm pretty sure that the bird could have handled the snake - I've seen hawks flying through the air carrying some decent-sized snakes on several occasions....and if you don't believe any of this - well then, Raquel Welch was nude-sunbathing on top of the cliff as well, pet Black Panther at her side... and I'm not showin' ya' the pictures!!...

... now then...C-O-U-G-A-R...