Reader Karen Bartelt photographed nature red in beak and claw:
Coopers hawk (Accipiter cooperii) dining on northern flicker (Colaptes auratus) in my driveway. Full service birdfeeding.
Reader Stephen Barnard offers this as an example of mutualism:
A couple of Black-billed Magpies (Pica hudsonia) picking parasites (I assume) off a bull moose (Alces alces).
And a reptile from Richard Dahl of South Dakota:
Here’s a bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer sayi) photo from Devil’s Gulch near Garretson, South Dakota. Devil’s Gulch is a site of a Jesse James / law enforcement shootout, now turned into a place for a picnic and a quick hike. The snake was right by a walkway to get to the other side of the gulch. It was not happy about having visitors, and put on its best rattlesnake impression. Gave me a nice startle.
The bullsnake is often considered Batesian mimics of rattlesnakes (this one fooled our reader!). Here’s what Wikipedia says:
Bullsnakes are sometimes mistaken for rattlesnakes and killed. Owing to its coloration, dorsal pattern, and semi-keeled scalation, the bullsnake superficially resembles the western diamondback rattler (Crotalus atrox), which is also common within the same range. The bullsnake capitalizes on this similarity by performing an impressive rattlesnake impression when threatened. First, it hisses, or forcibly exhales through a glottis or extension of the windpipe. The end of the glottis is covered by a piece of cartilage known as the epiglottis which flaps back and forth when air is exhaled from the right lung producing a convincing rattling sound. It also adopts a rattlesnake-like “S-curve” body posture as though about to strike. It will commonly vibrate its tail rapidly in brush or leaves, and flatten its head to resemble the characteristic triangular shape of the rattlesnake. These defensive behaviors are meant to scare away threats, however, and not to sound an attack.
And a video showing the resemblance:
Yup, I have picked up many bullsnakes, and have seen their full range of ‘fierce’ rattlesnake behaviors. Enough so that it would get my heart pounding even though my head was telling me it was all fake.
They can bite like a banshee. I stay away from both rattlers and bulls.
The snake in Richard’s photo is Pantherophis ramspotti, the Western Fox Snake, a species similar to the Bull Snake, Pituophis catenifer sayi. Pituophis has four prefrontal scales and a slightly different color pattern than the Fox Snake, which has two prefrontal scales (the photo shows this). The location is at the western extreme of the Fox Snake’s range. The Fox snake is called Elaphe vulpina or Pantherophis vulpinus in older literature. Sorry for the lack of italics in the scientific names…
Thanks for the information Jim. My apologies for misleading folks. I had done some research, but not caught differences between the two. I see now that the color on the head matches with the Western Fox Snake description as well.
Cooper’s hawk is found all over the U.S. From Mexico to Canada and from coast to coast. I’ll keep an eye out for these bird killer here in central NY.
The other day I was amazed to see a bobcat in my yard, first time ever, which has just about the same range as the Cooper’s. He left before I could take a picture.
Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned are VERY difficult to distinguish unless certain field marks, primarily the shape of the tail, are visible. (Some local birders have taken to calling them Shooper’s.) I don’t disagree with your ID, but I couldn’t make it based on that photo.
Agreed, but we rarely see sharp-shinned in the area (and certainly not in my yard), but Coopers are common.
W h o a ! Lovely, lovely serpents’ stuffs !
And so, so TRUE from Dr Antin’s video – statement, “Do not attempt these deals at home !”
Blue
Wonderful shots, and stories to go with them!
Thanks Karen, Stephen, and Richard!