Just Doing A Bit Of Periscoping!

  Early this evening (just before dark), I went out to coax the old cat inside.  It takes a lot of effort on her part and a lot of encouragement on mine to get her up the steps.  She refuses to let me carry her so this is a good ten minute or so process...usually.  Tonight, she was having no part of it.  Instead, she sat staring in the weedy daylily garden.  Well, that was a bit different.  So, I sat down next to her and stared into the garden as well.  It was not long before I spied what held her interest.

  A sleek black and white head slowly pushed its way up through the oxalis plants.  Ahh, what a beauty!  A Black Racer was hiding among the leaves!  This called for a photo session!  I hurried inside for the camera. Of all things, the cat followed wanting to be fed.  Ok...feed and water the cat then photograph the snake...if it was still there.

  It was a great surprise to find the snake only inches away from where it was originally found!  I knelt on the little deck and got face to face with the friendly Racer.  It did not move other than to slowly sink back under the leaves.  I waited. I knew that it would not take long before that curious snake came back up to investigate my presence.  Sure enough, five minutes later, the snake's head poked up through the leaves.  This time, it had slithered closer and was just a few inches from the camera. Nice!  We sat there quietly watching each other for quite some time before darkness and a hoard of mosquitoes chased me inside.  What a thrill to find this lovely snake in the garden!

  The action of the snake rising up to investigate is one that all Black Racers seem to do.  It is called "periscoping" and is one of the identifying behaviors of the snake.  They are curious and will rise up a good ten or fifteen inches to get a different view.  These snakes are great to have in the garden as they eat plenty of pests and will even eat other snakes.

  Had the Bayou Queen (cat) not been so obstinate this evening, I would have never seen the snake and would have missed out on a lovely encounter.  Love these snakes!