All curled up in a shallow depression I
never saw the Mojave, his light green and brown coloration blended in
with the rock and soil covering the ground in the front garden. I
had been weeding and was now busy examining an Ocotillo, looking for
ways to weave the long stems into something interesting and my mind
was elsewhere. Never hearing a rattle the beautifully marked Mojave
remained quiet and in an uncharacteristic fashion did not alert me to
his presence. Without noticing I stepped over him and continued to
look up at the Ocotillo stems trying to divine some some way to train
the stems into something interesting. After weaving several stems
together I glanced down and saw the Mojave between my feet. Reacting
to the presence of a venomous creature between my feet I gave a yelp
raised one foot and comically hoped back like some cartoon character.
All the time the Mojave just sat there unimpressed and unresponsive.
So I retrieved the snake tongs along with a 5 gallon bucket and
caught the 18” specimen for relocation. After carrying him about a
mile and half away he was released into a low mesquite bush to find a
new home off the estate.
I make it a habit to speak with guests
about the presence of venomous creatures found in the high desert of
New Mexico and if they should see one, to come and find me and the
animal will be captured and relocated. The current group of
Biologists were of course interested in seeing the specimen and
those students on their first trip to the Chiricahua's got their
first introduction to some of the wildlife found in the area.
Glad you did not get struck! Mojaves are usually not so docile. We have Diamondback rattlesnakes up here and the occasional Black-tailed rattlesnake. Thank goodness no Mojaves.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm glad also. Of the 3 rattlesnakes captured this year only one alerted me to its presence.
ReplyDelete