The equinox passed earlier this week, marking the official beginning of spring. And with that, the days will continue to get longer and warmer.
This warmer weather has already begun to entice wildlife activity.
In fact, I have already seen a few snakes to kick off the season.
The first I came across was a juvenile ratsnake making its way across a dirt road in the forest. Less than a foot long with a beautiful pattern, this snake was struggling to manuever across the sand.
The high on this particular day was only about 57 degrees F, and the time of day I found the snake was about 5 pm; peak temperature.
The next snake I found was a few days later when the high was closer to 80 degrees F. At the time, I was working on a plot and happened to hear something rustling in the leaves behind me. When I turned around, I was this small hognose snake puffed up and hissing in a defensive posture.
I always enjoy finding interesting snakes and species that I don’t come across very often and this is the first hognose I have seen in at least a few years.
It was puffing its body and creating a rattle sound as it inhaled and exhaled, mimiking the rattle of a rattlesnake. It also splayed out its throat skin, almost giving it the appearance of a cobra.
As the temperatures warm, I have no doubt there will be more snakes moving around. The one species that I am somewhat excited to see again yet also terrified is, of course, the timber rattler.
In 2022, I was able to make it an entire year without coming across a single venomous snake, and I consider that a win! Especially since the year before I saw a total of four timber rattlers.
Working here in Arkansas early this spring, the likelihood of seeing one soon is pretty high. I’ll be on the look out.