Trigger warning (beautiful Florida Black Racer (snake))

[HAB911]

I am building a grape arbor (Southern Home and Delicious Purple Muscadine) and met one of my tenants that provide pest control. They live in burrows dug by other animals like armadillos and gopher tortoises, of which I have many in the area of the arbor. Their first instinct is to remain motionless, but sudden movements will cause them to disappear in a flash, befitting their name Racer. This one allowed me to get within 10’, and I even got down to ground level for this one-on-one. I estimate this fella at 4’ and diameter of a quarter, the longest ever recorded was ~6’. They eat just about anything they can catch, and few small animals can outrun them. They on the other hand are preyed upon by my hawks and opossums, probably racoons too. We coexist with an uneasy acceptance of each other. I love how I can see the low winter sun in the eye.

[CrispyQ]

1. Great shots! That closeup is really cool!

Is that a different type of snake in the lower right hand corner—the beige ropey thing? Or just some branches?

[HAB911]

4. that is something off a Norfolk Island Pine nearby

[eppur_se_muova]

10. I thought those were catkins, the male flower of conifers ... but apparently that is the foliage !

Norfolk Island Pine (not really a pine, apparently) is a very unusual tree ! Threatened in its original, miniscule habitat, it has been transplanted around the world, and even grown indoors (Martha Stewart has posted on this).



Foliage from a tree in Cornwall Park, Auckland, New Zealand, showing the variations in foliage from different parts of the crown; thus the epithet, heterophylla [C.J. Earle, 2003.03.12].

The male catkins are not that impressive, but the female cone is quite a sight !

[TommieMommy]

2. We used to see a few in our yard. They are beautiful creatures

[jfz9580m]

3. It looks extra "wide-eyed"? nt

[HAB911]

5. We would all look like that if we didn't have eyelids!

[jfz9580m]

6. I don't go around without eyelids!

Seems calculated to be conspicuous in all the worst ways

[HAB911]

8. It is intimidating

"I got my eye on you"

[George McGovern]

7. Nice shot HAB911! Very nice.

[HAB911]

9. thanks george!

[eppur_se_muova]

11. Good luck with the muscadines ! I couldn't believe something like that grew wild, and I was well into adulthood before

I ever heard of them. They don't grow wild in our area, but lately grocers have begun carrying them.

?

[Timeflyer]

12. Very nice.