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Saw a new (to me!) species of snake today! Sonoran Lyre Snake!
Mercury
Member Posts: 7,809 ✭✭✭
I always enjoy when I see a new species. This one is the Sonoran Lyre Snake, aka Trimorphodon lambda.
Cutest little thing, was about 12" long.
This was seen in southern Pima County, AZ, about 6 miles from the border of Mexico.
Merc
Comments
Lyre snakes are mildly venomous.
Calling HeDog?
Chief,
Yep, I suspected that when I saw it, with that diamond shaped head. Wasn't sure what it was, so I didn't mess with it.
Merc
Cute little guy
You did Good by not getting to close with out knowing
Sadly I lack that sense of stupidity and would have tried to catch it
All I can say I have been more lucky than smart
Beautiful snake. It looks poisonous with that arrowhead shaped head.
I would have caught it with a good sharp shovel..............
BTW, a triangular shaped head does not mean a snake is poisonous. IE the most deadly snake in North America: coral snake. Many common water snakes & garter snake species have triangular shaped heads.
I believe the elliptical pupil is the giveaway......
JIM...............
I have been bit by more than a few garter snakes in my, ummmm - "formative" years. It hurts - even the little ones. I saved what I was sure was a goner last summer. Head split pretty good from a car-hit. I got her off the road and in some shrubs and darned if two days later when I went to check she was about 4 feet from where I left her sunning on a tree stump and about half way healed.
Yep, the eyes give em away. At least here in the USA.
None of that is true. The Lyre snakes (a number of species) are ophistoglyphs, they have rear fangs and venom. Elliptical pupils are characteristic of nocturnal animals including snakes. Triangular heads indicate that you thought the head was triangular in shape. For most people, they all look deadly. You have to know the animals to know whether they are venomous. In fact many snakes we learned were harmless are venomous, and venom to subdue prey or for defense has arisen at least 5 times in the evolutionary history of snakes. Garter snakes have venom. I have been bitten a number of times by garters of different species with no symptoms, others show classic signs of envenomation with a single bite. There are advantages to being insensitive. Hognose snakes are also venomous ophistoglyphs as are brown vine snakes down were Merc lives.
I just missed getting a photo of a tiny little coral snake I found last year in Trinidad. I am sure because corals do not have a wide gape and it was so small it could not have bitten me. I didn't grab it anyway.
https://sta.uwi.edu/fst/lifesciences/sites/default/files/lifesciences/documents/ogatt/Micrurus_circinalis%20-%20Common%20Coral%20Snake%20or%20Corail.pdf
I removed about a one foot long Coral snake from my pool skimmer a while back, took it where it was safe for him and released him (I don't kill any snake, I just relocate the venomous ones). Didn't look like the picture He Dog posted however, a different species I suspect. The one I caught looked like this picture. this one is called a Harlequin Coralsnake or Micrurus fulvius.
That Sonoran is gorgeous. Bright like that it may be freshly molted.
Me no likey no shoulders Jake
Nope, nights snakes, leaf nosed, cat eye snakes are natives of USA and have elliptical pupils and so do boas & most pythons.
BTW, pythons & boas can be considered native snakes since they are well established in FL & there are records of them in AL & GA.
You'll never hear anyone in Florida refer to them as "a native species" they are now and probably always will be classified as non native and more importantly, an invasive species.
Georgia and Alabama have climates that are pretty cold in the winter, don't know if there would be many, if any, really large constrictors in that environment but I'll bet He Dog could speak to that.
Night snakes, cat-eyed snakes and US leaf-nosed snakes are rear-fanged.
Florida is full of introduced wildlife. Last time I was there I found over 50 introduced anoles of 3 species and a single native green anole. There are geckos, caiman, parrots and other species. None, including boas and pythons are, or will ever be, native. Pythons are introduced, injurious wildlife. They are not and never will be native.
Historically, alligators made it to southern Arkansas. I have seen gators breaking breathing holes in ice. We don't know how far north pythons can survive. Time, of couse will tell. My guess is southern Georgia.
Good to see you back D. My biggest concern with garter snakes was never the bite but smearing feces and musk all over you. Many snakes exhibit similar behavior but garter and water snakes (Natrix) were the worse. A large water snake which we know are non venomous can inflict an ugly bite: dont ask me how I know.
Ya just need to learn to handle them with respect Chiefr. It's all in the wrists. I have handled maybe 5 species of water snakes (Nerodia) and they all act like you say. That said, they are really biologically interesting. To someone.
I have only seen one coral snake in the wild that was 30 some years ago
It was not a very big one but it was in the brush next to the water and moved like lightning to the get in water before I could get with in a couple feet of it
Will guess, Good for me, i am sure as I know I would have chanced picking it up I understand ther bite radious is smal sounds were a bit in favor but any way no use to temp fate to find out
We were on vacation south c Carolina at the time
I have been fascinated by snakes most of my life. All but one species here in Michigan are non-venomous. When I was stationed down in Texas and mostly BROKE, living on Uncle Sam wages, my wife and I would take drives and go exploring.
Went from Wichita Falls to Jacksboro stopping for all of the dead snakes along the roadways. There were quite a few and mostly Diamond Backs!
The phrase “ Red touch yellow, kill a fellow “ comes to mind!
.
I have handled / caught my share of non venomous snakes in eastern nc.Poison gets to be drt around my house and yard . In the woods, long as he leaves me alone I leave him alone . Never found a coral snake in the wild .
yeah, we learned a saying like that back in the boy scouts. Can't remember the whole saying though
Red to yellow, kill a fellow, red to black, venom lack. (or friend of Jack). Remember, that only works North of the US/Mexican border, it does NOT work in the Neotropics.
Thanks @He Dog
Yep, that's it
I seem to remember hearing the phrase in the 1973 movie called “SSSSSSS”
No snake is poisonous.
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
Is Biden a lyre?😉
Correct, but quite a few are venomous.
No, but Trump certainly is.
Really? No. Wow, just wow