# Close encounter of the slithery serpent kind! All the pups were playing in the yard, Jen and I were out there with them chatting and something caught the corner of my eye... Jen got the dogs in and I escorted him off our property. Any idea what kind of snake this is? ---- ## Thread In General · started by brada1878 · 23 replies - **Category:** [General](https://nihonken.org/community/c/general) - **Forum:** [Nihon Ken Forum](https://nihonken.org/community/) ## brada1878 (admin) · 2008-08-04T22:33:19.000Z All the pups were playing in the yard, Jen and I were out there with them chatting and something caught the corner of my eye... Jen got the dogs in and I escorted him off our property. Any idea what kind of snake this is? ---- ## sujewel · 2008-08-04T22:41:58.000Z I LOVE snakes. That one's pretty! ## tsukitsune (moderator) · 2008-08-04T22:44:18.000Z definitely a bull snake (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gopher\_snake for pics) ## ljowen123 (moderator) · 2008-08-04T22:50:31.000Z eeeekkk! ## brada1878 (admin) · 2008-08-04T22:53:57.000Z Yea, this one moved really nicely... so smooth. He/She really didn't want anything to do with us, moved right off the property and into a hole. I would say it was 3 feet long - growing too, you could see where his tail pattern didn't totally match the rest of his pattern - a sign of growing. Jen - you are the Internet search ninja! I couldn't find any snakes that resembled it by searching " 'Northern New Mexico' snake ". Thanx! I'm pretty sure you are right too, looks like a harmless bull snake. ---- ## Sangmort (moderator) · 2008-08-04T23:28:58.000Z Drop-dead gorgeous! Makes me miss the snakes I had :( ~ ## tsukitsune (moderator) · 2008-08-04T23:41:41.000Z who-ha! I can't take the credit, Audubon field guide to reptiles deserves it! ## baanton · 2008-08-05T00:58:04.000Z Ewwwwh.... Scary regardless of the breed/kind! I'm glad you got the doggies in the house. I guess most snakes would not hurt a dog, though. Maybe the other way around? (Unless poisonous, then all bets are off) Anyway, reptiles are not for me (although I did let my kids and hubby "rescue" a small garter snake off the farm once --- when it escaped the terrarium, I was like a cat on a hot tin roof for weeks on end thinking it would be slithering around the house somewhere. Eventually we found its carcass/skeleton behind the bookcase that the terrarium was sitting on...) I say Ewwwwh..... ## glacier · 2008-08-05T01:52:46.000Z that's one nice snake! I love snakes too. I have one, an albino corn snake named Zeke. When Sasha tried to lick him he freaked out and tried to squirm away. ## okiron · 2008-08-05T02:00:57.000Z Gorgeous. I would love a Mexican Black King Snake. Did the dogs see the snake? If they did then you guys have them trained well to ignore the snake and listen to Jen. ## _dlroberts · 2008-08-05T02:38:04.000Z Seriously, that's good practice for them. You guys have poisonous snakes out there right? ## Leonberger (admin) · 2008-08-05T11:19:23.000Z There are more pleasant encounters, I'd say. Thankfully it wasn't a dangerous one. Snake training is a great idea. ## brada1878 (admin) · 2008-08-05T12:50:07.000Z I dunno that the dogs even noticed the snake, I think I saw it before them. In New Mexico there are something like 14 types of snakes, 8 of them are poisonous and only one of the poisonous variety is not a rattler (it's a coral snake). There are rattlers in the Santa Fe area [70 miles south of here], but there are very few in the Taos area due to the altitude. I have asked lots of people that have lived here for years and they have never seen a poisonous snake in this area [above 7k feet]. ---- ## Romi (admin) · 2008-08-05T18:08:15.000Z ewww! Scary! I hate snakes! They just scare the crap out of me! Im glad you saw it first before any of the pups. ## sujewel · 2008-08-06T14:02:05.000Z Corn snakes are beautiful - albino or not. I would love to see a picture of Zeke. I like the fact that Sasha licked Zeke. Too funny. ## ddowdemers · 2008-08-06T17:46:20.000Z Talk about timing...this happened less than an hour ago. As I was walking with Tenji on one of our favorite park trails, Tenji stopped to sniff at a bush but he didn't sniff instead hejust peered in. I shortened up on his leash and stepped in to take a look. There, coiled up, was a huge diamond back rattler. Beautiful, yes. Deadly, yes. Tenji continued to be interested until the snake shook it's rattle.Wow! Tenji's ears went straight back, he turned tail and flew back down the trail. I guess Rattlesnake Avoidance School works. He was jumpy all the way home. ## Edgewood · 2008-08-06T18:20:04.000Z Good boy Tenji!! :-) I was hiking in Ft Collins CO with my Siberian once when we both almost stepped on a rattler. He didn't see it but I did and shoed him off the rock (yikes!) before the dog noticed. ## brada1878 (admin) · 2008-08-06T19:16:31.000Z wow - close call! I'm so glad that training works!!! I would be jumpy after that too! ---- ## brada1878 (admin) · 2008-08-06T20:28:50.000Z I met this little dude today... ---- ## tsukitsune (moderator) · 2008-08-06T20:46:10.000Z is that the same kinda thing as in old yeller?! "get that horny toad out of your pocket"?? :) ## sujewel · 2008-08-06T21:21:44.000Z Wow, Dorthy. Pretty scary for Tenji. Glad he knows what to do!!! Brad, what is that? Is it a lizard with a stubby tail? ## brada1878 (admin) · 2008-08-06T21:33:32.000Z I believe he is a Texas Horned Lizard. ## ddowdemers · 2008-08-06T21:36:43.000Z better that than a gila monster... ## sujewel · 2008-08-06T21:42:35.000Z Hehe. Funny little stubby tail. --- **Navigate:** [Forum home](https://nihonken.org/community/?format=md) · [Sitemap](https://nihonken.org/community/sitemap.xml)