Warning: Don't run over sticks...unless you are sure!

[uforgot]

I ran over a huge gopher snake last year - I was on a downhill and didn't see him in time to bunny hop him. I went back and assisted him off the road and he seemed ok. I felt awful about it, and I love snakes, but then a few miles later at the SAG stop someone had a bungee cord and I got this huge irrational adrenaline rush because I thought it was a snake.

I can't identify your first friend there, but he is lovely.

I think I felt a kinship with the first snake because of the whole "Too full to move" thing going on. I'm going to have to look up gopher snakes. Now I'm interested in others' encounters!

[SadieKate]

It's hard to see much detail in your picture. Here's a list of common snakes with some really nice photos.

http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/herpetol/snake/snake1.htm
http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/herpetol/snake/snake2.htm

I agree with MP. Your specimens are beautiful.

[Tri Girl]

eek- snakes!

I'm impressed that you took the time to photograph them. I'd have high-tailed it out of there so fast it would have caused me to go back in time.

[uforgot]

It's hard to see much detail in your picture. Here's a list of common snakes with some really nice photos.

http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/herpetol/snake/snake1.htm
http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/herpetol/snake/snake2.htm

I agree with MP. Your specimens are beautiful.

Thanks for the links. I cropped and added another photo of #1.

[7rider]

Cool.
I'm gonna take a WAG-Stab-In-The-Dark and say "rat snake" for your first one.
Very neat.
I've never seen a copperhead (thankfully).

[fastdogs]

I remember uforgot telling me "never assume it's a stick" when we rode on the katy trail. Not long after that, I was riding on al foster trail and before I even realized it, ran over a copperhead. I went real fast for a bit, then turned around and went back. He was coiled up on the trail, angry. Some walkers were coming with a dog, so I chased him off the trail.
But it made me think of a story someone told on another bike forum about running over a snake, and it flipped up and got in the chain and everything, and made a mess. That alone would keep me from running over them if I saw them in time.
vickie

[redrhodie]

I ran over a garter snake once that I thought was a stick. I was afraid to look to see if I really hit the poor thing. I sent bf back to look for it, and was gone, so I guess it was okay.

Another time, I ran over what I thought was a stick, and it was a rusty piece of metal. Yeah, I flatted.

Oh, and someone else here ran over a stick (that WAS a stick), and it caught in her wheel, and she went over the handlebars. So, one more reason not to run over a stick.

[salsabike]

I love snakes. That copperhead is beautiful!