A Short Story on a Long Snake

Actually, there were two Kingsnakes, not one

I was on my back porch when I saw a Kingsnake gliding past the sitting wall, through the palo verde leaves.

The Kingsnake made its way into a corner of the porch where there are several large potted plants. It was hard to follow the snake through the maze of the pots and plants there but I could catch glimpses as it curled around, moving throughout the space.

After a minute or two of watching the snake, I noticed a second, larger Kingsnake moving along the same path as the first and heading right for the pots where the first snake was.

This snake also disappeared into the group of pots and plants. It was dark under the pots and I couldn’t really see any interaction between the two snakes. I know they were aware of each other. Every once in a while, one snake would appear more visible. Then it would quickly move back into the shadows and behind the pots.

After a breathtaking seven minutes, one snake slithered over the wall and disappeared.

I never saw the second snake again. Somehow it had vanished while I was moving back and forth around the plants in the corner, trying to get a glimpse of either snake in the openings between the potted plants. Kingsnakes are great snakes to have around. They are non-venomous and eat many things including rodents, small mammals, frogs, bird’s eggs and snakes. Kingsnakes got their name because they will hunt and eat other snakes, including rattlesnakes! You can read more about Kingsnakes in our region at the Desert Museum’s site.