Have you ever wondered why some snakes are striped and some snakes are blotched? Probably not, but it turns out there is a behavioral reason for the different pattern types. Blotched snakes tend to have strong defensive capabilities or they are very good at bluffing (making you THINK they have defensive capabilities). When observed, these snakes tend to freeze. Their blotched pattern helps to visually disrupt their snake shape and help them blend in. Once their cover is blown they will hold their ground, coil up, and will sometimes bluff strike at the threat, even if their bite is completely harmless. Striped and unicolored snakes, on the other hand, are very flighty. When faced with a potential threat they are quick to turn and run away and their striped pattern helps them avoid predation on the move. It is difficult for a predator to accurately gauge the speed of striped snakes because if you look at the center of their body they appear not to be moving, even if they are trucking along at full speed. Speaking from experience, I have lost count of all the Ribbon Snakes I have grabbed for only to get a handful of thistles and find that the snake was two feet farther away than I thought. Of course there is variation within every species. Sometimes a striped snake will hold its ground, sometimes a blotched snake will flee, especially if there is cover nearby to flee into. As a trend, however, the pattern holds true.
Posted on: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 00:20:51 +0000
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