Snake Gets Rodent

On my latest dog walk through what I call the Snake Field, I actually had an encounter with a Rat Snake. I was walking Bob, our Sharpee/Retriever mix when I hear the sound of a field mouse shrieking in distress (for a few seconds). The noise was just a few feet from where I was standing. I couldn't see anything at first, because the grass was so high.

But, as I peered into the weeds, I could clearly see the body of a rat snake and the end of the field mouse (it's tail).

I moved away as fast as I could because Bob wanted to investigate. This is the area where he has detected the scent of mice in the past. This is also the area where I saw the remains of a rat snake that had been cut up by the TECO lawn-mowing crew. The grass in the Snake Field is rarely cut. The tall grass is a perfect invitation for all the critters that need a place to hide and hunt. It is not the best place for humans.

I need to find a new place to walk the dogs.