Weird, cool stuff you found in the woods.

You dropped a Dorito.

Just kidding, that is cool.

 

I was stopped during a hike that looked rather like that. Not a rattler (Diamondback or Mojave) obviously. But not in the open desert ... still though sidewinder. Have suspected something non-venomous, and it was too obstinate to move off when I tossed small rock near it. Did not want to risk a venomous encounter so I scrambled down a side part of the trail.

 

I was wearing two, one for me...and one to hang in a tree.

 

Nice images, except one mental image.

 

Sub'd for thong pics

 

Not exactly "in the woods", but I found it fun. Three coyotes crossed a 45 MPH road ... First photo has one in the road and another on the right edge of the picture, the second picture has the last one looking back at me as if saying "What are YOU doing in MY space?!". I was slowing down as soon as I saw three shadows running across so they would not have been hit.

My dashcam is 4K, but this is through the windshield and it was compensating for "night".

 

Baby snek. It has a ring around its neck, too.

 

The baby snake in your hand is actually called a ringneck snake. I've seen a lot of them in north Georgia. My neighbor's cat likes to dig around in my liriope grass and catch these little snakes. They don't grow very big. The longest I've seen were around a foot and a half long.

 

Nice. I knew they didn’t get that big. We’ve had one get mummified in a piece of packing tape on a box of Easter decorations.

What do they eat being so small?

 

I've heard they eat worms, lizards, salamanders and other small snakes. I've got garter snakes around my yard so they have plenty of stuff to eat. My yard is mostly woods with large oaks and tulip poplars. I find ringnecks under the leaves when raking in the fall months. They are one of prettier snakes with a bright orange pattern on their bellies.

 

This is the second one I’ve seen and the first one was dead. I don’t mind these and gartersnakes. The cottonmouths and copperheads can catch lead poisoning.

I had to Google it for myself.

 

coarse woody debris!

 

That's one great big tree! The moss and vines has grown over the roots and trunk. Your Model 1855 Springfield rifle musket with Maynard tape primer provides a good reference for the size of the tree. Nice looking musket BTW. The overall length of the weapon is 60" plus. That tree must be more than 5 feet in diameter. I'm surprised the trunk isn't lying on the ground. The root ball is so massive it must be supporting it. Very cool picture!