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Rescued. The swallow has been attracted by a small rodent found in the can (probably attracted itself by the Orange juice !). It was not able to retract its head from this trap, though it was able to slip its whole body inside !

In situ. This is the best photo I have of a proud, protective mother "Hyde County Red" Pigmy Rattlesnake and her 10 - 15 day-old young. I regularly encountered this female while searching for reptiles in an area locally called "Buzzard's Roost" (nowhere near the actual place, incidentally) about 10 miles from my home in Fairfield. The site was on private land - a seasonally-filled, 2 acre duck impoundment surrounded on 3 sides by Bald Cypress wetland, and adjacent to Lake Matta-mosquito (local joke!) NWR. This particular location had an incredibly abundant population of S. miliarius - on one day with perfect weather conditions here, I observed 14 individuals of this species of all growth stages in less than two hours! I grew especially "attached" to the female pictured, as she was reliably found in the vicinity of her "favorite" stump, and I enjoyed witnessing her feeding, frequently basking, and entertaining the attentions of a large (for this species) male in mid-Spring - involving courtship and "mate-guarding" behaviors. I was deeply saddened to revisit this site 4 years after this photo was taken, to find the entire area had been completely devastated by clear-cutting for the pulp lumber industry, right up to the Refuge boundary line - and without a Pigmy to be found, despite an intensive search on my part at a perfect time of year. Apparently, the NCFWS designation of "Special Concern" wasn't actually a "concern" at all. Clear-cutting of sensitive habitat, and roadkill mortality are the most serious issues facing the herpetofauna of North Carolina, back then, through today - and most likely into its future, as well.

Cyanocitta cristata harassing Pantherophis alleghaniensis. Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC, USA.

There were at least half a dozen blue jays raising a ruckus high up in the trees. I had no idea what it was all about until I reviewed the pictures and saw the snake slithering through the branches. The jays must have been trying to protect nearby nests from the predator.

Eating a southern pacific rattlesnake. 9 photos. FYI: we did come back the same direction 30 minutes later and saw the same snake (full belly) on a patch of asphalt about 10 yards from where we first saw it, as if giving itself belly heat (air temps were still around 80 degrees). Due to some comments received about regurge, I also went back in the daylight the next day, and checked the area and did not find a regurged rattler. I believe the king kept it down.

I saw a horned lizard under a bush and was about to take a voucher shot when my daughter points and yells Leopard Lizard. The leopard lizard was stalking the horned lizard and we watched it run up and try to figure out how to eat it but the horned lizard kept turning and tipping body to look bigger. Eventually the leopard lizard gave up and they went separate ways as seen in first pic. Such a cool observation.