Re: Questionable animal sounds in the garden
- Subject: Re: Questionable animal sounds in the garden
- From: J*@cabq.gov
- Date: Mon, 19 Aug 2002 07:24:13 -0600
I have no clue what your sound is. But I can tell you the gopher snake
(bull snake here in NM) does make a hissing sound when agitated, and they
will rattle their tail in brush to give the impression that a buzworm is
inside. They also puff up their head so it looks triangular, like a
rattlesnake. I've seen more than one person fooled by this behavior.
On another note. I was working at the Living Desert in the mid-80's as an
animal keeper (yes, I later saw the light). One morning I received a call
from a lady that had a problem in her garden. She started describing this
trilling sound a "bird" was making all night long in her bushes. Her
solution was to take the garden hose to the shrubbery in an attempt to
silence the critter. After I stopped laughing I told her the "bird" was
actually a red-spotted toad, and it probably appreciated the shower.
-------------------------------------------
Jon M. Stewart
Associate Curator
Rio Grande Botanic Garden
2601 Central Ave NW
Albuquerque, NM 87104
505/848-7148, fax: 848-7192
http://www.cabq.gov/biopark
Nan Sterman
<nsterman@plantsoup. To: medit-plants@ucdavis.edu
. com> cc:
Sent by: Subject: Questionable animal sounds in the
owner-medit-plants@u garden
cdavis.edu
08/18/02 04:51 PM
Please respond to
nsterman
I was working in the garden this afternoon when I heard this odd
sound -- at first, I thought it was my cat choking on a hairball.
After hearing it repeatedly for few minutes I decided I should go
look for him to be sure he was okay. Then, I realized that the sound
was coming from just a few feet away, from within a clump of
prostrate rosemary -- too tangled and low for the cat to even get
into. The noise sounded like a cross between a cough and a hiss. I
could see the rosemary shaking as well. I thought "Oh my gosh a
rattlesnake!" Snakes are on my mind since I noticed a gopher snake
at the front door, angling to get in just a few days ago.
I called my all-knowing SO and asked him to listen. Of course, said
animule was done making a racket by then. SO assured me that the
rattle of a rattlesnake sounds very rattley which this did not.
Anyone got any idea what I was hearing?
Nan
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Nan Sterman Plant Soup (TM)
205 Cole Ranch Road
Olivenhain, CA 92024 760.634.2902 (voice)
NSterman@PlantSoup.Com 760.634.2957 (fax)
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