As for the diversionary tactics...

Posted by Kenny Wray on April 26, 2002 at 10:21:53:

In Reply to: Re: Diversionary tactics... posted by Rich G. on April 25, 2002 at 17:32:07:

If you were being pursued by a predator, the black and white would stand out as you were crawling away from the predator and therefore afford you an advantage. I can't count the number of atrox I have walked up in the wild and observed them coiling and none of them had their tail exposed (although 99% of the time it was just under a coil near the head, maybe that way if an ungulate walks by they here and see the tail, which is right near the head of the animal and so may be avoided the "most"). As for molossus and horridus, the first thing anyone says about mine when they see them (and don't know much about snakes) is "What is that one with the blacktail?" even though I have the prettiest yellow horridus in the world! (I really do, by the way). If we think for a moment that the irregular shaped diamonds and chevrons on these snakes act as a form of diruptive coloration (at least they do to me when they are shooting through dead leaves and low shrubs) then the black tail is a focusing point. Next time you see one of these snakes on the move, just stare at it, I think you will find that your eye focuses on the black of the tail. Anyways, cool stuff.
Later, KW

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: If you were being pursued by a predator, the black and white would stand out as you were crawling away from the predator and therefore afford you an advantage. I can't count the number of atrox I have walked up in the wild and observed them coiling and none of them had their tail exposed (although 99% of the time it was just under a coil near the head, maybe that way if an ungulate walks by they here and see the tail, which is right near the head of the animal and so may be avoided the "most"). As for molossus and horridus, the first thing anyone says about mine when they see them (and don't know much about snakes) is "What is that one with the blacktail?" even though I have the prettiest yellow horridus in the world! (I really do, by the way). If we think for a moment that the irregular shaped diamonds and chevrons on these snakes act as a form of diruptive coloration (at least they do to me when they are shooting through dead leaves and low shrubs) then the black tail is a focusing point. Next time you see one of these snakes on the move, just stare at it, I think you will find that your eye focuses on the black of the tail. Anyways, cool stuff. : Later, KW

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