- Joined
- Aug 8, 2005
- Messages
- 11,498
As I was riding my bike on a narrow lane with verges overgrown on both sides, out jumps a 2 inch or so frog and right behind it, a snake. The frog is in pure panic mode and instead of crossing the road it heads on down it. The snake was about 4 feet long, a uniform olive tan color without any markings whatever from tip of nose to tip of tail. For me it was fascinating as they were only 8 feet away or so and both ignoring me completely.
There were a few problems. The snake was just not oriented with prey going up and down. I suspect it even lost sight of the frog at the apex of each jump. The snake was also way overpowered. Visualize a AA dragster trying to pace a bicycle. This resulted in the frog sometimes coming down almost on the snakes head and few times behind it's head. To make matters worse, even when the frog came down in target range and distance the snake couldn't coordinate it's fast-slow-fast-slow along with coiling a little for a strike. They careened inconclusively on down the road for about 30 feet and finally off into the verge on the other side. The grass thrashed around for a while as the snake tried to find it's prey. I peeked into the grass to see the snake staring into the trickle of water of a small canal, probably grumbling to itself.
Evening at a friends restaurant. Sitting at an outside table near a canal. The termites started swarming. A frog appears, then another. Major pig out on the smooth concrete. A few more frogs peep out of the grass. I call in to delay our dinner being delivered and we sit very still. By ones, twos, then little groups, it turns into a insect and amphibian free for all. The termites raining down, the frogs so thick they are sitting on each other. A few even took to the high ground, sitting on our shoes. I give the restaurant a 10 for the entertainment alone.
There were a few problems. The snake was just not oriented with prey going up and down. I suspect it even lost sight of the frog at the apex of each jump. The snake was also way overpowered. Visualize a AA dragster trying to pace a bicycle. This resulted in the frog sometimes coming down almost on the snakes head and few times behind it's head. To make matters worse, even when the frog came down in target range and distance the snake couldn't coordinate it's fast-slow-fast-slow along with coiling a little for a strike. They careened inconclusively on down the road for about 30 feet and finally off into the verge on the other side. The grass thrashed around for a while as the snake tried to find it's prey. I peeked into the grass to see the snake staring into the trickle of water of a small canal, probably grumbling to itself.
Evening at a friends restaurant. Sitting at an outside table near a canal. The termites started swarming. A frog appears, then another. Major pig out on the smooth concrete. A few more frogs peep out of the grass. I call in to delay our dinner being delivered and we sit very still. By ones, twos, then little groups, it turns into a insect and amphibian free for all. The termites raining down, the frogs so thick they are sitting on each other. A few even took to the high ground, sitting on our shoes. I give the restaurant a 10 for the entertainment alone.
