Garter snake or hula hoop

I found a few of our kittens playing with a snake last spring. Im not sure if it was a present delivered by the mother, or if it decided to play dead hoping that it would be left alone. If that was the case, bad career move on the snake's part.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• kitten
• cat
• play
• funny
• garter
• snake

[fockingclassy]

This is why cats shouldnt be allowed outside, they wipe out native fauna.

[Ultimategrid]

@Wlmitch1

interesting, That is pretty large. I do hope that large snakes would make a meal out of stupid cats more often.

[Wlmitch1]

@Ultimategrid The Black Rat Snake (Pantherophis Obsoletus Obsoletus) averages 42-72 inches. The record is 101 inches. Black Rat Snakes 6 to 7 feet long are not very common, but are not rare either. I saw a dead one on the side of the freeway once back in 1971 when I was 11 years old. It HAD to have been at least 8 feet long, it was MASSIVE!

[Ultimategrid]

@Wlmitch1

He (actually I'm pretty sure it's female) Is exactly seven feet and eleven inches. But he's missing the end of his tail, (thanks stupid cat) So he should be just over eight feet. He is massive!

I wouldn't think that a Black rat snake could eat a cat could it? Aren't they pretty small (as far as snakes go)?

[Wlmitch1]

@Ultimategrid It is true that the primary goal of any snake is to avoid injury if possible. Fox snakes in general tend to be far less aggressive, and much more even-tempered, than Gopher Snakes, however. Very large Black Rat Snakes, also found here in Michigan, very quickly go into feeding mode if they are being harassed by a cat. BTW, how big is your Gopher Snake?

[Ultimategrid]

@Wlmitch1 I would imagine that the snake was trying to avoid injury. If it was unable to eat the cat, and the cat was willing to leave the Fox snake would avoid injury if possible.

My Gopher snake only killed the cat, because the cat had his tail in it's jaws, and he simply got a huge loop of coils around it's throat.

[Wlmitch1]

@Ultimategrid It is also interesting that the Fox Snake did not try to kill the cat. Near the end of the fight, the snake struck the cat in the face once, banging the back of the cat's head on a rock. When the cat crawled away bloodied and crying, the snake simply let it go. I believe the snake could have killed the cat, had it wanted to. Large Indigo Snakes occasionally kill cats in self-defense when attacked, and then eat them. They do NOT attack cats TO eat them, however.

[Ultimategrid]

@Wlmitch1

Interesting. It is unusual to see the snake come out on top. But I believe it's not the actual power of the cat that allows it to win. It's the temperament of the snake. For example my neighbours cat hunted garter snakes, and small gopher snakes all the time, but when it attacked Asmodeus, it underestimated it's speed and power. If Asmodeus wasn't so damn aggressive, I would have no doubt that the cat would've won.

[Wlmitch1]

@Ultimategrid I once saw a cat take a big field mouse away from a 4 1/2 foot Eastern Fox Snake, and then continue to harass the snake. That Fox Snake vibrated its tail, opened its mouth, hissed, struck at, and bit the cat. The ensuing fight sounded just like two cats hissing at each other and fighting. The Fox Snake gave the cat quite a beat-down. The cat crawled away crying.

[Ultimategrid]

A gopher snake killed a cat in my garden. I caught him, and now he lives in my house eating rats, and fish. His name is Asmodeus, and he doesn't take shit from any cat.