Those of you who know me personally (or have spent much time navigating this site) know that I love herpetofauna. This word, often abbreviated to herps (keep an eye on your autocorrect it you use it) refers to the grouping that includes both reptiles and amphibians. So I can state my adoration for both frogs and turtles at the same time, for example, or lizards and salamanders, which look similar at a cursory glance but belong to those separate taxonomic classes.
Snakes in particular have a special place in my heart. Generally misunderstood at best and hated at worst, they’re amazing creatures with fascinating adaptations. Evolution did not forget their limbs, for example; some species have vestigial legs that show that they evolved away from them. Just as interesting are their ribs which aren’t locked to a sternum, allowing them to move relatively freely which is the mechanism for the hooding of cobras and many other movements in all snakes.
This particular snake is a captive specimen, and one of my own. Her name is Dame Winifred Willoughby and she is a carpet python (Morelia spilota) which is a species common in Australia. But though an Aussie- and with elliptical pupils- she’s harmless, with her species filling a similar ecological niche as ratsnakes here in the US: Goofy and voracious climbers who will get into anything they can. They’re great.
Anyway, gotta go. There are snoots to boop- though with today being feeding day, maybe I’d best wait til tomorrow.
Leave a comment