Fieldherper.com » musk http://fieldherper.com By Bryan D. Hughes, Future Darwin-Award Winner Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:21:32 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 “I Think it’s Injured” http://fieldherper.com/2009/06/09/i-think-its-injured/ http://fieldherper.com/2009/06/09/i-think-its-injured/#comments Tue, 09 Jun 2009 22:00:39 +0000 Bryan http://fieldherper.com/fieldherper/?p=627 That’s what I thought when I encountered my first long-nosed snake (Rhinocheilus lecontei) several years ago. Many snakes have a defensive behavior called “musking” that’s an evacuation of feces and various smelly whatnot from the cloaca. Some go a step further and write around in it to cover themselves in a disgusting mess, making them less appetizing. I must say it works. The long-nosed snake brings blood to the mix, leading me to believe the first several I picked up had been hit by a car before I found them.

Here’s one I moved off the roadway, which covered itself (and my hands) in it’s own poop and blood along the way.

Rhinocheilus lecontei
Rhinocheilus lecontei
Long-Nosed Snake
Long-Nosed Snake
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