You know Spring is here when.....

[Scales Zoo]

....you go to your favourite herping spot, and find 6 rattlesnakes.

We also saw 2 bullsnakes and a black widow spider, but this is the venomous snake forum so I guess I'll just mention the rattlers.

I (Ryan) found the first snake of the year. Last year Sheila found the first snake, and the first spider.

It was a nice rattlesnake.

Sheila headed to some far dens, I stayed at my cluster to see if I could find the patternless one we had found a few times last year.

Sheila yelled "Found Mr. Patternless". I ran over, and at first glimpse it looked like the Patternless. I then noticed that the whole face and every part of the snake were the same drab color - and by closer inspection we determined it was not the patternless one - but the combination of the old skin, and lots of "dried sand and clay mud" from the wet dens made this snake appear without much pattern. I guess Sheila just really was anxious to know that Mr. Patternless survived the winter.

We took a picture of this muddy snake - it did have us fooled for a bit.