Intimacy Among Ravens, a Rescue, and a Beautiful Snake

Rarely does one have an opportunity to photograph intimate behavior between wild birds, especially those as wary as ravens. Preening one’s mate is a common occurrence among manny species of birds, but catching it on film is not. Behavior like this underscores the very close bonds that form between highly intelligent birds such as this raven pair, mated for life. My wife, Kathleen, captured this moment between Mike and Mavis, the two Chihuahuan Ravens that have befriended us over the course of many years.

Early this morning I walked over to a small, dry pool that is a part of our property to have a look inside. Keeping the pool filled in such a dry part of the world as southeastern Arizona is, to us, an extravagant use of precious water, so it stays dry. The trouble is, such pools are traps for wildlife, hence my daily looks to see what might have fallen in. This morning, a young bullsnake was there. I jumped in, caught the snake, and later released it nearby. The proper local name for this creature is “gopher snake,” (Pituophis cantenifer), but due to my Montana roots, I still use the term “bullsnake” for snakes within the genus Pituophis. They are excellent rodent controllers and a boon to all rural Arizonans. Vehicles and farm equipment are targets for mice, rats, and other rodents that can cause severe damage by chewing electrical wires or constructing flammable nests in engine compartments.

My daily inspections of the dry pool have paid off for many animals. Among the rescued species have been other bullsnakes, spadefoot toads, a lowland leopard frog, a Sonoran coral snake, night snakes, glossy snakes, a coachwhip, many lizards, various mice, kangaroo rats, and more. The pool has vertical walls five feet tall, so once such animals fall in, they have no way out. I keep a wooden ramp in the pool, which some animals can use for escape, but many others need help to get out.

Yesterday, as my friend Gilbert Urias and I were driving down a two-track road near the San Pedro River, I put on the brakes to avoid killing a snake that was stretched out in the roadway. It turned out to be a beautiful eastern patch-nosed snake, a small species that is common here in the valley floor. When snakes crawl onto the compacted surface of a roadway, they are often enticed by the heat of such surfaces to stop crawling and bask. Basking snakes often go into a sort of sleep, so they frequently get run over by vehicles as they lay motionless and unaware, soaking up the warmth. I prodded this one gently four times before it came back to life and zoomed to safety, off of the road. Thanks to Gilbert for these nice photographs.

More detailed information on the frequent problems that reptiles must deal with when crossing roads can be found on pages 122 – 124 of my book, The Life of the San Pedro River.