Le Roi

I was out moving an old pile of wood chips yesterday and came across this beauty. This is the second King Snake I have seen on Old Hill and the first one I saw was dead from tractor blight. So I was very pleased to see this specimen alive and healthy.

Vineyards and snakes do not coexist easily. Without going into too much detail, think long and narrow vs. vineyard equipment. Snakes are going to have to be very lucky to survive this competition.

Over the years I have been creating habitat for snakes that usually consist of small piles of rocks or logs, strategically placed around the vineyard. When I come across a snake I move them to these locations for protection. A healthy population of gopher snakes can not be a bad thing, and they are such beautiful creatures.