A Coachwhip Encounter

In this guest article, Rosealin Delgado describes an encounter with a harmless snake rarely seen at the preserve (though fairly common in our region). Rosealin is a Texas Master Naturalist and a keen observer of the natural world.

A Coachwhip Encounter

Rosealin Delgado

The coachwhip, under the willow at the edge of the water

At the North Pond on the side near the road. It was about 6:30 p.m. when I first saw the coachwhip. I was quietly sitting under the cover of a Black Willow, studying a cricket frog, when a flash of movement caught my eye. I looked to my right and saw a slender, shimmering snake gliding along the water’s edge. The snake eventually came out of the pond and proceeded in my direction. Its large eyes seemed intently focused on its path as it slowly moved through the grass and toward the trees, seemingly unaware of my presence. The body was thin and long, maybe five feet, and dark brown/black in the sunlight with lighter values towards the tail and shifting colors as the scales caught the sinking sun’s light. It continued its path with spectacular fluidity and briefly stopped to raise its head above the grass. The snake had spotted me, flicking its black tongue and only changing direction slightly; it lowered its head and continued the journey to the trees. I was surprised when it began climbing a young elm and eventually made it to the branches of an oak tree.

Up into the branches and looking back down

I slowly approached the tree it was coiled in and was able to maintain an arm’s length distance from it. The eyes were large and round (high on the head), the face was dark, and the snout was narrow. I was grateful to have witnessed its underbelly, often unseen, light yellows and milky whites. The dorsal side of the snake was a gentle gradient of dark to soft browns, with the tail end having a braided whip pattern. After 10 minutes of close observation, I decided it was time to leave so the coachwhip could settle down for the evening, and I was planning on doing the same. From water to land to the trees. I was lucky and thankful to have discovered a snake of secretive nature at Sheri Capehart Nature Preserve. This sighting is a beautiful example of how the preserve’s establishment plays a crucial role in protecting diverse species like the Western Coachwhip.

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