Animals in the United States
Red On Yellow, Kill A Fellow — Brian Holcek Encounters Coral Snake In The Dark
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Brian Holcek and this coral snake encountered each other in the dark Sunday evening, Oct. 13, near a stock tank on his place near F.M. 536 and F.M. 1303 just west of Floresville. He dispatched it with a rowboat oar. COURTESY/Brian and Annie Holcek
Brian Holcek had a close encounter of the venomous kind.
Out checking a well on his property near F.M. 536 and F.M. 1303 just west of Floresville Oct. 13 around 9 p.M., Holcek discovered a snake.
And in the beam of his flashlight that Sunday evening, he discovered it wasn't a harmless reptile — it was a coral snake.
"I was close to our pond, about a hundred yards from the house," Holcek said. "I was checking the well to turn off the water."
The distinctive red, black, and yellow bands alerted him. He instantly thought of the rhyme that helps tell coral snakes apart from the non-venomous milk snake: Red on black, friend of Jack; red on yellow, kill a fellow.
The flashlight showed distinct yellow bands touching red bands; he knew he'd encountered a venomous snake.
Not far from him was a boat he uses on the stock tank. "I used an oar from the boat to kill it," Holcek shared, not wanting a venomous snake in proximity to his home and the tank.
He was surprised by how long the snake appeared; he took some photos, including one with a tape measure. The snake was 30 inches long!
He sent a photo of the dead snake to Rachel Hamilton, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department wildlife biologist for Karnes and Wilson counties.
"I was surprised at the length, as well!" she told the Wilson County News. "Their typical length is 20-30 inches, so this one was on the upper end of that range."
ID certainty
Coral snakes, she said, can be clearly identified by their broad red band, narrow yellow ring, and broad black band; with coral snakes, the red bands never touch the black. Non-venomous milk snakes are similar in color; however, they have broad red bands, narrow black bands, and narrow yellow or cream bands, and the red bands always touch black.
"So yes, the old rhyme holds true and can aid in proper identification," Hamilton said.
It wasn't unusual for Holcek to encounter this snake in the dark near water, she explained.
"Coral snakes typically seek out moist areas and can be found under wood or rock piles much like many other snakes," she said, and mainly seek moist environments in their search for prey, which consists of other small snakes, skinks, small rodents, and lizards.
"Texas coral snakes are generally more active at night and more often than not when found during the day, they are tucked away somewhere," Hamilton said.
Although we may not appreciate the venomous snakes, they do serve a purpose in the Texas ecosystem.
"Other than serving as population control for the species they eat, they contribute to the overall diversity within our ecosystems," the wildlife biologist said. "Without this diversity, we would not have many of the 'friendlier' species we enjoy, like deer, quail, and turkey."
Close encounters
Similar to most venomous snakes, coral snakes are generally not aggressive, Hamilton said. But she offered some advice should you come across one.
"As with any snake encounter, if at all possible, leave the snake alone," she urged. "They will likely retreat from threats rather than linger in the area.
"The majority of snake bites occur when people try handling them or unknowingly reach for or step on them," Hamilton cautioned.
"Always be diligent when walking in tall or thick grass, working around brush or rock piles, and reaching anywhere you cannot clearly see what all is present."
nkilbey-smith@mywcn.Com
The Fascinating Lives Of Rhode Island's Native Turtles And Snakes
The ring-necked snake is docile and rarely bites but can release a foul-smelling musk when handled. (Photo by Christopher Raithel from 'Reptiles of Rhode Island')
For a short-snouted dog, Mags proved to be a competent sidekick when it comes to stalking Rhode Island's native turtles.
So says the pit bull's owner, retired state biologist Christopher Raithel, who observed Mags sniff out the tiniest baby turtles during his field research trips to ponds andswamps around the Ocean State.
"I didn't even train him," said Raithel, who was the staff zoologist for the Rhode Island Heritage Program, and later, the nongame and endangered species biologist at the Department of Environmental Management before retiring in 2018.
"He just used to go with me, and he found a couple, and all you have to do is praise him and that's pretty much it. He would find the ones that I could never see, because they were under the cover, so having him there was worth more than several other observers."
Thanks to Mags' dependable scent work, Raithel was successful in documenting every one of Rhode Island's seven native turtles in his field guide "Reptiles of Rhode Island," published last spring. But tracking all 13 of the state's native snakes took more effort.
"Snakes, in particular, are very difficult to study," Raithel said. "Turtles are a little bit easier to deal with, because you can put radios on them and glue stuff to them. But snakes are difficult to find and extremely difficult, impossible, to count."
It took Raithel about five years to write the book, available in hard cover, which includes vivid photography and is based on research he began four decades ago to track native turtles and snakes in their respective habitats. He also conducted an exhaustive search of the historical record to detail the statewide distribution, demography, seasonal movement, reproduction and development, research needs, and conservation status of each species. Additionally, Raithel debunked myths about the cold-blooded species he has studied for years.
Take the common Snapping Turtle, which merits several pages in the book. In addition to descriptions of its size and distribution, Raithel includes a section on misinformation surrounding the species. "How often have we heard that 'a snapper can bite a broomstick in half?' They can't," he writes.
"Reptiles in Rhode Island" is available in hard copy with funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's State Wildlife Grants Program. All revenue generated by the sale of this book will be directed towards the state's wildlife conservation efforts.
The book is a companion to Raithel's "Amphibians of Rhode Island," published in 2018. The new book is shorter, partly because there are fewer species to cover but also because the lives of reptiles are less complex than those of amphibians.
"With amphibians, you have the eggs, the tadpoles, rather complicated developmental sequences and stuff, and so, the life history is more complicated for amphibians.," Raithel said. "With reptiles, you know, they lay eggs, the eggs hatch. That's basically it."
Reptiles are also more vulnerable than amphibians, Raithel said.
"There are some issues with disease and things like that, but if you protect the habitat, the amphibians are pretty much going to be there," he explained. "But, it's not true with the reptiles, because a lot of them are valuable and are highly sought by poachers. So, you can have the habitat set up and you can have a place that you think is a preserve, but if it gets raided by poachers, those animals are gone and they're never going to come back."
It's why, despite detailed information on each species, Raithel won't tell readers precisely where species can be found. Like many herpetologists, he is committed to protecting his research subjects.
"Honestly, I pulled my punches in terms of what to include, because I didn't want to put information in it that would make it easier for people to collect them," Raithel said. "There's nothing in there about how to find them, places you typically see them. I left that out intentionally. I left out some of the maps also, because I didn't want to tip off people where these things were."
Turtles face the greatest risks, because in addition to being struck by cars, they can end up as exotic pets, or even sold as food.
"It's a huge problem," Raithel said. "A lot of them are collected and sent overseas to illegal pet markets and stuff, and it's frankly very difficult to stop that trade."
The poaching of turtles can be charged as either a civil violation heard in traffic tribunal with a $100 fine or as a misdemeanor heard in district court. Please see applicable language and RI general law statute references below. This is often at the discretion of the responding officer given the circumstances and history of the violator.
Rhode Island law prohibits the removal of wild reptiles and amphibians and violators may face either a civil charge and possibility of up to a $100 fine or criminal misdemeanor charge with a possible penalty of up to $500 fine and up to 90 days in prison.
Turtles are long-lived and slow to reproduce, so their populations are not quickly replenished.
"Once a turtle gets to adulthood, 10 years, 15 years old, it's not supposed to die," Raithel said. "They're supposed to live a long time. That's what they do, and if you take that animal out of the population, or, you know, run over it with a car or send it to some meat market somewhere, there's just no way they can produce that animal again until another 20, 30 or more years."
Species at greatest riskDespite rumors suggesting otherwise, Raithel says the Timber Rattlesnake, Rhode Island's only venomous snake, has been extinct here since the 1970s. The species he is most concerned about now is the Eastern Box Turtle, which prefers areas with well-drained soil that are also highly sought for development.
"They're really vulnerable with their longevity and their low recruitment rate," he said. "They're sought by collectors and the habitat is not very well protected because they're an upland turtle. They don't live in wetlands so they don't get any regulatory protection."
Raithel's longtime colleague, Lou Perrotti, director of conservation programs at Roger Williams Park Zoo, said "Reptiles of Rhode Island may help convince people that fears of snakes are unfounded.
"I think a book like this actually helps people understand what herpetofauna diversity is in Rhode Island," said Perrotti, who has participated in reptile, amphibian and insect recovery programs throughout New England and around the world.
"This will hopefully reassure folks that we have a lot of harmless reptiles in the state."
For Raithel, writing the book was a way to take action to protect what he cares about.
"A lot of things in the world seem beyond our control and this is something (where) we could make a difference for the future wellbeing of some of these animals, so that's all I'm trying to do," he said.
"This book should help understand and appreciate the diversity and help protect the diversity, so don't take that turtle home. … It's against the law in Rhode Island to remove them from the wild."
Where to get your copyProceeds from the sale of "Reptiles of Rhode Island" and "Amphibians of Rhode Island," both by Christopher Raithel, help support the state's wildlife conservation efforts. Books are $20 each or are $15 each when you purchase five or more. They may be purchased in person at:
To order a book by mail, visit www.Dem.Ri.Gov/bookorder to download a mail order form. Please allow up to six weeks for processing and delivery.
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Phoenix Man Sentenced For Illegally Smuggling And Selling Exotic Animals
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PHOENIX — A Phoenix man will serve prison time after he smuggled exotic animals into the United States with the intent of selling them.
The U.S. Attorney's Office of Arizona announced that 23-year-old Raymond Anthony Rabago Montoya will serve a year and a day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Rabago Montoya, along with his mother who has already been sentenced, coordinated the illegal importation of the animals from Mexico.
The animals included tigers, panthers, monkeys, and exotic parrots.
The investigation started in 2022 when someone reported to U.S. Fish and Wildlife that the parrots they purchased from the defendant had allegedly been illegally imported.
After executing a search warrant in January of 2023, officials found a tiger cub, an alligator, 12 snapping turtles, six tortoises, and boxes of other reptiles.
After finding advertisements for the sale of spider monkeys on Facebook, authorities conducted two undercover purchases of the monkeys for $6,000 each, one in April and the other in May of 2023.
Police again encountered Rabago Montoya in June and August of 2023, where authorities found dozens of endangered parrots in his vehicle at the time. Many of those birds were dead.
The 23-year-old was charged in September and arrested the next day.
"Wildlife trafficking is illegal and immoral, as countless animals that are taken from the wild are smuggled across borders in inhumane conditions," said Edward Grace, Assistant Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. "In the case of spider monkeys, many trafficked animals perish due to inadequate care, while those that survive face a life of captivity. We hope this case emphasizes that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and our partners will continue to ensure that those engaged in wildlife trafficking are brought to justice."
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