Pic 1: Review. The last gasp of the snake, taken 13 Feb.
Pic 2: The stinky hole as found, surrounded by digging implements, 27 February. Note that the flat rock to the left of the hole is gone. (See pic 1).
Pic 3: The stinky hole close up. As the photo shows, no snake in the hole any more -- eh? Note the latticework of roots and flat rocks that forms around the tightest part of the opening. I could not claw into this hole with my bare hands--try as I did. The only tool that was effective was my rock hammer. It was obviously at this point in the hole where the snake got stuck. Most soil holes have a little ive--this one did not! Not even a millimeter.
My speculation is the snake entered some other hole, and tried to go out this one. Bad move! End of story.
It could be that the people who uncovered the snake on 25 February actually moved it then, but I don't really think that. My best guess is that one determined predator/scavenger sucked it out of that hole like a nasty noodle. Yummy............
Now, a few live scenes are in order.
Pic 4: a rerun from a previous report. February 2007, Hans-Werner Herrmann grabs a deep denning Gila Monster by the lips, and drags it out of the hole. See pic 5.
Pic 5: A new resident in the same Gila Hole as February 2007. This photo was taken on 13 February, 2011 when Brian Park and I checked the hole. It is roughly a 5 year old, ~100 mm MCL Tortoise. This Gila Hole started as a tortoise hole in 2005. Then, it became a Gila Hole. Now, it is back to being a tortoise hole.
Pic 6: Jeff Smith and I hit a slice of heaven on 25 February. The total score on herps encountered was staggering.
This tortoise clearly is not phased by the cholla spines that it is buried in.
Pic 7: The first basking atrox of the year for me. Note also the lack of respect for cholla on the part of the snake.
Pic 8: Lyresnake found by Jeff -- in a crevice where two chuckwallas were hanging together last year.
Pic 9: Image by my lovely wife Dianna. Taken from our driveway. Safford Peak, NW Tucson Mountains, 27 February 2011.
The weather has since warmed up. Tomorrow will be the third day of 80 degrees. Mr. Smith is up and ready. I'll let you know what we find!
This here is roger repp, signing off from southern Arizona, where the turtles are strong, the snakes are handsome, and the lizards are WAY above average.