Naturalist view October 2009

Two items come to mind as I sit and think about this column baby bobcats and baby rattlesnakes! As in years past I have become aware of several Bobcat mothers that have set up residence here in Saddlebrooke. Many residents have reported to me sightings of both adult and young bobcats in their yards and neighborhoods. Last year I located four litters of from one to three baby bobcats in Saddlebrooke yards. Why would a Bobcat choose to raise babies in Saddlebrooke? One reason is protection from natural enemies such as mountain lions. The other reason is for food and water. Packrat's, rabbits and birds are plentiful here and are on the bobcats menu.

      My own experience with bobcats in my yard was that for several years a mother and her kittens would visit my fishpond. She would lie in the shade and watch as her kittens chased the goldfish around the pond and even though they never seemed to catch any fish they did manage to tear up the water lilies and they needed to be replanted after each visit. Bobcats being much more interesting than goldfish or water lilies I turned the pond into a water fall. I also removed a birdfeeder after the mother started hiding out under a Bush near the feeder and lunching on doves that came to feed. Not that I minded her eating the doves but she would first pull out all the feathers and leave them scattered around the yard for me to clean up.

      At the end of August I start getting calls to pick up baby rattlesnakes in and about residences in Saddlebrooke. Rattlesnakes do not lay eggs. They give birth to live young. Female rattlesnakes carry the eggs inside their bodies for about 90 days. She then gives birth from 10 to 15 baby rattlesnakes. Young rattlers are independent just minutes after they are born, and their venom is more concentrated than the adults’ venom. At one to two weeks, they shed their skin and the first segment of their rattle is created (this happens each time they shed their skin).

      Soon after they are born the young rattlers wander off looking for a home. This is when they start showing up in patios, garages and yards. I suggest that you check your garage door or openings under the weather strip where these small rattlesnakes can get in. An easy way to do this is to leave your garage light on after dark and with the garage door shut go outside and look for light leaking out from under the weather strip. Any gaps such as those where the relief joints in your driveway go under the weather strip can be filled with a latex caulking gun. As always be aware of your surroundings when working in your yard. It is also important to carry and use a flashlight when walking your pet after dark.