Say hello to my little friend...

It is really amazing what little creatures can take shelter in urban gardens. I found this little guy hidden amongst my strawberry plants. Even though he is now deceased, I like to imagine what his life might have been like before he met his maker... slithering around under the oak leaves in autumn, sunning on a rock in the summertime. Eating bugs. (Would a snake his size eat bugs?)

Actually, we have a lot of wildlife in our neighborhood even though we are well within the city limits. I once caught a fox running away from our street with a squirrel (previously the victim of a hit and run) in his mouth. I have seen plenty of hawks, and heard stories about them making off with cats and small dogs (!!!) and have also heard about coyotes doing the same. Those unfortunate types of events are evidence of the conflict between nature and urbanites and how we cope with it and it adapts to our presence. On one level it is very, very sad that people are losing their pets, but another side of me also sees it as hopeful because these wild creatures are learning to adapt under the most challenging of circumstances.

It makes me wonder what this little guy's circumstances were. How did he survive for as long as he did? How did he die? And most importantly: where are all of the other snakes!? I'd like to catch a glimpse of one that is living sometime...