
Cobras of the ancient world
In my middle-grade novel, Abracadabra Tut, a cobra makes a startling appearance. Well, I suppose any snake creates shock and awe. The other day, while hiking in a California desert, a very long yellow snake with brown patterns slithered across the trail. My first thought was RATTLESNAKE, but then I quickly noticed that this snake had no rattles. I found out later that it was a harmless GOPHER SNAKE. The park ranger explained that they’re frequently mistaken for rattlers, and