Just outside a cabin I used to paint signs in, bordering BLM land in the town of Joshua Tree, there was one of the biggest cholla plants I've ever seen. The most remarkable thing about this cholla was the number of bird nests that had been built in it. At the time of this photo, there was an active Cactus Wren nest, with very young baby birds.
I was startled one day to see this red racer gliding across the extremely sharp cholla needles, investigating from bird nest to bird nest. As he started getting close to the active nest, the mother and father cactus wrens, with their long sharp beaks, started jabbing repeatedly at the snake, causing him to flinch and pause in his hunt, but ultimately not to stop him from finding the nest, and eating all five baby wrens.
Just as miraculous as a snake being able to crawl through such a bush, is the fact that cactus wren have to learn how to fly, starting from such hazardous territory! I once saw a photo of a baby wren with its wings spread and impaled on cholla thorns, an occurrence, I imagine, not totally uncommon.
For more about Common Snakes in the Mojave Desert, see this web-site from the East Mojave Desert Preserve.
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