 One of my favorite activities on any rails-to-trail is observing wildlife. Depending on the trail, you can see anything from deer, fox, snakes, turtles and all kinds of birds, even larger ones such as owls, hawks and eagles. If I see any smaller wildlife resting on the trail I find myself in a bit of a dilemma. Should I leave it alone or try to "encourage" the animal to move along so it doesn't get run over by other riders? Generally, it's best to simply enjoy your wild encounters and move on. Occasionally, though, I have felt the necessity to gently urge the more delicate locals to move off the trail and onto the nearby grass.
 This is especially so with box turtles. Turtles, like snakes, enjoy the white limestone trails as a place to warm themselves. Often the smaller ones are vulnerable to unseeing riders and can either suffer wounds or even be killed. When spotted, turtles can be approached from the front and will usually (but slowly, as you would expect) walk away in the opposite direction from the human observer. If you're so inclined, you can gently pick them up and move them off to the side of trail.
Snakes, on the other hand, are a different matter. I, myself, have no big fear of snakes and enjoy encountering them. I never touch them, however, because if I do so then anyone passing by might be tempted to mimic my actions without knowing how to recognize the poisonous ones. Therefore, should you decide to attempt to persuade a small snake off the trail I'd advise finding a long, very light stick and gently tapping the very end of the tail, keeping yourself as far away from the front of the animal as possible. One or two light taps nearly always convinces a snake to move along. Mind you, I'm not advising nor encouraging ANYONE to do this unless they are certain of the species (and can spot the difference between a poisonous and nonpoisonous snake) and feels compelled to coax the creature off the trail. The basic rule of thumb on any trail is to observe and enjoy any and all wildlife - big or small - from a safe distance. That "safe" distance applies to both the animal AND the trail rider. 
My particular favorite trail buddies were the numerous snakes I encountered on Missouri's great 230-mile Katy Trail. During the warmth of mid-afternoon many green, black and milk snakes would slither across the trail and sun themselves. The white limestone trail made them easy to spot so I had no problem riding around them.
 The most unusual buddy I've EVER encountered (not such a rare creature, just one I've never seen) was on the C & O Canal Trail near Little Orleans, Maryland along the Potomac River. It had the head of a preying mantis (including a menacing set of pincers and two-inch long antennae coming out of the side of its head), the body of a large moth or bird and the thorax of a scorpion - all five or so inches of him. Despite its monstrous appearance this beast turned out to be something called a Dobsonfly, a moth-hunting predator that normally dwells near eastern rivers. Believe me, benign as they are to humans, you DON'T want to find one of these in your tent.
If you've had a magical encounter with a trail buddy let us know. We'd enjoy hearing about it.
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