Snakerocks

"I don't know why he thinks Snakerocks is an easy route! The place is crawling with adders. Birds and mice stay away from there because there are so many snakes!"

— Graypaw to Firepaw in Into the Wild, page 123

Snakerocks
General information
Location	The forest territories near the Great Sycamore and the Thunderpath
Usage	Hunting Gathering herbs

Snakerocks, also known as the snake rocks, is a rock pile in ThunderClan terrtitory in the forest. It is used as a place to hunt and gather herbs, but cats must be careful to not be bitten by adders that call the rocks home.

Description

"Great, I can either drown or get bitten for the sake of my Clan."

―Darkstripe about hunting near Snakerocks ^{Code of the Clans, page 39}

The location of Snakerocks in the forest territories

Snakerocks is located in the forest territory of ThunderClan. It is east of ThunderClan camp, past the Great Sycamore. To the north of it lies the Thunderpath that borders ShadowClan territory. Snakerocks is located in a steep grassy clearing surrounded by rowans, ferns, and thick undergrowth. There is a leafy bank that spills onto the top of these rocks. The rocks are a steep, tumbled pile of smoothed, rounded, sand-colored and dark gray rocks. The rocks themselves are covered in deep cracks and clefts, providing places for adders to hide. Underneath Snakerocks is a large cavern that is able to provide shelter to animals larger than cats, such as dogs. The rocks are a good place to find chervil, yarrow, and catmint, but, serve as a dangerous site due to the adders that are found more commonly. It is unsafe for untrained apprentices to venture to Snakerocks alone due to the adders.

Despite being used as a hunting ground, Snakerocks attracts little prey outside of adders due to the snakes. The adders often hide in the crevices of the rocks. However, voles, squirrels, mice, shrews, and rabbits can be found here. Badgers and foxes have also been known to hang around Snakerocks at times too. To avoid the adders, ThunderClan cats usually hunt during leaf-bare, when it is too cold for the snakes.

Location history

«The trees began to thin out; the badger trail was leading towards Snakerocks. Firestar felt exposed and vulnerable, convinced that small, malevolent eyes were watching him from every thornbush or bramble thicket. This was a bad place for ThunderClan cats. When the dogs were loose in the forest they made their den at Snakerocks; Swiftpaw had died in their jaws, and Brightheart had received her terrible injuries. Firestar imagined he could still scent the reek of spilled blood.»

—Firestar's thoughts about Snakerocks ^{Firestar's Quest, page 92}

When the early settlers first arrived to the forest, Storm, a local rogue, warned Gray Wing to avoid the tumble of rocks for the deadly snakes that lived there. Star Flower later shows Clear Sky the pile of boulders, though warns him to keep an eye out for snakes. She explained how her father One Eye taught her to hunt snakes that live underneath the rocks in leaf-bare. The pile of rocks came to be known as the snake rocks, and was originally a part of early SkyClan's territory. Eventually, the rocks are renamed to Snakerocks and become part of ThunderClan's territory. During Oakstar's leadership, a group of adders terrorized ThunderClan so patrols sealed off cervices in Snakerocks to prevent them from escaping. Some ShadowClan cats are speculative of their tactic, recalling how an apprentice Marshpaw died from an adder. Seeking revenge on those who wronged her and the death of her kits, Mapleshade lured Frecklewish to Snakerocks and purposefully dislodged the small pile of rocks to release the snakes. Frecklewish was bitten by an adder, becoming blind, and eventually succumbed to the venom. While gathering herbs at Snakerocks, Goosefeather witnessed a vision of Mapleshade leaving Frecklewish to die at Snakerocks from a snake.

During a battle with ShadowClan, Lionpaw fled in fear and hide in the cavern underneath Snakerocks. While hunting at Snakerocks, Thistlepaw fought off a dog that wandered near the pile of rocks. Later, Tawnyspots ordered a patrol to check Snakerocks for lurking rogues scented there. Darkstripe and Longtail hunted at Snakerocks, and Darkstripe convinced his Clanmate to eat the squirrel Longtail had caught instead of bringing it back to the elders and kits. During Firepaw's first tour of the territory, Lionheart mentioned they'll avoid Snakerocks for the time being since the adders area dangerous for untrained apprentices. Tigerclaw later ordered his apprentice Ravenpaw to hunt near Snakerocks, and the timid apprentice successfully caught an adder. While showing his apprentice Cinderpaw the Great Sycamore, Fireheart chided her for naively darting towards the nearby Snakerocks. When a fire raged through ThunderClan's territory, the section of the forest near Snakerocks was spared. Whitestorm reported fresh dog scent near Snakerocks and the remains of a pigeon, though Fireheart was not too bothered by the report, until he found fresh dog scent near the pile of rocks days later.

Determined to prove themselves worthy to be warriors, Swiftpaw and Brightpaw venture to Snakerocks in the early dawn to discover what was stealing their prey. However, they were attacked by a pack of dogs, resulting in Swiftpaw's death. Brightpaw survived, though remained permanently scarred. Darkstripe told Tigerstar about the dogs at Snakerocks, and Longtail spotted the ShadowClan leader feeding a pack of dogs living in the caverns underneath Snakerocks. He later left a trail of dead prey for the dogs to follow to ThunderClan's camp, ending with Brindleface's body. ThunderClan swiftly led the dogs from Snakerocks towards the gorge. Later, Thornpaw detected unfamiliar rogues at Snakerocks, which later turned out to be BloodClan. A badger made its home near Snakerocks, resulting in Willowpelt's death. When a family of foxes moved into Fourtrees, the four Clans met at Snakerocks for the Gathering.

Seasons later, Squirrelpaw detected a badger living in the cavern underneath Snakerocks, so Firestar ordered his cats to avoid the area for the time being. Twolegs began digging up the ground not far from Snakerocks. When Leafpaw and several others were captured by Twolegs, Spottedleaf's spirit led Squirrelpaw beyond Snakerocks to the monster where her sister was being held captive. Seasons after the Clans left the forest, Ravenpaw and Barley returned to ThunderClan's territory. The black loner noticed Snakerocks covered in brambles and he assumed the snakes were long gone.

Known deaths

This is a list of deaths, ordered chronologically, that took place at Snakerocks.

• Frecklewish
• Swiftpaw
• Willowpelt

Book mentions

• The Sun Trail (Mentioned only)
• A Forest Divided
• Mapleshade's Vengeance
• Pinestar's Choice (Mentioned only)
• Goosefeather's Curse
• Bluestar's Prophecy
• Spottedleaf's Heart
• Into the Wild (First appearance; mentioned only)
• The Prophecies Begin, volume 1
• Fire and Ice
• Forest of Secrets (Mentioned only)
• A Dangerous Path
• The Darkest Hour
• Firestar's Quest
• Graystripe's Vow (Then) (Mentioned only)
• Midnight
• Moonrise
• Dawn
• Ravenpaw's Farewell
• Secrets of the Clans (Retconned)
• Code of the Clans
• Battles of the Clans

Gallery

Map art

Snakerocks on the original map

Snakerocks on the reprinted map

Official art

Snakerocks in The Prophecies Begin, volume 1

Quotes

"There are good places all over the forest. But don't go in that direction. There are snakes, and their bite could make you sick or even kill you."

―Storm warning Gray Wing about the rocks ^{The Sun Trail, page 252}

Star Flower: "Watch out for snakes."

Clear Sky: "Snakes?"

^{A Forest Divided, page 170}

Trivia

Continuity

The following information is from sources considered non-canon, retconned, or from adapted material.

• In Secrets of the Clans, a 2007 field guide, the legend, "How Snakes Came to the Forest", details the encounter between Mouthclaw and a LionClan warrior named Sunpelt fought. The brave warrior tires the great snake out to the point where she begs for him to spare her life and in a deal, agrees to shrink to the size of a cat's tail. The great snake goes up in a cloud of dust and becomes a thousand smaller snakes. Sunpelt is both scolded and praised for his actions, as because of him, no more warriors would be eaten by snakes.

External links

• The Forest Map: ThunderClan on the Warriors official website (backup link)