Mountain biking can take us to some pretty remote locations. In such places, we’re not always at the top of the food chain. Even if we are the apex predator, encounters with animals can be startling or at least entertaining.

Riders in our Riding Passion forum are sharing photos and colorful stories about their best animal encounters. Here are a few highlights.

Cleared2land came across a copperhead coiled across the trail.

Woodchips had a similar snakey encounter on his Salsa Cutthroat.

EugeneTheJeep found a large rock on the trail with a mind of its own.

Wombat found an echidna. We hope he had fresh tire sealant and plenty of tire plugs.

Want to share an animal encounter you’ve had while riding? Click here to join the conversation.