Snake

[redchaserron]

Originally Posted by Smalls

Ah, the copycat tough guy. Caught a banded water snake back when I was taking a vertebrate zoology class in undergrad. That sucker acted all big and bad.....til I threw his azz in the freezer. They get by by mimicking cottonmouths, both look and behavior.

^wish there were a way to do away with this misplaced fear of snakes, but I think we are in toodeep (see what I did there). They really are one of the most beneficial animals you can have around, and if you respect them, you've got no problem.

I mean, snakes don't go out of their way to attack people. At least no more than any other animal does. And yet so many people fear them, because they were taught to. I love snakes. They keep the mice away. Nothing beats a good kingsnake.

Sorry, I'll get off the soapbox.

I agree with smalls. My 9 year old daughter enjoys catching snakes (under my supervision to make sure she isn't grabbing venomous snakes). So basically, if you're so fearful that you think you have to kill every snake you see, you've got a smaller set than a 9 year old girl . Seriously though, snakes are great pest control. I don't kill venomous snakes either, I encounter cottonmouth's and copperheads quite a bit and they mind their own business and tend to quietly move away if I don't mess with them.

The one curled up watched us for a bit, then quietly slid the other way. I was about 10 feet away using a long lens. The one stretched out I almost stepped on. I spotted him just before putting my foot down. Stopped, took a picture with my phone, then he just slid away.