Had A House guest Last Night

[Pappy]

The weather was beautiful yesterday so we had the windows and the door to the porch open most of the day. I made run to my buddy's bike shop and then a quick store/phamacy run and got home about 8 PM.

I had picked up 'cookies' for the animals and went to put them on the table inside the porch door. That's when I discovered our 'guest' sleeping on the carpet about 5' inside the door. Pictures were taken but I am having 'puter problems so a description will have to suffice for now. About 1/2" diameter, 18" long, slightly pointed head, and brightly colored with a very pretty pattern. The colors were in a repeating pattern of black, yellow, red, yellow, black, yellow, red.....

While I was waiting for LOML to bring me her 'grabber', the kitten came running in from the porch and jumped over it. After a quick photo session it was taken to the porch and intruduced to a meat cleaver. The body and head were tossed over the back fence.

We were lucky that the dog or either of the cats got curious about it. This only the second Coral I have seen in the 18 years we have lived here. The other one was full grown and I got it with a lawn tractor.

[jackellis]

To quote the great, brave explorer known as Indiana Jones, "I hate snakes".

Looking forward to the photos, though.

[cgallery]

You know what they say, "for every one that you can see..."

[BobSch]

That's one advantage to living in 'da nort land' — very few serious snakes. And the one's we do have are at the opposite end of the state.

[Popeye]

They say we have them here in S. Georgia but I haven't come across one yet.... thankfully. That was one of the first things I told the kids when we moved down here..... red touches yellow will kill a fellow. Pat

[dbhost]

I haven't seen any since I moved to Texas, but when I was hiking in Arizona in college, I ran accross plenty of those buzztail worms... Give them PLENTY of space, make enough noise to let them know a great big rambling fool was coming its way and you are good... When I am out in the country where I am likely to see snakes, I am not likely to see snakes. I have a Bear bell on my pack, and keep a bell on the lace of each boot... I should clarify, that I don't do that during hunting season, but by then, the snakes are hibernating, or at a high enough point trying to get some sun...

[Bruce Cohen]

I don't believe in killing snakes, but then again we only have rattlers here and they're not very common. And yes, I don;t like them, but they do taste fairly good. At least the ones in S.E. Asia.

Bruce

[atgcpaul]

To quote the great, brave explorer known as Indiana Jones, "I hate snakes".

Looking forward to the photos, though.

Ditto here!

I used to bike commute in San Diego on an asphalt bike path in a canyon. I
saw rattlers cross the path on 2 consecutive days. The first time the tail was
just disappearing into the scrub, but on day 2 what I thought was a stick in the
road ahead started slithering. Thank goodness I can bunnyhop! On the third
day I took a different route home.

I am so glad I was not you having to deal with that snake!

[docrowan]

Funny you should mention snakes - I found a 3 foot snake skin in my attic this afternoon. I can't tell from the skin what kind of snake left it, so I don't know if it's poisonous or not. Also, I don't really know how long it's been there. I'm almost certain it's been within the last two years, and pretty sure it's been within the last 4 to 5 months. Yikes! Time for the pros.

As to Bruce's comment about killing snakes - If any creature is in it's own habitat, I won't kill it. If it's in my yard or neighborhood and it is not poisonous or dangerous, I won't kill it. If it is in my home without an invitation, it's dead.

[Mr__Bill]

Gee I thought that you may perhaps have tried to Rope A Snake.

greatly disappointed

I read somewhere that fear of snakes it thought to be genetic, seems that almost everyone has the fear even if they never saw a snake before. Perhaps that is why we dislike politicians.


Bill on the Sunny Oregon Coast

[crokett]

Wow Pappy. I am glad no one was hurt. The first spring we were here I killed 4 copperheads. Since then I kill 1-2 a year. Last year one was almost a crispy critter. I went out to grill some brats for lunch, pulled the cover off the grll and saw a tail disappear up under the controls. Didn't know what kind of snake so I went and got my shovel, came back and turned the grill on. Waited a few minutes and out came a copperhead. Earlier this simmer I killed a cottonmouth. That was a bit unusual because we don't have any water near us.

[JSUPreston]

There are only 5 kinds of snakes I don't like: big ones, little ones, live ones, dead ones, and sticks that look like 'em.

[Uncle Cracker]

"Ms Baby" wants me to let you know she hopes that, when you can, you'll give a snake a break...

[Russianwolf]

Pappy,
I would be your friend forever if you could send me the skin of that critter. Heck, I'll even pay for you getting your hands dirty.

Really, I'm serious. I've been looking for Coral skins for months.

[jonmulzer]

I read somewhere that fear of snakes it thought to be genetic, seems that almost everyone has the fear even if they never saw a snake before. Perhaps that is why we dislike politicians.

I would be the exception to that rule then. My mother and father both are terrified of snakes and I used to pick them up in the woods and bring them home for pets. Thankfully I learned at an early age that snakes with cat eyes are poisonous and round eyes are not. I am sure that is just a general rule and there are exceptions, but it helped me live through childhood.