About the last “chore” I do every day is water the front and
back yard. And, because it’s very hot
during the day, I usually wait until after 7pm.
The sun is considering going down and most of the yard is in shade or
shadow.
Now, in general, I’m not afraid of snakes but I will say, as
I was watering the Star Jasmine, seeing this,
gave me a bit of a startle. Actually, I’m pretty sure I startled it too. I stepped away and the snake made a fast dash for the hibiscus bushes by the house and from there, I’m thinking, over to the giant rose. I sent it along unmolested.
Texas rat snakes are medium-large non-poisonous constrictors
that eat small animals like rats, mice, and small birds. These snakes have little interest in humans
and try to avoid us. They will however, if
cornered, bite. They are great climbers
and are often found in trees. The positive
side? They keep rodents away. They are comfortable living in urban areas
and, if you’re so inclined, they can be kept as a pet (think I’ll pass on that).
Well, at least I won't be worrying about mice/rats in the house. That actually does scare me!
7 Jun 2022
You got lucky because snakes are out in large numbers lately, many of them poisonous. Since we live near the Guadalupe river we get a lot of Cotton Mouths and occasionally Corals. David or I have to go out before the dogs to make sure to beat the bushes and look for snakes. A Neighbor's dog was bitten by a Cotton Mouth over the weekend and the dog died. Never had a chance, poor little guy.
ReplyDeleteI think we're far enough from the river (the Colorado) here that cotton mouths aren't a problem tho we do see coral snakes and copperheads from time to time.
DeleteI don't like it when people around here kill the snakes..I keep telling them they eat the mice and they don't bite...but these old lady's are just afraid of snakes and reason goes out the door.
ReplyDeleteI just let them go on their merry way - as you said - they eat rats and mice and I really dislike those guys!
DeleteWe have so many varieties of harmless snakes in Ohio, and then the occasional copperhead and rattlesnake, to keep us vigilant.
ReplyDeleteWe haven't seen a snake around our house in several years. I wonder if it's because there are several neighborhood cats that like to hang out at our house?
ReplyDeleteWe rarely see snakes, then usually a little garter snake. Further north, in the hills, are rattlesnakes, but rarely.
ReplyDeleteI picked up a little pot right next the house, to water a couple of weeks ago, and went to set it back down and ... wait, wha...we don't have a rock that looks like that. Why is it...MOVING!?!?!? I gave a little shriek and dance away, and then cautiously looked closer. It was a bull snake (not venomous), and it slithered under the sidewalk. A few days later I found its shed skin behind the flowers waiting to be planted, it is about 3' long. I haven't seen it since, but assume it's still around, so am very cautious when I pick anything up in the area now.
ReplyDeleteYour snake was probably upset its nap got disturbed by a cold bath!
yes, probably so. I didn't notice it until it moved away from the water.
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