Adam pointed the finger at Eve, Eve pointed the finger at the snake, and I pointed my finger at this little* guy: my very own Lampropeltis getula nigra (Black Kingsnake), living on my property (and here documented in my back yard).
(*and by "little" i mean "shockingly large when
discovered within three feet of one's sliding door")
But then, after all the finger-pointing, and the Snake Away procuring, I discovered (thanks to my family and friends, many of whom *coughespeciallydadandtimcough* have been insisting that having snakes on your property can be a GOOD thing) that:
"It preys on small mammals, making it important in controlling rodent populations. Kingsnakes,
especially the Black Kingsnake, prey on other snakes as well, including venomous species. Immune to
their venom, they are able to survive bites from copperheads, cottonmouths and rattlesnakes."
[Source: Center for Reptile and Amphibian Conservation and Management, IUPUI]
Well, shit. I'm ok with that.
4 Responses to “Snakes ≠ The Devil”
I'd like to see one of those voles get past him. :)
Don't let it make a nest on the interior of your oesophagus.
- totter, totter -
Char.lay that snake bit me. It bit me Char.lay. Ouch. Char. lay.
eeeeeek! at least it's like...the nicest possible of all snakes, right?? some small consolation...
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