Jann in TX Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 DH woke me about an hour after I went to bed. He said someone was at the door for me... and I was groggy enough to fall for it --groggy enough to NOT grab my robe! Here is our resident rat snake-- scoping out our back door... he was hoping for a nice dinner of baby birds-- unfortunately/fortunately the barn swallows moved their nest to a new corner of the paito that he/she cannot access. DH was so glad that he looked before opening the door to let the dogs out one last time before he went to bed.... Of course we woke up dd-- she grabbed her camera and joined the photo fest... snake was NOT amused! We also took the time to educate our dogs that snakes are 'ouches'... Our big boy (white german shepherd) was looking through the door at our visitor and I said "ouch"-- he leaped back and was very cautious the rest of the visit! Of course we will not tell him that this snake has no venom... I wonder if it is the same guy I had lunch with out on the deck a year or so ago... I'm 99% sure it is the same snake that ate my baby cave swallows last month-- he stayed all day in their nest (on our front porch) staring down at us! Now I get to TRY to go back to sleep!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 My rural cousins used to catch grass snakes. Chinatown (not here) had snake soup when I was a kid in the 70s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Peregrine Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 Oh. My. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraidycat Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 Gross! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in FL. Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 We had a coral snake in our garage a couple of weeks ago. I don't like snakes and I wouldn't want one hanging around my door! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavandula Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 That looks huge! Around here I've only ever seen tiny ones. Less than a foot long and really skinny. I'm glad we don't have bigger ones because we have cats walking around the yard all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flowing Brook Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 OH MY!! If that was my dh he would be looking for a new wife right now. That is if he was able to. :sneaky2: :rofl: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Marmalade Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 This thread title needed a warning! :eek: :eek: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted July 1, 2014 Author Share Posted July 1, 2014 Our visitor was at least 5ft long-- probably close to 6 ft-- DH watched it slither next to my BBQ smoker and it was longer than that (smoker is close to 5 ft long). I did not hear the baby barn swallows this morning-- but they were close to 'first flight' and there were several barn swallows swarming around the back patio this morning-- so I hope they were the babies and they survived the terror threat! I've lost at least 3 nests to this snake so far this season-- even so we are NOT lacking in the bird department (this was the 3rd clutch this year for these barn swallow parents!). It did take some time to get back to sleep-- and I was a bit creeped out watering the plants on the back deck this morning... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 Nope. *Crossing off Texas as a potential state to move to when dh retires* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyontheFarm Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 If my husband woke me up to see that, after I passed out on the floor, and got myself back up. I'd probably hurt the man. Geez, I'd not sleep for the rest of the night! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 I guess I am one of the few who likes snakes, although I might have a word with this fellow about eating all the baby birds. Lovely rat snake. :001_wub: We have one about the same size that lives,in our yard. He wanders into the store room when the door is open, and goes in and out of the garage in the evenings. He is big enough that the cat tried to chase him down several times, but the snake just ignored her and went on his way. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 I showed the picture to dd4 and told her it was in Texas, where we also live... She is currently fascinated by snakes and excitedly asked the following: "if she has ophidiophobia, do you think she will bring the snake to live here, in our yard?!" No dear. Not ever, ever. Of course, I am the mom who currently has neighbor's massive pet tarantula visiting our library because dd was sooooo excited to babysit the thing😠I find myself heading in frequently just to make sure the thing is still nestled safely in the terrarium! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted July 2, 2014 Author Share Posted July 2, 2014 My older dd's have bearded dragon lizards for pets-- so I'm very used to reptiles... I knew this guy was harmless to humans-- and he was BEAUTIFUL-- he tried his best to act like a rattle snake and then a cobra-- he even tried to play dead before giving up and slithering away. DH is the one who can't stand reptiles! I touched the knob and he jumped back 10 feet-- thinking I was actually going to open the door and let the fella in... I was just jiggling the handle so he would move a bit so I could get a better picture! We've lived here 12 years and have had only a handful of snake encounters-- all harmles types, although DH did see a coral snake leaving our property a few years ago. The majority of the snakes we've had in the past have been garter snakes-- oldest DD used to pick them up and play with them (and try to scare DH with them). We used to have a family of toads living on our back porch... we haven't seen a garter snake since the one that ate the last toad... they must have moved on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsBasil Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 That's a pretty cool picture, thanks for sharing. I showed my DS and now he wants to come and visit. Yesterday he wanted to trek to the Amazon to look for anacondas and fish for arapaima, so this is an improvement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewellsmommy Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 You got a nice picture of him! I much prefer a non-venomous snake to the flying (and non-flying) roaches that hang out on our back door at night. I swear there are like 4 different species chilling out in our back yard. The flying ones, the black rounder shiny ones (people call them water bugs), brown-banded ones, giant ones that run fast...it's like wild kingdom and I hate them all! Sorry, what were we talking about? :lol: I want a hungry snake that eats roaches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Laurie Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Now I'm scared because I live in TX. :scared: Please tell me you live out in the country somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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