Arctic Bunny Posted April 23, 2023 Share Posted April 23, 2023 Once again, I don’t know what is wrong with you all…. But I am duly crossing places off the retirement list, as I take a moment to stop complaining about the snow. I assumed balout (?) was a typo - for what I’m not sure - and now I don’t know whether to look or not. Sigh. Is Maine warm enough for retirement? 1 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoeless Posted April 23, 2023 Share Posted April 23, 2023 12 hours ago, Terabith said: I think tarantulas are kinda cute if I'm expecting them, but I will admit to being disconcerted when I lived in Texas and it was tarantula migration season, and there'd be swarms of them everywhere. I also really, really don't like bumping into giant spiders when I don't expect them to be there. Philosophically, I'm fine with them, but there's a definite surprise factor that is disturbing. Scorpions horrify me. Wait. Stop. WHAT? You lived not that far from where I currently live. No one told me tarantulas were a possibility when I moved here. I am not philosophically fine with any of this. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoeless Posted April 23, 2023 Share Posted April 23, 2023 12 hours ago, ScoutTN said: Texas pretty much is a different country. I am a stranger in a strange land. 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted April 23, 2023 Share Posted April 23, 2023 7 hours ago, Arctic Bunny said: Once again, I don’t know what is wrong with you all…. But I am duly crossing places off the retirement list, as I take a moment to stop complaining about the snow. I assumed balout (?) was a typo - for what I’m not sure - and now I don’t know whether to look or not. Sigh. Is Maine warm enough for retirement? Think New Brunswick. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephanier.1765 Posted April 23, 2023 Share Posted April 23, 2023 I have taken a few pictures of lizards through the years in funny situations so when I saw this right outside the door I had to take it. LOL 1 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted April 23, 2023 Share Posted April 23, 2023 33 minutes ago, stephanier.1765 said: I have taken a few pictures of lizards through the years in funny situations so when I saw this right outside the door I had to take it. LOL Uh...they're making baby lizards.... 2 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephanier.1765 Posted April 23, 2023 Share Posted April 23, 2023 16 minutes ago, Dmmetler said: Uh...they're making baby lizards.... No, no....Mommy and Daddy are just play wrestling 🤣 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted April 23, 2023 Share Posted April 23, 2023 (edited) 19 hours ago, Innisfree said: I dunno, daughter of biology teacher here, but I’ve always found skinks inoffensive and quite attractive. The five-lined variety have beautiful blue tails when they’re young, We have a number of skinks in Florida but the five lined ones are the ones I see most often. I love the blue tails. They're so pretty. 18 hours ago, ScoutTN said: This! Palmetto bugs and fire ants are so, so icky! Not as bad as ticks, but still icky. I don't know what happened but it's been years since I've seen a palmetto bug (the flying kind). I mean years, like the 80s. We used to see them often and now we don't. Fire ants, like a lot of plant and animal species in Florida are non-native and invasive. 1 hour ago, stephanier.1765 said: I have taken a few pictures of lizards through the years in funny situations so when I saw this right outside the door I had to take it. LOL Sadly those look like the invasive Cuban anoles, making more invasive anoles. 😢 @Sneezyone that looks like a black racer to me. We see them often, especially in spring when they mate. We saw a mating pair when ds was young. He spotted them and shouted "Those snakes are hugging each other! That's so sweet" 🤣🤣 I would leave it be. Sure, it will eat eggs, but nature is brutal and every creature has to eat. Snakes keep rodent pests away. The only time I'd try to have a snake removed is if it was venomous. Edited April 23, 2023 by Lady Florida. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted April 23, 2023 Share Posted April 23, 2023 (edited) The white under chin, slight patterning, and egg eating all say black rat vs racer to me. Racers are a little less girthy, tend to be more solid, and usually don't go for something as big as a duck egg. Black rats are also known as chicken snakes for a reason. They'll keep rats out of your coop, but you'll pay an egg tax. They're also big enough that chickens can't kill an adult like they can smaller snakes. (I'm not sure if ducks can kill snakes are all. Bills are less pointy than beqks...) The easiest way to tell them apart-if you step towards it and it's gone, it's a racer. If it stays around, it's a rat snake. Racers are also the only non-venomous snake that L's herp mentors recommend gloves to handle. They tend to be bitey. The most urban snake we ever found was not one but two separate black racers, on I-Drive in Orlando, right by Sea World. Edited April 23, 2023 by Dmmetler 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arctic Bunny Posted April 23, 2023 Share Posted April 23, 2023 5 hours ago, MEmama said: Think New Brunswick. 🙂 Sigh… “Honey, we’re retiring to New Brunswick!” Doesn't have the ring I’m looking for…. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted April 23, 2023 Share Posted April 23, 2023 In a hurry so didn't read replies - if snake is already gone ignore this, lol. 1. A stream of water from the hose turned on them will usually get them to vamoose, and you can stay far away. 2. If that doesn't work, there is a facebook group that is just volunteers who will relocate snakes, even venomous ones. No charge. https://www.facebook.com/groups/FreeSnakeRemovalDirectory 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted April 23, 2023 Share Posted April 23, 2023 (edited) 2 hours ago, Dmmetler said: The white under chin, slight patterning, and egg eating all say black rat vs racer to me. Racers are a little less girthy, tend to be more solid, and usually don't go for something as big as a duck egg. Black rats are also known as chicken snakes for a reason. They'll keep rats out of your coop, but you'll pay an egg tax. They're also big enough that chickens can't kill an adult like they can smaller snakes. (I'm not sure if ducks can kill snakes are all. Bills are less pointy than beqks...) The easiest way to tell them apart-if you step towards it and it's gone, it's a racer. If it stays around, it's a rat snake. Racers are also the only non-venomous snake that L's herp mentors recommend gloves to handle. They tend to be bitey. The most urban snake we ever found was not one but two separate black racers, on I-Drive in Orlando, right by Sea World. They definitely are bitey. My dad would catch them in the yard while doing yard work, (catch them to move them so they don't get mowed) and would let us kids hold them. He'd say, "don't worry, they don't bite!" Then they would bite us. Then he would say, "well...not hard....". It's amazing we still trusted him, because that conversation happened a lot, lol. DS caught one last week in our yard while mowing. Got a few nips. But yeah, they are FAST and hard to catch if not up against a wall. We had one at our front door last year - our dryer vent is on the wall of the garage right by our front door do he was hanging out enjoying the heat on a cool day. My parents were coming over to see our house for the first time and I walked right by it to greet them at the car, and we only saw it as we were walking back up to the house. I just shooed it away. Edited April 23, 2023 by ktgrok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted April 23, 2023 Share Posted April 23, 2023 Also agree it looks too chonky to be a a racer, and seems to have slight patterning, although maybe that's just light reflection? Also agree that if it's a racer it will race off. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneezyone Posted April 23, 2023 Author Share Posted April 23, 2023 2 hours ago, ktgrok said: Also agree it looks too chonky to be a a racer, and seems to have slight patterning, although maybe that's just light reflection? Also agree that if it's a racer it will race off. This snake wasn’t in any hurry but I might try the water next time. It left already but the local herp society said it was a rat snake and I should let it go on its way (which I did). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted April 23, 2023 Share Posted April 23, 2023 Wait--is this true? (Couldn't include the photo for obvious reasons *shudder*) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted April 23, 2023 Share Posted April 23, 2023 3 minutes ago, MEmama said: Wait--is this true? (Couldn't include the photo for obvious reasons *shudder*) It is! 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneezyone Posted April 23, 2023 Author Share Posted April 23, 2023 Also, I learned you’re supposed to have a permit to relocate any snakes in VA, even helpful/friendly ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolate-chip chooky Posted April 23, 2023 Share Posted April 23, 2023 19 hours ago, YaelAldrich said: It's very nice here. Been to Sydney last week. Was supposed to go to Melbourne in a week and then Canberra but my mom just started hospice care so I'm heading back to the US without the rest of the family next Sunday. I have to ask my husband; I think he is going to Brisbane after we go back to the US. I'm so sorry to hear about your Mum. Thinking of you all. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyoffive Posted April 24, 2023 Share Posted April 24, 2023 On 4/22/2023 at 8:30 PM, YaelAldrich said: It's very nice here. Been to Sydney last week. Was supposed to go to Melbourne in a week and then Canberra but my mom just started hospice care so I'm heading back to the US without the rest of the family next Sunday. I have to ask my husband; I think he is going to Brisbane after we go back to the US. I am so sorry about your mom. Sending some prayers your mom and some hugs to you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom_to3 Posted April 24, 2023 Share Posted April 24, 2023 Shouldn't have started this thread right before (trying to) head to bed lol. Minnesota or Wisconsin sounds good right now. (I should also say that I love to hear your stories!). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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