So many people have a terror of snakes, any snakes. However, each year many more snakes are killed by humans than humans by snakes. There are precautions you can take, such as wearing sturdy boots while walking through tall grass, treading heavily, and being alert. Snakes do not have ears, but sense movement by "feel". Therefore, if you walk heavily they know you are coming and flee. Snakes' diets are mainly rodents. No snakes equals a rise in the rodent population. Welcome to our house, mousy! We killed that nasty black snake that ate your cousin Ralph. The vast majority of snakes are non-venomous, and those that are often "dry bite" meaning they do not inject venom when biting. Building up venom takes time and effort, and there is no reason to waste it on a rat. Snakes are not slimy, but are dry and oh, so muscular. You can tell I respect and even like snakes. They are useful, quiet, and rather pretty.
My daughter raises reptiles, have I ever told you that? I used to have a large 6 foot boa as a pet when the kids were younger so all the kids were raised with snakes because I love them. Now Paige is raising her kids around reptiles too. I couldn't be more proud!!
As Indiana Jones always said - I hate snakes... Jokes aside, snakes in my corner of the world aren't the type you can play around with. They are extremely poisonous, and any type of interaction with them always results in a tragedy, (not exaggerating)... It's not a fear, nor a phobia - Had it been the case, I would have run as far away from them as possible. But instead, I kill them. Or else they will kill someone. Now to speak in the defense of snakes - Lots of medicines (specially anti venom) can't be manufactured without the help of snakes. And yes, they are nature's way of rodent control also. But this just reminded me of a case in my area, in the early 90s... A family was living on the top floor of an apartment building, (assuming that they would be safe from snakes and other ground level creatures) - However one day a snake entered their home through the window, and bit their child. The kid survived, but only because they were able to reach the hospital in time. When it was investigated how a snake managed to get that high up in an apartment building? It was discovered that there was a whistling kite hawk's nest on the roof - So it was that big bird which caught that snake, (as food for his hatchlings in the nest). But the snake escaped.
No Ronni, just NO! snakes never think of you as their friend you are only dinner. never would i have a snake as a pet or drape one around my neck or my childrens' necks.. We don't have poisonous snakes here so I don't jump in fear when I run across one in the garden and I do try to keep them from getting harmed since they eat mice and other rodents, but never are they "pets" in my mind.
This is actually open to debate. As a lot of people say that the reptilian brain isn't capable of compassion, loyalty, or any other type of emotional bonding. So they don't make good pets at all. But those who have kept them as pets will tell us otherwise... In response to which, we will say that they are only fooling themselves into thinking that there is some 2 way flow of affection. While in actuality, there never will be any from the reptile. And so this is how the debate will continue to go around endlessly... However this philosophical stalemate in my mind ended, when I read about a female snake in Indonesia which would have easily escaped a forest fire - But didn't, and instead was burned alive. As she did not abandon her unhatched eggs. So clearly, some type of emotions do also exist in the reptilian brain too...
A popular fun story from the internet: There once was a woman who had a pet snake that she loved very much. The snake was about 7 feet long and one day it just stopped eating. After several weeks of trying everything she could to get the snake to eat, the woman took it to the vet. The woman explained the situation to the vet and he asked her, “Has your snake been sleeping with you at night or snuggling really close and stretching himself out?” The woman replied, “Yes he’s been doing it everyday and it makes me so sad that I can’t help him feel better.” The vet says “Ma’am your snake is not sick, he has been preparing to eat you. He’s been sizing you up everyday so he knows how big he has to be, and not eating so he has enough room to digest you.
Our youngest daughter always has a reptile or two in a tank in her room and at work she is in charge of reptiles and loves it. Jane if you ever disturb some leaves and see a long very skinny flesh colored snake slither away, it is most likely a Texas Blind (that should have been blind not bling )Snake and totally harmless. they like the meals they get from under leaf litter. I have at least one in our front yard.
I do not fear snakes but I have a healthy respect for a cotton mouth ! They are not even nice snakes and will get you if you P them off !
Just sharing something of interest, regarding folklore about snakes. My country is mostly Muslim majority. While India next door is Hindu majority. So in the Hindu religion, snake is actually worshipped as a God. They also worship the cow, as well as rats, and some stone sculptures of phallic symbols constantly. But that's not relevant to mention here in this thread... Now a little over a thousand years ago the territory which today makes up my country was mostly Buddhist and Hindu majority - However that all changed when Arab Army marched in here from the Middle East. And from Central Asia (through what is now Afghanistan), most Islamic conquering forces came and settled here. Changing the demographics forever. Now as I had said so above, snake is actually worshipped as a God in the Hindu religion. So they do their best not to kill any snake. They fear a poisonous snake just as much as any other person would. But they try not to kill them. Now in my country, no such worshipping is practiced. But some folklore before this region became Islamic still exists... This includes: Don't kill a snake which has entered your home. So instead try offering it some milk. As the snake has only come to bless you, your house, and your family - Many in India die due to poisonous snake bites each year believing in this myth... A female snake (often a female king cobra) which has crossed the age of a hundred years - Can now take up human form, usually that of a highly seductive woman. So all men beware, as such women are actually snakes who are now enjoying life as humans. Therefore don't trust them, as they are only going to steal all your wealth. And in the end when you will have nothing. She will only give you a fatal bite, then walk away, mockingly saying thanks. When you kill a snake, either in your own self-defense or accidentally. You crush it's eyes, then bury it quickly. As the image of whatever the snake saw last, (before it's death), will be burned into it's eyes - So if that snake's mate saw your image, then she will now hunt you down to the ends of the Earth! Usually this is the type of a female snake which will (burning with rage and revenge) cross the age of a hundred years. So once she is capable of taking human form - She will now come after your entire bloodline. And will first systematically ruin the lives of everyone (financially) as a highly seductive woman. Then personally kill each and every one of your children and grandchildren... Such are some of the myths and old wives tales anyhow... To me it's nothing but hogwash. But since we are talking about snakes in this thread, I might as well mention it for the record. Editing this post to share a video clip from an old and cheesey Indian movie from the 80s. I think the story line was, that this boy's father or grandfather once killed a snake. So it's mate waited until she too became 100 years old, and was able to take human form. Now as a highly seductive woman when she was about to have her revenge - She realizes that the boy is actually very nice. She also starts to experience human emotions and pleasures. Therefore she ends up marrying the boy. But now her old snake tribe says that she has broken the code of all snakes. So now every snake in the world turns against this couple - Forcing her to keep turning back into a snake, to now defend her human husband. Her husband of course (as usual) is such an idiot, that I think he never figures out that his wife is actually a snake. Some Indian movies are so... Thank God I am Pakistani, where we just kill all poisonous snakes which cross our path.
See this cobra in India, which somehow got trapped inside the ATM cubicle of a bank. This also is another myth in India and the Far East - That snakes are actually the best guardians of wealth. So any wonder why it went straight into the ATM?
Mart, I agree about avoiding cottonmouths--they are not the nicest snake. We are always very careful when walking or mowing around the pond since they are basically a water-based snake. Tooty, if you want to move, come to Texas! We would appreciate you and your gardening knowledge, and try to keep the snakes from invading your privacy.
In my part of the world, it's actually not too uncommon for scoundrels to toss poisonous snakes into your house. In the hope to cause some loss of life... When I was 7 years old, some people who had a property dispute with my father tried this. They knew that my family had a little boy (me) who was very fond of playing in the garden. So one day they tossed a pair of cobras over the wall, in the hope that I would get bitten. As I mentioned above, such dirty tactics aren't uncommon over here. Because if such an evil plan succeeds, it is almost impossible to point the finger at the real culprits. As everything can be explained to be an unfortunate accidental encounter with a wild and highly poisonous creature... Anyhow, I don't remember seeing the snakes, (as the grass was tall). But I very clearly remember their distinct hissing sounds. Which they make just before they attack - Lucky for me, our pet Dog sensed something and immediately dragged me to safety. She herself wasn't fully grown, (was just an 11 month old Golden Retriever puppy) - But that day she proved her loyalty to everyone. So I don't consider her a pet, but still think of her as a sibling I grew up with, (and had the most amazing times with later)... It's always the snake charmers who indulge in such evil activity for money. The type Western tourists are always fascinated by, (and so can't stop taking their pictures). At first glance they will look like perpetually poverty ridden guys who are only trying to make a decent living with their craft. But make no mistake, for they are the very same people who will stealthy introduce highly poisonous snakes into your environment, (in exchange for money from your enemies). But later when you complain about repeatedly coming across snake infestations in or around your home - These very same snake charmers will step forward and remove all the snakes from your property, (and become heros for the day). Same snakes they themselves had introduced during the night. In exchange for money of course, from the people who wish you harm... Anyway, long story short - After that incident I become a little fearful of snakes. Until my mother decided, that the only way for me to overcome this phobia, is if I knew how to kill snakes on my own. So that's what I was taught in my childhood. Learn to recognize a poisonous snake from a harmless one, (however I have never in my entire life ever come across a snake which wasn't poisonous). And kill it swiftly, before it gets a chance to hurt anyone else in your home...
yikes! the only snake we have that is venomous in Wisconsin is the Rattle snake. So glad people here can't throw poisonous snakes in our yards to get even. How scarry and sad that anyone would do that.
