Sunday, March 14, 2010

First Snake of Spring

That's right, folks... we have found our first snake of 2010! It was in the cellar... indoors, but not exactly in my house. Paul found it when he went down to change the furnace filter. He is on the handle of our softball bat.
It took us well over an hour to identify it, as it is a juvenile. We finally concluded that it is Eastern Yellow-Bellied Racer, also known as a Blue Racer. I identify many of my snakes using the Missouri Department of Conservation website. We are very relieved that this little guy is non-venomous! And, we are happy that he eats mice... though I would rather live in a house that is both mouse free and snake free! Living in an old farm house in MO is a homeschool mother's dream... sort of.

I had to take it outside for a better look. 

 Comparing it to the pictures on the computer.

I know what you are thinking, "look how calm she is." Well, what you don't see is my reaction to when the snake starts climbing up the glass. I know it is a tiny thing... and I had the jar covered... but still, I lost my ability to reason for a time. I went frantically through the house screaming, "Paul's it's moving. Help, he's moving." Paul made fun of me... but was really none to eager to take it from me. He somehow managed to get him into a large mason jar for better examination. (That jar had a real lid!)

There were no snakes harmed in the writing of this blog post. The snake was re-deposited back into the cellar (by Paul... I wanted him put out in the shed). He is likely just one of twenty babies hatches last fall... oh the joys of being a country homeschooling mom.

5 comments:

MamaHen said...

We live in a very old house also. So far we haven't had any snakes in the house (that I know of), but we have had them in our workshop, in the trees, and in the chicken coop. I don't even want to know what is going on UNDER the house in the crawlspace! You are a brave woman. I don't even try to identify. I just get the hoe and start swinging!

Anonymous said...

I agree with Mama Hen, I don't want to know what creatures might be lurkying in the crawlspace! We had carpenter ants last year, so far no snakes or mice/rats that we know of ;p

Mama in Uganda said...

You are too cute! I wish I could say I would remain as calm as your photos show, however, snakes in Uganda are the deadliest in the world. Praise the Lord that thus for we have not had any encounters with these deadly reptiles--which may soon change due to the area that we are moving too. The main reason we got a small indoor dog was for snake protection!

Ruby said...

Yep, we've lived in a few old houses with deadly snakes in residence but thankfully not where we are now. Old house, no snakes, often mice!
Bethany, snakes are my phobia. Even looking at you holding it makes my tummy spin! And Mama Hen, I could never get to swing a hoe, or the snake gun my hubby used to have, for I become paralyzed when I see one.

getting skinny said...

((Shudder))