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.