A Visitor at the Front Door
I'm playing Scrabble Cubes on line when I see Judy's PT Cruiser pull up. When she knocks at the door I hurry to open it and in she comes. As I proceed to close the door, I see, as you can see, too, a beautiful serpent.Hmmm. I must say up front that I really LIKE snakes. I think they are handsome and fascinating, so my first thought is to run for the camera. I return, camera in hand, and open the door. Judy keeps Roxy from first hand investigation while I "snap" digital pictures. I keep trying to get a side view of his head, to look for the telltale horizontal yellow stripe from his eye to the back of his head. He obliges me by opening his cotton mouth. Oh, yes, this is a young water moccasin, otherwise known as a cottonmouth.
This is the third venomous snake we have had within 15 feet of an entrance to our house, in less than 9 months time. One, a good-sized pygmy rattler, struck within inches of my hand as I was weeding in our mulched garden last fall! The other was a yearling moccasin, right off the "bridge" that connects the screened porch to the studio.
I'd been contemplating getting into the garden to restyle it. This little visitor will give me pause.
I found my snake tongs in the garage, picked up the unwelcome serpent, and moved him down to the end of the driveway. Okay, it's not the best choice, but I don't have a good container to move him in, and I didn't feel like parading around the neighborhood in with a venomous serpent! The Captain's comment was "Put the house back on the market!" He is not as fond of the scaly creatures as I am!
Here is a close up shot. C'est belle, n'est-ce pas?
4 comments:
Absolutely! He is gorgeous! We had an albino North American Corn Snake named George (that had the same colors, but NOT the same pattern as this snake) for many years and belonged to the Bay Area Amphibian and Reptile society. We wanted a temperate climate, nonpoisonous snake and George was great. We also got to handle a lot of boas, but I didn't want to own one. They get BIG and they need a Very Warm enclosure. I have to admit that venomous snakes freak me out just a little, but I do know people who have owned them.
I have loved snakes since I was a kid and my brother had many! He used to take them into bed - my mother is a saint! I used to bring little ones home in my pockets. But, honestly, as much as I admire them, the venomous ones do scare me. Particularly when they are in my garden!!!
The part I love the most is that he has come to your front door "calling". What a gracious little snake. I think he wants to be friends! Though, maybe he's thinking of buying your house for himself and his other poisonous pals. There's something beseeching about his body language in the photo!
Yes, he's beseeching a bite out of any curious feline who inadvisedly escapes! Beautiful as he is, I don't fool myself into a belief that he is benign!!!!
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