Snakes Alive!
I’m seeing more and more snakes around the yard and garden lately, and that’s okay with me. I’m not overly fearful of them for the most part, and have been an avid outdoor person since I could walk, so I’m well aware of which types are harmless and which should be avoided at all costs. Cottonmouths, rattlers, coral snakes and such are never nice to encounter, but a common garden snake is an indication that all is well in your local eco-system, as it’s probably doing a lot of good in the pest-control department.
I’m no herpetologist, but I’m guessing the fella pictured above is a speckled kingsnake. Usually I’ll spot them in the grass, (the traditional snake venue, right?) but yesterday afternoon Shelley noticed this one among the bricks, steadily making it’s way to a small breach in the mortar, where it slinked away to live within my walls or somewhere beneath the foundation I suppose. Lovely. Maybe he was just passing through, making a shortcut to the backyard, veggie garden and an abundance of prey. Or it may reside in a snake-condo within the bricks and mortar. The a/c is always set to “frigid” at my place, and the wi-fi is pretty dope, so I couldn’t blame him.
This one’s smaller than most I’ve seen this summer. We encounter a couple a few months ago trying to rob a cardinal’s nest of eggs, and both were close to four feet and not too keen on being poked at with a garden hoe. They are non-venomous, but I wouldn’t care to have one of the bigger ones take a nip at me. Just the same, if they keep mice and slugs and various bugs at bay, then I’m all for live and let live. Or live and let slither…
More on snakes: https://sciencing.com/difference-between-garter-garden-snake-8534124.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speckled_kingsnake
Heading for the crib to watch Sportscenter maybe?