Black Snake
On Sunday afternoon I was looking over the young windbreak of cedar trees we planted a few years ago north of our house. It was a warm humid day, the warmest we’ve had so far this spring, about 70 degrees.
As I made my way between the trees I came upon this:
I screamed. I always scream when I see a snake.
But then I realized, “Oh, it’s just you.”
This is Mrs. Blacksnake.
She’s been living around our place for years.
Black snakes can be found all over the eastern and central U.S and up into Ontario. They can get pretty big and are known as the largest snake in Canada. The record length is about eight feet long.
The Mrs. is about six feet long. We don’t see her very often, maybe once in a 12-month, but we see her shedded snakeskin, and more often see her kids. Earlier in the day I had cleaned out one of my flowerbeds and surprised two baby black snakes hidden among the plants. I had left them there.
Blacksnakes are good mousers so we don’t mind the Mrs. hanging around.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
Hmmm..I have never been able to get past the “slithering on the ground” thing that snakes do. I know black snakes are very helpful, but I would say the the Mrs. had better stay away from my blower beds! 🙂
The slithering thing gets me too…creepy!
I jump when I see one but as long as the eyes are round and not slitted I can breath a sigh of relief and go about my business. Of course my hubby would NOT be that tolerant. Hence the bizarre shooting incident INSIDE my house when under a remodel. My daughter had come home from school and opened the cabinet to get a glass and two black snakes were curled up together amongst the glasses. She screamed, her Dad ended up with a 22 trying to shoot them. As they were trying to make their escape my hubby whipped out his pliers to try and grab one by the tail. It was too strong for him as it went down the hole in the floor it had come in by. He was amazed at their strength! I was amazed that he got the mess cleaned up for the most part by the time I got home from work! We had a couple of bullet holes in the wall though to remember the loving twosome by.
Awww….and they were having such a nice date there in your cabinet. My brother shot one in his bedroom once with a .22 Not sure if any bullet holes remain from that escapade though…
Glad to hear that you allow them to live cooperatively with you.
There is a snake that looks black here in Texas (I forget the name) that is illegal to kill as they can and do eat rattlesnakes. (They are immune to the rattlesnake venom).
Not a fan of any snake!!!
I am not afraid of snakes at all but they are creepy. I definitely would never want one in the cupboard with the glasses! I would shoot it too. EWWWWWWWW!!!!!
Ugh to snakes = The. One. Thing. that makes me get all weird, squeal, jump around while repeatedly saying “YUCK YUCK YUCK” (really with the Y and not an F) and act like a scaredy cat. Yet I have held boa constrictors and they feel amazing. I think it is the unexpected sight that makes me go all YUCKY! Have found three in my washer over the years, one cooked in the dryer 🙁 and several in my computer room at the same time I discovered that the wall behind the chimney was rotten and letting in creatures of several types. Darn right that hole is now fixed! But I still fear finding another snake in my house. ICK
I do not like snakes.. they scare the bee-gee-bees outta me.