Do you like snakes? Or do you not like them and prefer to stay as far away from them as possible?
We’re talking about harmless, non-poisonous snakes, not rattlesnakes and others that can put a serious damper on your day by forcing a visit to a hospital or maybe even a permanent dispatch to the Great Hereafter.
When you’re hiking a pretty trail and spot a gopher snake or garter snake (pictured above) right alongside it, do you love to grab the little fellow and hold it for a few minutes? Or do you immediately take a wide step past the reptile and then calm yourself with a little meditation to keep ye ol’ heart from pounding out of ye ol’ chest?
So what is it? Love, fear or ?? Curious minds really do want to know.
No snakes ever. As a child snakes “milk aters” would chase me back to the house. Coil up by the steps to the house. My grandfather would eliminate them. See many of the darn things hunting, fishing and if on the road or lawn well life expectantly is short if driving a vehicle no mersy.
Snakes are one of two things that scare me the other being heights. Living in Australia you’re always on your toes except for to their poisionious.
Australia is a whole other world when it comes to poisonous and scary creatures.
Yeah, nope. No way. Every snake is loaded. Even if no poison they all have teeth.
Fun fact, no snakes in NZ. I grew up there, so hence my phobia. I may go back one day, and freedom from snakes will be one of the reasons…
I didn’t like them, then I was persuaded to touch a boa. Totally changed my mind. They are nice to touch, not the least bit scary.
There is only one kind of snake I won’t kill on sight, the Black snake because it will kill the poisonous snakes like the rattlesnake, copperhead, cottonmouth, etc., I almost stepped on a rattlesnake in Camp Pendleton, CA in 1962 during a field exercise. It was killed with blank ammunition by my Fire Team, don’t think blanks aren’t dangerous, the cardboard wadding in the end of the shell at close range is lethal.
Bob, you may be thinking of the King Snake, a beautiful snake btw. Black Rat snakes do not generally kill other snakes.
I’m not sure about the name all I know is if it’s black I don’t bother it!
There’s no such thing as poisonous or non-poisonous snakes. The word is venomous unless you are talking about snakes on your dinner plate.
We live in the country and because we don’t want to be overrun with rodents I encourage non-venomous snakes every chance I get. I have to say I haven’t seen a venomous snake on our property in Iowa, the same can’t be said for when we lived south of St. Louis in Missouri.
I’m always sad when I hear people say they kill snakes regardless. They are far more afraid of us than we should be of them, and they are quite beneficial.
In my younger days I would actually stop while driving down rural roads to pick up the large black snakes and move them off the road.
I avoid them. We have a few around and unlike neighbors, I let them live.
Snakes have teeth and I’ve been bitten handling one.Painfull Never again if possible.
The non-venomous snakes around our home work. They eat rodents that would destroy our house and vehicles. I have no desire to stop their work by handling them. Ditto those that we encounter while traveling in our RV.
I’m not terrified of them. I’m just not interested in them. I’m not picking up ANY snakes. I give them all wide berth because (except for the rattling noise) I’m not good at identifying them.
My husband turns into Indiana Jones…..
“SNAKES! I HATE SNAKES!!”
My hero.😆
Snakes are beautiful creatures. The King snakes around here do a great job of rodent control. I won’t seek them out but have no problem handling someone’s nonvenomous pet.
I am not a fan of snakes (Nope Ropes), but I will not hurt them. I have a garter snake in my garden. I appreciate when he shows himself so I know which area to weed last. I know he’s a helper.
I enjoy this short video about Nope Ropes.
https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-domaindev-st_emea&ei=UTF-8&hsimp=yhs-st_emea&hspart=domaindev&p=nope+rope&type=dhm_A0Q01_gn_bsf__alt__ddc_srch_searchpulse_net#id=1&vid=0ac0bd0d60d5e41df4e189db907aefa3&action=click
I realize the value of snakes in vermin control. They have their place. But do I want to handle them. Not at all. Let them slither away.
I have handled several non venomous snakes in captivity. I do not pick up ones in the wild. With most wild critters, enjoy looking at them, from a safe distance, and leave them be.
I do not want to touch, hold or be near them whether non poisonous or not.
They smell bad and I prefer not to have that stinking odor on my hands no more than I do a stinky dog.
I’d do it, but…… ew.
Snakes are not poisonous. Some are venomous. Mushrooms are not venomous but some are poisonous. At least use the correct adjective.