One of the downsides to your snake loving son spending the night out

My kids got out early today from school. I remembered this fact 2 minutes prior to needing to be there. I really do need to take some memory enhancing vitamins.

When we returned home, we found the dog barking hysterically at the bushes off our back porch. Upon further investigation, we found a rather large snake. Ahem. A rather large snake that was not shy in the least. A snake that crawled right up onto the porch while the inhabitants of said house tried to get the small children and fascinated, shedding dog into the house.

The problem here is not that we found a snake. The problem was that Cory was not here to perform his Crocodile Hunter impression. He would have looked at it and identified its genus and species right off and then would have proceeded in catching it bare handed and with a smile on his face.

I got a broom.

I looked at its head and recognized it as a non-venomous snake and made the decision to capture it so that my little Steve Irwin wannabe could see it when he got home.

So I pinned it’s head down gently with the broom, after it chased me, struck at me and faked me out by rattling the end of its tail in its best rattle snake impression (by that point I knew it was a rat snake, as that is what they do). After pinning it (gently) I grasped its head behind the jaws, and it COILED AROUND MY HAND.

Did I just hear lots of bloggy doors slamming shut and some icky girl screaming???? Get a grip, will you. I have not even gotten to the part where it PEED ON ME.

Following Chris’ advice to never ever be far from your camera, Cody snapped some shots.

Me with icky snake, as it coiled around my hand and squeezed a bit
Yeah, I caught it

It finally calmed down and relaxed a bit so I could stretch it out. Here is a shot right before it let loose its load of musty snake pee
She calmed down finally and was quite tame.

Very large snake I would rather not find on my back porch

We got it in a cage, and I went inside, washed my hands 4 or 5 times and then poured an entire bottle of rubbing alcohol on myself.

The 2 boys were so excited they were shaking. Mia decided that snakes are awesome dumb and that her mother is awesome gross for picking it up.

Getting the heebie jeebies

So, Smelly Snake sits outside, contemplating her bad choices.

She struck at me while I tried to catch her.

Caging it until Cory gets home

And I sit inside wondering how many snake friends she has crawling around my yard.

Or if she had babies. Gah!