Snakes

You know snakes are really interesting creatures.  Most of the snakes I've come across are either in science classrooms,  on belly dancers, in zoos or once I almost stepped on a huge green snake slithering across the back road I was walking down.

There are two snakes kept in fish tanks over in the science room at the school.  One is pale yellow and the other is a nice orange. 

The kids love the snakes and fight to feed the thawed mice to them. It is fun to watch them swallow their dinner whole and to see it slowly work its way through the digestive system.

A couple years ago, the orange one got loose and disappeared. The science teacher and maintenance guys took apart the room, looking for it. They looked in the bookcases, behind the heating vents, and every possible nook and cranny but they could not find the snake..

Two or three months later, in the middle of the night, while  the  security guard was on duty found the snake when he looked down and noticed he was about to step on the snake.  I'm told he let out a scream of surprise and promptly rousted the science teacher out of bed to come collect his missing pet.  The snake is still alive and doing well.

Years  ago,  when I was participating in a 20 miles walk-a-thon to raise money for a charity, I almost stepped on this huge green snake that was slithering across the road at around mile 4.  I was having a great time walking down the dirt road, checking out the flora and fauna, when I checked to see if I was still on the road.

Geez, my foot was about 2 inches from landing on the sucker!  I think I screamed and covered the next mile in less time than any other mile during the 6 hour walk. I think it took me till mile 6 for my heart to quit racing and for me to quit shaking. 

I didn't realize snakes could be that big.  Alaska does not have snakes up here at all but we have a plethora of mosquitoes.  I think its too cold for snakes to survive, even in the summer. The other state reputed to be without snakes is Hawaii but guess what?????  They do have one native snake the size of a worm.  Yeah a worm.  Its called the Island Blind Snake but there have been a few other types of snakes that people have brought in illegally. 

I don't mind snakes when I see them in captivity.  I've even held some and discovered they were warm and slithery, not cold and yucky.  In some cultures, snakes are held in high esteem but not in most of the places I've lived.

I hope to have the Softball fields and sod houses for you tomorrow but I'm having internet issues at home where I am writing it.

So what do you think of snakes?