Why, yes, I do live in Florida.
When I went to leave the house yesterday, I passed through the kitchen. And what did I see on the kitchen counter but....drumroll please....a little snake, about the size of a pencil. Now, I'm not one of those people who has reptiles in terrariums around the house. With very few exceptions (who all belonged to someone else!), I've never picked up a snake on purpose. They're nice enough when they belong to someone else, and their skin feels smooth, but there was no reason for one to be on my kitchen counter!
I'm not sure what was the most striking part...
There's a SNAKE on my kitchen counter.
There's a snake on MY kitchen counter.
There's a snake on my KITCHEN COUNTER!
So, what did I do, you ask? Well, I tried to take a picture. I'm still learning all the features on my camera phone, so that was less than graceful, and by the time I got the function turned on, it had slithered out of sight. Now there's a snake on my kitchen counter and I can't see it. And I'm only sort of sure what it looked like--except the distinct LACK of a rattle--good enough to make me happy. Not a copperhead, cottonmouth, coral or rattlesnake--I'm pretty much okay with letting live as long as this is not a common occurrence.
I'm one of those people who would really rather just not know, as long as I don't see it and it stays out of my bed, so I just went ahead and left the house. Perhaps I scared it enough that it found its way out, and will never come back!
I called all my reptile interested friends, and the conclusion was that it was probably a baby rat snake. The messages were at least fairly amusing, apparently, and I must have sounded much more on the 'amused' and not so much 'horrified' because no-one called back to see if I was panicking. If it shows up again, I'm going to put a bowl over it and and let one of THEM come and fetch it. :P
Why, yes...I do live in Florida.
I'm not sure what was the most striking part...
There's a SNAKE on my kitchen counter.
There's a snake on MY kitchen counter.
There's a snake on my KITCHEN COUNTER!
So, what did I do, you ask? Well, I tried to take a picture. I'm still learning all the features on my camera phone, so that was less than graceful, and by the time I got the function turned on, it had slithered out of sight. Now there's a snake on my kitchen counter and I can't see it. And I'm only sort of sure what it looked like--except the distinct LACK of a rattle--good enough to make me happy. Not a copperhead, cottonmouth, coral or rattlesnake--I'm pretty much okay with letting live as long as this is not a common occurrence.
I'm one of those people who would really rather just not know, as long as I don't see it and it stays out of my bed, so I just went ahead and left the house. Perhaps I scared it enough that it found its way out, and will never come back!
I called all my reptile interested friends, and the conclusion was that it was probably a baby rat snake. The messages were at least fairly amusing, apparently, and I must have sounded much more on the 'amused' and not so much 'horrified' because no-one called back to see if I was panicking. If it shows up again, I'm going to put a bowl over it and and let one of THEM come and fetch it. :P
Why, yes...I do live in Florida.