Snakes...
...I love snakes. I think they are really cool, extremely pretty and also do a good job eating bugs and other pests. =-)
What brings this up you ask? As I was about to enter my apartment I saw this big guy sitting near the door stoop. My initial reaction was hesitation (and a gasp), especially since you see a snake, you are unsure if they are poisonous or not.
After the initial gasp, I took a closer look at him and realized I had caught a similar snake like that when I was taking my zoology classes back at SFCC. We had to bring in a snake and a frog to show the class, then we released them where we originally caught them at.
He is a Bluestripe Garter Snake. What I find so cool about garter snakes is that a lot of them give live birth instead of laying eggs. Also this particular species of snake is not very common in Gainesville (from what I remember reading in the Florida Wildlife books and what my professor told me). They typically live in the panhandle, though are known to be found in the central peninsular part near canals and such. My apartment is near neither of those.
The pictures do not do justice to how gorgeous this snake is. You can see how blue they really are when you are close up to one.
After we looked at each other he went his merry way to under a bush and I went inside to escape the heat. I am just very glad I am informed when it comes to animals like him. I wish more people were. I have seen too many snakes beheaded because they are a snake, and nothing else.
Oh and if you ever come across a snake you should go here for all snakes and here for venomous snakes, to try and identify them. The site is good for adults as well as children.
What brings this up you ask? As I was about to enter my apartment I saw this big guy sitting near the door stoop. My initial reaction was hesitation (and a gasp), especially since you see a snake, you are unsure if they are poisonous or not.
After the initial gasp, I took a closer look at him and realized I had caught a similar snake like that when I was taking my zoology classes back at SFCC. We had to bring in a snake and a frog to show the class, then we released them where we originally caught them at.
He is a Bluestripe Garter Snake. What I find so cool about garter snakes is that a lot of them give live birth instead of laying eggs. Also this particular species of snake is not very common in Gainesville (from what I remember reading in the Florida Wildlife books and what my professor told me). They typically live in the panhandle, though are known to be found in the central peninsular part near canals and such. My apartment is near neither of those.
The pictures do not do justice to how gorgeous this snake is. You can see how blue they really are when you are close up to one.
After we looked at each other he went his merry way to under a bush and I went inside to escape the heat. I am just very glad I am informed when it comes to animals like him. I wish more people were. I have seen too many snakes beheaded because they are a snake, and nothing else.
Oh and if you ever come across a snake you should go here for all snakes and here for venomous snakes, to try and identify them. The site is good for adults as well as children.