Atta Girl.
You did well.
believe it or not I have been around some pretty large snakes, either Red tails, Burmese( which scare the life out of me) Retics( same fear both are just too big and dangerous to have as pets)
To this day if I come upon one out side I will still jump out of my skin. Its called the Startle Factor.
Every one has this factor and some have it so deeply ingrained that it turns into a phobia.
I totally understand some peoples fear of snakes. I am the same way with frogs.
While I wont kill a frog I will in fact go running screaming like a little girl. I will find someone to remove it from my vacinity. ewww they just creep me out so bad.
Silly fear, yep it certainly is.
To everyone with a healthy fear of snakes, I can suggest looking up on line, at the library, with your county extension which snakes are native and which are potentially venomous and get to recognise which is which.
The reason I ask this of people is, too many harmless snakes are mistaken for a look alike venomous variety.
good example.
Up here in NH we have water snakes, now for I dont know how many years they have been mistaken for Cotton Mouth, Water Moccosins, They are marked similar but if you turn them over and look at the belly the markings are wrong color, not only that the common water snake here is much duller in its top line appearence.
I wish the picture of the one that was visiting my water pond hadnt gone up in the fire,( computer melted).
I called Fish and Game and took a picture for ID purposes and they said a common water snake, sent a Biologist out to measure , weigh, and check its general health.
The Biologist proclaimed it the healthiest snake he had seen ,asked if I minded keeping an eye for it as Water Snakes in our part of the state have become a rare find. and to find one so healthy was a good sign they may make a come back.
People killed them wantenly because of the Moccosin appearence.
It was a huge old snake I was thrilled to have it around, no mice !
I evevn went so far as to ask hubby to put Shiners in the water pond so the snake would feel free to stick around.
every year we see off spring from this or another snake.
Sorry didnt mean to hijack nor ramble but I truely love snakes and would love it if everyone got to understand their benifit rather than kill first and whine about mice later.
Thank You.