The plans this week are going smoothly. So far the only interruptions have been the unexpected wildlife turning up. As we were finishing our planned outdoor cleaning Tuesday a doe ran through our yard. So I opened the drapes at the back door yesterday so I could easily see if she returned while I was doing some indoor cleaning. Instead of a doe, a snake showed up. I was sending hubby videos because he has been looking for a snake all spring. I'm sharing one of the videos below. When he got home about two hours later he found the snake climbing the oak tree. He started searching in the bushes and found another one. We assume they are mates.
After some research, hubby discovered they are called black rat snakes. Black rat snakes are constrictors so we don't have to worry about them; however, they will hibernate with the venomous copperheads which we suspect are in the area too. Black rat snakes are really pretty and aren't harmful to humans unless enticed. The bite doesn't seem to bother the brown thrashers that are pecking it in the video. Hubby was told that those birds nest on the ground so we believe the snakes may have gotten into the eggs.
For now, the snakes are safe but I have a feeling the neighbors will kill them when they are certain our backs are turned. If not them, it will be someone or something else I'm sure. Raccoon and skunks are natural predators of the black rat snake and we have both in our area. The snake's natural prey are also abundant in our back yard - rabbits and squirrels. So this is going to be interesting to see what survives in the end. "It's a jungle out there" goes beyond metaphorical meaning and has leaped - or slithered - into our yard this week. Just so you know, I have been looking for black bears for a couple of years too. The Cherokee National Forest is about three miles from our house so I'm sure that is a coming attraction. I must say that I'm kind of afraid to take the trash cans to and from the road now for fear of what may show up.
Have a nice day!
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