Lately, I have been spending quite a bit of time outside, trying to plant grass, moving downed trees, and doing the whole ‘yard’ thing. For the life of me, I really don’t understand why I am going through all this pain as it seems like I am trying to create work for myself… :) Anyway, as I have been working outside, I ran across a couple of critters that I wanted to blog about.
The Snake
One of the biggest ‘dangers’ of moving around old timber outside is the possibility of running across a snake or two. Personally, I like snakes… actually, you could almost call it a morbid fascination. Ever since I was a kid, I have been finding and catching snakes to keep as pets. Of course, the key to being fascinated w/ snakes is to respect them (and their speed) and also to be able to recognize the poisonous ones from the ‘fun’ ones. Poisonous snakes = dead snakes… the others make great pets for a couple days before you let them back into the wild.
So, as I was rooting around woods, I flipped up a log and found a baby snake. It was half buried under the log and I almost took it for a very large earthworm. After close inspection, I found the snake to be so young that I really can’t decide what kind of snake it is. I don’t see any distinguishing features (patterns, spade shaped head, ‘evil eyes’, etc) and my snake reference makes it to either be a harmless ground snake or a copperhead, lol. (Important thing to note: baby snake venom can be much more potent than the big ones… be very careful around these). Since I am unsure of its breed, the snake is going to be transported to a remote location. Of course, pictures have to be taken first. :)
The Toad
The second best yard critter is, of course, the frog. They come in all kinds of varieties, but nothing can be as fun as the backyard toad. The giant ones a great fun (except for their urination defense techniques), but even better are the younger ones. As I was working, I came across the smallest toad I have seen in a long time and I had to take some pictures.
Last but not least
The final yard critter is, of course, man’s best friend. They are slobbery and muddy but you could not ask for a more loving animal. When they are not driving me insane or completely ignoring what I am telling them to do, they are pretty fun… :)
Gotta love critters!