Unfortunately, snake phobia is really really common. With a lot of people it just seems to be built-in and they can't help it, or can't easily help it. I can understand that for most of our evolutionary history, there would have been no advantage to seeing snakes as our cute scaly friends, and a lot of people are also deeply imprinted with the adult reactions that they saw when they were little. If someone's really phobic, it's not something they can just "change their minds" about. Just so long as you don't use your fear as a rationale for killing snakes out of hand, which is an awful thing to do and almost never justifiable (especially when you don't *know* if the snake is even dangerous.) My guess is that most people who indiscriminately kill snakes are not actually phobic, but just have some twisted idea that it's a good thing to do or that it makes them bad-ass or something.

Wayne...up to now the wisdom from my other pals was it's a Juvenile Rat snake...it does look more like a racer....interesting...I saw an adult in the same area last fall....and man...she was BOOKING....I had my camera with me and I couldn;t even get a pic....and just like that she dissappeared....couldn't find her anywhere...looked by every small shrub etc... hbwright...I started using the lasagna method with newspapers...in this case, I had some cardboard, and I weighted it down, but never got to mulching it, as it was in an area thats a Work In Process......perhaps some discreetely laid cardboard would attract some vole eating machines....I've had adult racers and corn snakes as well...but I'm yet to see the dreaded "lasagna snake"!!!

Ok - Here is how I recieved my first snake bit (for those curious) I knew it was going to happen (even before I stuck my hand in the aquarium). A friend of mine ran a apartment complex in Georgia. He had found a Red Tail Boa in a apartment that had escaped, and the owner had been evicted. He took it home, put it in a 10 gallon aquarium, the snake was a good 5' or more. He had crammed the tank full of towels, and put in a hot rock, and had a 150W light bulb shining in the poor snakes face 24 hours a day (for warmth he said) He added a coffee cup of water for the snake to drink out of - and of course - the snake had tipped it over. David, while his intentions were good - he was afraid of the snake. He had not fed it, and it was "not happy" I knew that I was going to get nailed before I even put my hand in the tank to remove the wet towels, and clean up the water. The snake did exactly what I expected him to do. He struck me, and wrapped my arm very quickly. I stood there (my daughter watching) with a snake stuck to my arm. I gently pryed his mouth from my arm - and after cleaning the cage, returned him to it. I made sure not to even cringe - as I did not want my daughter to develop a fear of snakes! I never made a sound, and I think my calmness helped both me, the snake, and my daughter. I told Richard and his elderly mother that the snake needed to be with someone familiar with handeling snakes (I had grown up with boa's because my brother had one when I was a little girl) They sold me the snake, I put it on a plane to Texas, took it to my brother - who then placed it with a person who handles boa's and takes them to schools as a part of a teaching program. I have a fondness of snakes, and would hate to kill it unless it poses a danger to our lives. My snake bite was expected, thankfully I do not meet any of the "reasons that people get snake bitten" - but thanks for posting - because I think you are exactly correct. Most (but not all) snake bites are due to stupidity - many of the others are probably just due to being in the wrong place at the wrong time. We almost stepped on that poor snake in my images before we noticed it. Its only defense would have been to strike - this would have just been - being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Thank goodness for all of us - our situation ended up ok. I will just have to keep a closer eye out before I go treading through my garden. RT

I like those under cover shots they really capture the moment. p.s. how do you keep your shoes so white. just kiddin