Neither does Lt. Dan

The dreaded copper mouthed gonzo constrictor.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1558393117.jpg
We have a huge post oak in the middle of the yard at my property in central Texas. Whenever there is a mass hatching of the local cicada, the nymphs come out of ground at dusk, crawl up the side of the tree trunk to shed their exoskeletons, deploy their wings to fly off when they dry. A large number of copper heads also come out and grab as many bugs as they can off the side of the tree. We just sit on the screen porch and watch with the dull glow of the porch light illuminating the scene. Kind of cool.

I just took the second gopher snake out of my garage about half an hour ago. I noticed the first one on the door threshold over the weekend, picked it up and put it in the plants out back. I saw another yesterday, but it went under my work bench and I couldn't get it. Half an hour ago I went into the garage & it was on the floor behind my car, so I picked it up and put it in the plants behind the house also. However if gopher snakes get into the garage so easily, that means rattlers can to, so I'm determined to keep an eye out.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1558408015.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1558408048.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1558408106.jpg

The startle effect that gets me. Most often around here it's chipmunks that hide until I'm a couple of feet away then take off running, "scares" the crap out of me. Snakes do the same, except they let you step on them before they let their presence be known.

It doesn't help that I am a product of my mother's parenting technique, which was to keep me safe by training me to be afraid of everything so I would never do anything that could possibly be dangerous. Mushroom hunting is an early May sport here. It's almost as big as the first day of hunting season - everyone is in the woods looking for morels. Not me. Mom told me most mushrooms are poisonous so stay away from all of them. Hunting? Rabbits have "rabbit fever" don't eat a wild rabbit. Don't go in the water you will drown.
I didn't begin to learn to explore until I was grown and out of the house, and by then I had all these phobias to overcome. I didn't learn to swim until I was in my 20s and even now I won't jump into open water and I have a bizarre, irrational fear of boats.
The fact that I don't warm up to snakes is the least of my fears.
Oddly, I have no fear at all of bugs and spiders.

This one made my wife scream. Copper head. I left him alone and he ended up squished a bit later.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1558410214.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1558409881.jpg

Corey isn't feeling too well today

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1558410578.jpg

My wife screamed 2 days ago. Worse than when she broke a beer bottle and it cut her foot. Water bug. Basically, looks like a roach, but 3 inches long. :eek:

https://media.wnyc.org/i/800/0/c/85/1/cockroach.jpg

Another Black Tail Rattler. I think these are awesome snakes.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1559772916.jpg

Not in the house but........hadn't used our spare grill for a couple years and wanted to see if it still worked. I told my wife that there is probably a wasp nest or bumblebees living under the cover by now. Opened it up and this is what I saw. Pretty sure it's a Garter snake but it's the biggest Garter snake I've ever seen. I "broomed" it out to the woods.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1559908683.jpg

Beautiful snake, in someone else's yard or thoroughly separated from me (glass, distance, whatever).

Some phoebe birds had built a nest over the screen door on the porch.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1559915310.jpg

This guy was able to get enough grip on the 4X4, with the screen stapled to it on the inside, to climb up and snatch the chicks.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1559915310.jpg