Snake invades shuffleboard game
 

Well this was a first! This snake decided to stop our shuffleboard game and slither across the courts:

https://youtu.be/oiFhfcWx5Jo

Black racer. Supposed to be the third fastest snake breed on the planet.

Sidewinder. 29 km /18 m per hour. ...
Black Mamba. 19 km /12 m per hour. ...
Southern Black Racer. 16 km /10 m per hour.

(safarisafricana dot com)

We were going to play at the Sawgrass putting course a few months ago and a large black bear came by and eyeballed us. Since we did not have a tee time, maybe he (or she) thought we were going to cut in front of him (or her).

We drove home.

Also, the black racer is the most important snake in Florida.
They eat rats and rodents, do not hurt them.

Somewhere I read a university down in Miami raises them and releases them in the wild.

Yeah, I heard that about the rodents. Every creature has its place and function (except mosquitoes...No earthly reason for them to exist).

My first contact with a Black Racer...I was walking on an MMP when I heard a commotion in the weeds next to me. A Black Racer came barreling out from below some low bushes, slammed on the brakes, looked up at me, reversed course and disappeared just as fast. Must have been chasing something. I didn't know what it was at the time (here only a few weeks) but did some reading. But it WAS quick. Never seen a snake move so fast.

Things move fast in Florida. We even saw a turtle run last week.

We were walking the trail around Hogeye Sink and saw a turtle trying to cross Marsh Bend Trail. I tried helping it up the curb. I finally got it over the curb and I tried helping it move away from the road and toward the pond. Once it could smell the water (I think), it started moving it's legs very energetically and I dropped it. Then I swear the turtle ran into the pond. I never saw a turtle move so fast.

That's one of the good snakes a Black Racer!

Just be cautious of snapping turtles. The adults can snap a broom handle in half.
Ask me how I know. :o

Yeah, I believe you. In general, I have always thought water turtles were more dangerous than land turtle.

Once, when i was young, I saved a snapping turtle that was trying to cross I-75 in Paynes Prairie, just south of Gainesville FL. It was small to medium sized, so I grabbed it from behind and threw it into the marsh. I remember it looked pretty funny sailing thru the air with all four legs extended.

We have one living under our air conditioner pad...

Freaks the wife out every once in a while...

You forgot to add ticks, especially the deer tick, to the list of creatures without any useful function and absolutely no earthly reason for them to exist.

Funny!!

Kudos to the shuffleboard players! It was very heartening to see that it was not summarily killed by those who may fear snakes. If they bother you, simply stand clear. They do serve a very useful purpose.

Possums are among the creatures that eat ticks, and bats are among those that eat mosquitoes.

Village jail time for someone😂