[Henryk]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

Mrs Fox thanks you for your good wishes. She is recovering nicely, and reckons that another glass or two of red wine should do it.

And I thank you for the help with ID. It wasn't white inside the mouth, and didn't have a rattle, so we're happy that it was non-venomous.

It was definitely banded, not blotchy, and the brown and white colors were in rings right around the body, not just across the top half.

I have built a small pile of rotting wood in the back garden to attract insects, and it appears to have found a new home in that, which is fine.

No need to get a pet mongoose after all.

May I ask why you built a wood pile to ATTRACT insects? And what kind of insect, excepting perhaps termites, are you trying to attract?

[Sandtrap328]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

Mrs Fox thanks you for your good wishes. She is recovering nicely, and reckons that another glass or two of red wine should do it.

And I thank you for the help with ID. It wasn't white inside the mouth, and didn't have a rattle, so we're happy that it was non-venomous.

It was definitely banded, not blotchy, and the brown and white colors were in rings right around the body, not just across the top half.

I have built a small pile of rotting wood in the back garden to attract insects, and it appears to have found a new home in that, which is fine.

No need to get a pet mongoose after all.

Definitely sounds like a corn snake.

[Arctic Fox]

Originally Posted by Henryk

May I ask why you built a wood pile to ATTRACT insects? And what kind of insect, excepting perhaps termites, are you trying to attract?

Insects are of great benefit to the garden so building an "Insect Hotel" is a good idea if you don't mind having them around.

Since we never sit outside in the unscreened wilderness we are happy to encourage their presence.

And if any misbehave, we'll send the snake after them.


How to build an insect home- Eden Project, Cornwall

[Topspinmo]

Google ring neck snake? They are brownish cole and have ring around the neck. If so, about the most harmless snake you could come across. Usually they are small worm looking snakes. I don't know how big they get. Sometime when I out under the bushes trimming and getting the dead leave I pull one out the the leaves

[Arctic Fox]

Originally Posted by Topspinmo

Google ring neck snake? They are brownish cole and have ring around the neck.

Thanks, Topspinmo, but this chappie was alternating brown and white rings (about 0.25" wide) the whole length of his body.

Wish I'd taken a photo, but sedating Mrs Fox took precedence. Next time, however...

[mtdjed]

I have seen three kinds of poisonous snakes in the area. As previously stated the Cottonmouth, Pygmy rattle snake and Coral Snake.

[Nucky]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

Thanks, Topspinmo, but this chappie was alternating brown and white rings (about 0.25" wide) the whole length of his body.

Wish I'd taken a photo, but sedating Mrs Fox took precedence. Next time, however...

So we found Mrs Nucky's sister, your wife. Just the talk of the snakes and the anxiety level in a non anxious house goes from zero to sixty in a heartbeat.

[Arctic Fox]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

on her head????????????????

It was hiding in the top of the door-frame and dropped down when she opened the door :-)

[Henryk]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

Insects are of great benefit to the garden so building an "Insect Hotel" is a good idea if you don't mind having them around.

Since we never sit outside in the unscreened wilderness we are happy to encourage their presence.

And if any misbehave, we'll send the snake after them.


How to build an insect home- Eden Project, Cornwall

Thank you for the link. But I have to say, I think there are already plenty of places in my garden for the insects.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

It was hiding in the top of the door-frame and dropped down when she opened the door :-)

Holy Bowlegged Sarah.

Damn hateful of that snake if you ask me.

I can see why a snake got the villain role in the creation story.

[Arctic Fox]

Originally Posted by sukismom

Could have been a small rat snake what was the shape of the head?

Mrs Fox's or the rats?

[TimeForChange]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

Mrs Fox opened our outside lanai door today, our having been away for three months, and a small snake landed on her head.

We have been on the Florida Uni snake identification web site but came up blank, maybe because it was a young snake and didn't have adult markings?

Anyway, it was around 10" long, 0.25" across and had brown and white bands. It was quite slow moving once we finally got it out of the lanai, but was a feisty chappie in the process, rearing up and striking.

Any ideas?

You said brown and white bands....there are a lot of ribbon snakes or garner snakes in TV. I have seen several. You need a photo to identify. A copperhead or water moc are easy to identify.

[Henryk]

Here's an authoritative link with some very good photos.

List of Venomous Florida Snakes :: Florida Museum of Natural History

My view? If it has very distinctive markings, run like hell. If it doesn't, run like hell!

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by leftyf

Last night when we came out of the restaurant, my wife went to open her car door and a tree frog jumped up and hit her on the throat and stuck there. I saw her jumping and screaming but didn't know what was the matter. Frogs are her biggest fear. She came home and used alcohol on her neck to disinfect it. I just can't help it, that was funny. The frog was not injured.

Ha ha! Somebody left a stainless coffee or water mug on the cooler at Hibiscus pickleball courts last winter. We were the only four there, and for some stupid reason, I unscrewed the top to look inside. The tiniest frog ever jumped right out at me. I screamed, OH, THERE'S A FROG IN THERE!" The husband of the other couple spit his drink of water halfway across the court. I thought I was gonna wet my pants.

Had it been a tiny snake, I'd still be screaming.

[Arctic Fox]

Originally Posted by CFrance

...The tiniest frog ever jumped right out at me...

Never a dull moment in The Villages :-)