I often see them on the road and capture them (as long as they're not poisonous) keep them a day or two as a pet, and put them either in my basement or in the crawl space under the house so they can help me keep the mice under control.
I think snakes are very cool but I can't say a catch them and bring them home! You are an odd duck, Alan! We have tons of snakes out here, including a lot of Western Diamondback's, which are VERY cool and a little scary. I've had a few on my propert and one in the garage. I always truy and relocate them if I can as we have two dogs. The dogs are snake trained to avoid, but you never know and ant-venom is $$$$ at the vet if they are bit.
I used to catch poisonous snakes when I was a kid. The usual copper heads water moccasins/ cottonmouths were the target of choice in SE Texas. We'd also catch tons of garter snakes.
I kept snakes as a kid. At one point I had 3 terrariums- One with a pair of garter snakes, one with a northern water-snake (a non-poisonous but VERY aggressive snake--I got bitten more than a few times), and a final one with a ball python.
Drove my parents nuts. ;)
Ran into this bad boy in the road a few years ago...
I'm fine with snakes, had a few pet ones growing up but not any fancy ones. But I don't think I'd be good with picking up that bad boy you saw Bryan!
Quote from: Bryancd on June 15, 2009, 04:25:53 PM
Ran into this bad boy in the road a few years ago...
He's so cute! I'd love one like that! I'd name him George ...
snakes make my scales crawl.
I've had a couple venomous snakes but I always end up letting them go. They are clever and find ways out of their tank. And I can't sleep until they've been found.
And I like a pet I can touch with my hands, not just with tongs.
I have no fear of snakes. Though I was almost bit by a rattlesnake that swam into the beach we were at. I was about 8 I think. A good friend of mines father smashed it's head in with a rock so we were saved. He kept the rattler.
This is all so alien to me. I think we have grass snakes and Adders over here but I've never seen one except in a zoo.
Exotic tales of foreign countries...
Quote from: Feathers on June 17, 2009, 03:25:53 PM
This is all so alien to me. I think we have grass snakes and Adders over here but I've ne'er seen one except in a zoo.
Exotic tales of foreign countries...
That's nothing, Mike, we have scorpions, tarantula's, coyote's, and these wild, hairy pigs called javelina's, and that's just around my house! Bear, cougars, and elk up in the high country about 2 hours north!
I live in London so we have foxes...it's just not the same is it.
In the 'wilds' we have...sheep. I know a few South African guys who have stories of the wildlife they grew up with and they're all just as unnusual (to me).