| As one who’s “in the field” a lot, I’m often asked about snakes. While I know most people would rather not encounter a snake while moving about in the outdoors, I actually hope I do. And that doesn’t make me a bad person.
Truth be told, very few snakes are harmful. That doesn’t mean you should ever approach a snake to attempt to pick it up, of course, as it deserves just as much space as a bird or deer. With rare exception, a snake that senses your presence will freeze in the hope you don’t see it and you’ll go away; more often than not, it slinks into the underbrush to disappear from your view.
Snakes sense that humans are too big for prey. My son used to hold a non-venomous license with the state, meaning at the time he could possess up to 10 snakes such as harmless red rat snakes, ring necks, indigos, ball pythons and others. He grew out of that stage, but in the meantime I spent about a year attending herpetology meetings with him and participated in the housing and care of the animals. We even met famed herpetologist Bill Haast at his snake lab and residence in Punta Gorda. During all that time, I came to respect snakes rather than fear them.
If you see a snake, calm yourself and don't panic. Simply keep your distance, leave it alone, and no harm will come from it. Better yet, view them up close at “gator” attractions around the state that also include an array of venomous and non-venomous snakes. And remember this: Without snakes, the balance of nature would tilt to an over-abundance of rodents. And no, luckily my son never owned rats or mice. |
