Update
Well, you see, what happened was...
The short version is that due to administrative issues, Matt no longer gets to take terminal leave (for those of you just joining us, that is the leave that you take right before you get out, presumably so that you can continue to get a paycheck for a few weeks after you stop working and are applying for unemplo... I mean looking for a job). We are now able to leave on the 19th (he did get one day of leave, apparently). They do pay us for the days he doesn't get to take, so it's not a total loss. And we do have more time to figure out the whos and whens and wheres and hows of moving. If we had known this earlier, however, half of our house wouldn't be packed when we still have to live in it for 10 days. We haven't decided if that is a good thing or a bad thing. At any rate, our homecoming is somewhat delayed, but certainly not canceled.
Also, we had a snake under the porch yesterday. Yup, a big one. Probably 3 feet long, not a pit viper, dark brown on top and orange on bottom. Orange as in a florescent cone that's been left in the sun too long. Weird. I was clomping up and down the stairs putting laundry in the car to take to Jackie's, and I turned around to back into the house for more stuff and I saw this not insignificant snake head poke up under the stairs that I had been using for at least 3 trips to the car now. He was obviously trying to find a place to hide, and I was quite glad that he did not find the house (the glass door was closed now, but it has a gap at the bottom, and I had even left it open earlier!). He eventually slowly crawled off (with his head off the ground, which I thought was unusual) and under the house where there was a gap in the skirt. As long as he stays down there, I'm ok with that. If I find him in my toilet, or in a packed box, we're going to have some problems.
After a little research, I have determined (using the Davidson College website, thanks guys!) that my snake is most likely a Nerodia erythrogaster, the redbelly watersnake. Here's a glamor shot:
Photo J. D. Wilson.
The one I saw wasn't in the water, his tummy wasn't quite so bright, and he was a lot bigger. Here is a link to snake information: http://www.herpsofnc.org/herps_of_NC/snakes/Nerery/Ner_ery.html
Mine looked more like the picture on the bottom left.
The short version is that due to administrative issues, Matt no longer gets to take terminal leave (for those of you just joining us, that is the leave that you take right before you get out, presumably so that you can continue to get a paycheck for a few weeks after you stop working and are applying for unemplo... I mean looking for a job). We are now able to leave on the 19th (he did get one day of leave, apparently). They do pay us for the days he doesn't get to take, so it's not a total loss. And we do have more time to figure out the whos and whens and wheres and hows of moving. If we had known this earlier, however, half of our house wouldn't be packed when we still have to live in it for 10 days. We haven't decided if that is a good thing or a bad thing. At any rate, our homecoming is somewhat delayed, but certainly not canceled.
Also, we had a snake under the porch yesterday. Yup, a big one. Probably 3 feet long, not a pit viper, dark brown on top and orange on bottom. Orange as in a florescent cone that's been left in the sun too long. Weird. I was clomping up and down the stairs putting laundry in the car to take to Jackie's, and I turned around to back into the house for more stuff and I saw this not insignificant snake head poke up under the stairs that I had been using for at least 3 trips to the car now. He was obviously trying to find a place to hide, and I was quite glad that he did not find the house (the glass door was closed now, but it has a gap at the bottom, and I had even left it open earlier!). He eventually slowly crawled off (with his head off the ground, which I thought was unusual) and under the house where there was a gap in the skirt. As long as he stays down there, I'm ok with that. If I find him in my toilet, or in a packed box, we're going to have some problems.
After a little research, I have determined (using the Davidson College website, thanks guys!) that my snake is most likely a Nerodia erythrogaster, the redbelly watersnake. Here's a glamor shot:
Photo J. D. Wilson.The one I saw wasn't in the water, his tummy wasn't quite so bright, and he was a lot bigger. Here is a link to snake information: http://www.herpsofnc.org/herps_of_NC/snakes/Nerery/Ner_ery.html
Mine looked more like the picture on the bottom left.
posted by Helen at 09:08
3 Comments:
Redbelly Watersnake
Feeding/Diet: These snakes feed on a variety of other animals but mostly eat frogs, toads, and salamanders.
didn't see on the diet "cute newlywed who can't wait to move back to Texas"
so I think you are safe :>) >)
I think the key word there is "mostly"... You can never be too careful!
creepy creepy creepy!!!
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