I ran across this little guy (or gal) under my carport yesterday. I believe he is a Northern Brown Snake. They are a completely harmless variety of snake that is very common, and wide spread across the United States.
It was an unusually warm day for this time of year yesterday, so I guess my little friend seized the opportunity to catch some rays. I ran inside and got my camera, and he was cooperative enough to let me get some shots of him. He or she (I’m not really sure how to tell the difference) is actually quite cute. Snakes get a bad rep. Most snakes are completely harmless to humans. And even the ones that are potentially dangerous, the last thing in the world that they want is a confrontation with a human. They are afraid of us, and avoid us like the plague. Just respect them and give them their space, and you will be fine. There is no point to harming a snake. If anything it would do you a disservice. Without snakes, the predator/prey balance would be upset, and we would be overrun with truly destructive creatures like rats and such. We need them, and they are no threat to us.
Anyway, after a few photos were taken, I left my little friend alone, and he went about his business. There are some more photos in the Urban Wildlife Gallery, if anyone is interested.
Yours Naturally,
Erick Eggleton
