That Snake Will Not Hurt Your Baybee (warning: animal cruelty)

My mom cut this article out of the paper and sent it to me.

The article discusses swimming snakes and how many people kill them, even if they aren't poisonous. I am so fucking sick of Breeders who want to kill everything: snakes, Canada Geese, feral cats, spiders, bugs**, because they are afraid it will harm their chee-ill-drun. (Even when these snakes or animals pose no threat to their chee-ill-drun.)

The snake expert in this article, who works for the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, is quoted. He's probably sick of seeing idiots kill non-poisonous snakes that aren't bothering anyone. Check his quote because he's my new hero:

Quote

Harmless water snakes are often mistaken for cottonmouths and killed on sight.

"Guys are the worst," Kleopfer said. "Testosterone. For some reason, everything is venomous and everything is giong to get my baby or eat my children."

He also recalled the standard response to a water snake sighting

Quote

Women screamed and ran and teenaged boys grabbed rocks and smashed them. No amount of education seemed to matter...Any snake that gets out on a rock at Belle Isle has had it.

His recommendation if you see a swimming snake in the park:

Quote

Watch it. Oh my god if you have a chance to watch a water snake as it's hunting, you enter into an entirely different world.

Later on, he advises:

Quote

...Almost any human-snake interaction can e safely resolved by simply LEAVING IT ALONE

Another park manager advised; "First, give it its space. Second, admire it. Third, let it live its life, and you can carry on with yours."

Not that Breeders read the newspaper, but it's sad that people have to be told this. Whatever happened to live and let live?

**In another topic, I get so sick of seeing commercials for Chem Lawn and other products that urge people to put pesticides on their yards, thus killing birds, bees and other beneficial insects. Bee colonies are collapsing. These assholes won't be satisfied until we are all sick or dead.

Quote

Another park manager advised; "First, give it its space. Second, admire it. Third, let it live its life, and you can carry on with yours."

This is exactly how I feel. And there are no poisonous snakes where I live, that I know of. The Mosquitos might give you West Nile Virus, if they have it, and some Bees / Wasps may cause bad reactions for some - but outside of this I don't know of any hazardous creatures here (not of the bug or snake variety.)

They don't bother me, either. I'm not afraid of bugs and snakes. In fact - I find them quite interesting and in the past considered getting one of the 'exotics' as a pet (I had my eye on a giant centipede, I love these guys and if I see a 'regular' one round the house - I leave it be. They eat other bugs you know. Plus, in many cultures they are considered "good luck". )

I do actually LIKE most of these creatures and think they're COOL!

No, you shouldn't hurt them! The majority of them / depending on locale - won't hurt you!



Awwww ~ just like a Cute Snuggly Teddy Bear! How could you hurt it?

I 'shoo' bugs back outside. There's nothing here where I live (that I know of) that will hurt you. Snakes too. LOTS of snakes around here - they won't hurt you. Garter snakes, water snakes, they won't hurt you. Good for your soil and garden too!

Bugs, snakes, creatures of all types do not bother me in the least. I have no fear of them.

It's a park, what did you think you were going to find outside, if not animals? It's not like it's in your kitchen or bedroom. Just leave it the fuck alone. If it's a mosquito, and it is actually attacking you, fine, kill it. I would, too. But a snake that has no interest in you? Let it be.

It would have been in no danger from me because I would have been paralyzed with fear as it went about it's business. It's the same with any reptilian, regardless of size, any and ALL spiders, and those harmless but creepy hairy looking bugs that look like giant spiders, but hop. I almost broke my fucking neck, slipping, sliding, and flailing, while trying to get out of the bathtub after some fluffy looking hairy lobster sized spider dropped down into my field of vision while dangling on it's sticky little rope from the ceiling, AS I showered. Although I am aware Granddaddy Long Legs won't hurt me, whenever one of those drops down on my head when I go outside I nearly fall off the back deck trying to get it off of me. I rarely ever saw a bug, lizard, snake, or spider until I moved out into a VERY rural area in the woods in 2006. Now, they are EVERYWHERE.:hs

When the creepy crawlies don't come up on their own the outsider cats drag them up along with field mice, frogs, and baby snakes, most of which are ALIVE and well, and dump them off at the front or back door for me to face first thing in the morning when I come outside OR have them dangling from their mouths all wriggling around as I reach down for their morning pets and I always FREEZE. I don't know why I have this aversion to bugs,snakes, lizards, spiders, etc......but I get chills and am totally creeped out by all of them, especially spiders, which is unfortunate because I live in a spider dream house, ie dark, wooded area, and all wood house with plenty of dank and dark attic and crawl spaces. Even so, I understand and appreciate the role they have in the eco-system and I live by a, "Don't bother me and I won't bother you" policy. I might add we have almost ZERO sure enough nasty bugs like roaches, fleas, flies, etc.....which I suppose are these other animal's preferred cuisine.

I am living proof you can take a girl out of the city but you can't take the city out of the girl.I will NEVER get used to living among all these critters, ever, but I don't wish to see them harmed. There's this one little spider, or possibly his kin lookalikes, who likes to rappel down from the rafters and dangle DIRECTLY in front of my face while I'm on the computer and he's done it for years, like he's my pet. He will just dangle there, eye level, AS I am paralyzed in fear, as if to say, "Hiya! Whatcha up to?" He gets SO close to my face I swear I can look him directly in his beady little eyes! After he's scared the shit out of me he just zips back up his little line and back into his spider cave. If I could I'd tell ALL my resident creepy crawlies to keep up the good work, only just do it out of my sight. As for a hands on murder of a snake, NO WAY! I'd NEVER get close enough to it!:1wv

------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------
If YOU are the "exception" to what I am saying, then why does my commentary bother you so much?
I don't hate your kids, I HATE YOU!

Oh my God Kim, you have completely described how I feel about bugs, spiders and snakes!

I have been seen on a few occasions, running screaming from common garter snakes, hairy-ass spiders and oversized bugs. While I do like butterflies, moths and dragonflies, my love for them stops there.

I can't abide wasps, since I was stung by an entire nest of wasps after my aunt's cat knocked down a nest and I walked into an angry swarm of them. I had wasps crawling into my mouth and nose, covering my entire face and neck, arms and legs. I was stung so badly, I was in shock. My poor Oma was left with me that day, as she was baybeesitting me while my moo and aunt were gone. My entire body shook for hours while it worked the poison out of my system.

I can't stand flies, and will swat them DEAD when they are in my house. They are filthy creatures IMO, and I have NO idea if they previously landed on a turd or carcass before coming into MY home.

As for spiders, the common garden spider is safe with me, and I will usually just shoo them away. If it is something big, brown and hairy, like a brown recluse, however, all bets are off and I will commit spidercide.

We have several poisonous spiders here, brown recluse, wolf and hobo...I have no idea which is which, because they all look the same to me. I have heard horror stories about people being bitten, and suffering major infections, losing limbs etc.

This reminds me of a redneck trash breeder I worked with at my old job. He loved to kill every harmless creature imaginable--esp. snakes--and would come to work boasting about it like he'd just slain a dragon. Piece of garbage.

I was stung by some aggressive yellow jackets a couple of years ago. They are a plague. And flies are nasty--I kill them without a thought.

But if I see a lady bug or a non-poisonous spider in my house, I escort it outside.

Quote

He loved to kill every harmless creature imaginable--esp. snakes--and would come to work boasting about it like he'd just slain a dragon. Piece of garbage.

One of DH's trashy, redneck relatives proudly told everyone at a party that he'd killed 17 mockingbirds that had the misfortune to show up in his yard. (He didn't give a specific reason.) WTF? Aside from being illegal--I believe the only bird that's legal to kill in the US is the non-native European starling, why would you want to shoot a bird that wasn't bothering you? I used to have one that would sing during the night in the Spring, but I wore earplugs--I didn't blow it away.

This topic is timely! Today I was out running errands and I came upon this HUGE beetle that was on his back. I flipped him over, but I didn't want him to be killed by the next person who came along, so I moved him into some vegetation.

Google says he's a Hercules Beetle. They don't sting or bite humans.

http://www.ugaurbanag.com/content/hercules-beetle-real-bruiser-bug

bellflower- That is so cool that you got to see that beetle!

Some people keep Hercules beetles as pets.

If properly cared for, they can live for several years.

Do ya live in the Southern part of the country?

You're very fortunate to have met up with that little (not so little) guy.

~~~~~~~~~~~
I miss my little feather baby.

I am ok with snakes but spiders absolutely terrify me. Like, irrational panic and intense fear.

I can deal with pretty much every kind of animal, except bugs. I can't deal with them at all. Total freakout, except daddy longlegs. Silly though it may be, even butterflies freak me out. But, if they leave me alone, I'm more than happy to return the favor.

I take the view that they've been here long before we crawled out of the oceans and will still be here long after we've all seen the light, gone CF and died out

Wildlife is there to be watched and the only shooting is through the lens of a camera. OK, I'm not so sanctimonious that I won't swat a fly or a mossie, but hell, we moved into their homes.

The only bug I will try to kill are milipedes and centipedes. Those scare the shit out of me. I don't care that they eat other bugs. I fucking hate them. If I were in 1984 they are what would be used to torture me.

We have many venomous snakes here so even though its a "water snake" if it's in the yard it will be killed if not by me then by one of the dogs. There is nothing scarier than picking up a board and have one of those jokers under it. I've shot and killed a copperhead, killed a baby cottonmouth by using a heavy cup, and the cat literally saved me and the dog from a coral snake in the middle of the night (she wouldn't let us off the porch at all). We even had a huge rattlesnake near the pump house in the middle of the yard. We do have a HUGE rat snake that likes to hang around and a king snake in the shed. Those are not only welcomed but highly encouraged. I did piss off a little king snake though one day. I accidentally scared away a lizard he was eyeballing....if looks could kill sheesh!

Spiders....there is only one species of spiders that isn't killed immediately upon sight and that is the little (and BIG) jumping spiders....they have earned their right to live in my book. Before I moved into a shed big enough to hold my kiln, I used my grandmothers little shed to play with my HotHead torch. Yellow jackets for some reason were not only bad but freaking psychotic that year. I watched one sting the screen over and over and over just for no reason...he wasn't trapped just psychotic. Apparently these spiders decided those were prey even though its usually the other way around. I would come in and find drained carcasses of those horrible creatures all over the place. But I still didn't like them. They finally grew on me when winter came. I'm busy pulling stringers at the torch and this little jumping spider crawls out from under the table. My first reaction was to squish it but like I said I had my hands full. Said spider must have been freezing because he just inched his way across the table towards the flame. You could almost hear him do the "oh oh oh its sooooo WARM!! WARM!WARM!OHSHITTOOWARMOWWWWWWWWWWWWWW" as he suddenly went from creeping to the flame to shooting to the other side of the table and just standing there. He was fine but I could not help but laugh. All other spiders though.....I will kill without thought or mercy.

Wasps. Those things scare the bejeezus out of me. When I lived in my apartment I decided to take a chair to the second floor balcony. Didn't know there was a nest. Jokers waited until I sat the chair down and then decided to come out. I had one in my hair, in my clothes, in my bed.....thankfully didn't get stung as they were still sluggish but it was enough to scare me for the rest of my life.

Now I know most people to consider them a pest but my favorite of the the bug/pest kingdom is the carpenter bee. I had one that would follow me around whenever I was out. S/he had a hole right above the window to the shed I'm in now and would just hang out there and watch me work. I would take the garbage to the road and it would follow right behind me like a dog. Its a shame people kill them they are so funny. For some reason they find humans to be curious creatures. The females are the only ones that sting and you really have to work at pissing them off. The males like to make you think they can sting and will even headbutt you to make it known they are there. Just funny little creatures .

@addiea raine,

Another flameworker! That is so awesome. When I get a space I want to get an oxygen propane torch. I love glass, and went to college for it. Glass!

Quote
mumofsixbirds
I can't stand flies, and will swat them DEAD when they are in my house. They are filthy creatures IMO, and I have NO idea if they previously landed on a turd or carcass before coming into MY home.

As for spiders, the common garden spider is safe with me, and I will usually just shoo them away. If it is something big, brown and hairy, like a brown recluse, however, all bets are off and I will commit spidercide.

Spidercide using the 500 paper towel smothering following by whacking with a broom approach eyes2

Also:
Cockroaches
Japanese Beetles
Wasps
mega-ditto on the flies**


There are probably other insects that I could list, but some bugs I can find no use for, especially if they are in my house or are eating my vegetation. Some of the stuff I've planted to attract butterflies, bees and hummingbirds has subsequently been eaten down to the stalk by fucking Japanese Beetles. I have been known to totally lose my shit, knocking those pests down and stomping on them.

I'm mostly live and let 'em live; insects like Praying Mantis or Walking Sticks will draw my "ohhh" attention, I look forward to the big yellow and black garden spiders who will be weaving their monster webs around the corners of the buildings and between the fence stakes. Snakes are allowed to pass or I'll skirt around them respectfully. But some bugs? Die fuckers die :hardcore

** I know flies serve a purpose in breaking down and consuming things that go in the trash, but my Dad - who was raised on a farm - once told me a story of how his mom used to raise big, fat chickens for the kitchen table. She'd take a butt end of a ham, or discarded section of meat and hang it over the chicken run. Flies would light on the meat, lay their eggs, which would then hatch into maggots. The maggots would fall to the floor of the chicken run and be consumed. I was only like 4 or 5 when I heard that story, but the picture has been burned into my brain.

*shudder* Disgusting :lips

Quote
addiea raine
We do have a HUGE rat snake that likes to hang around and a king snake in the shed. Those are not only welcomed but highly encouraged. I did piss off a little king snake though one day. I accidentally scared away a lizard he was eyeballing....if looks could kill sheesh!

There's a HUGE black snake in our neighborhood who owes me his life, though the varmint tried to strike me.

People in my area will swerve into an oncoming lane to run down a snake, no matter the variety. I was riding my motorcycle one day and came upon the big sucker sunning itself near the middle of the road. It was morning and early spring, so I guess it came out of the grass to warm up. The road isn't heavily traveled, though I knew the next car to come along would likely squish the guy. So, I pulled my bike over, got off and, feeling confident in my heavy boots and leather chaps, went to nudge him off the road. It turned into a freaking duel. He (or she) coiled and struck. I'd dodge, step around, and come at it from the other side, snarling "I'm trying to save your life you freaking rope, git off the road!" Finally, I started picking up small rocks and chucked them, pelting the snake with enough force to drive it off the road, rather than hurt it. It finally slithered off into the ditch and headed toward the field, turning to give me a baleful glare and probably a "fuck you, bitch" in Slytherin language.

Quote
mistress rotwang
@addiea raine,

Another flameworker! That is so awesome. When I get a space I want to get an oxygen propane torch. I love glass, and went to college for it. Glass!

You are AWESOME!!!! It's on my bucket list to someday go to Penland but that will be a long time from now. I finally upgraded to a mega minor bench burner with the oxy/propane mix but I have a small problem.....my brain won't shut off the worst case scenarios. And it really does not help hearing my guys tell me I'm going to blow myself up. It took me WEEKS after getting it just to get the nerve up to put the valves on and then I had problems with the oxygen bottle. I've never used one and the only instruction I've had was at Gulf Wars where the lady taught the class on a HotHead. I was TERRIFIED of lighting the HotHead (I told the teacher and she did the "that's nice" while holding the lighter in my hand and lighting it....thought I was going to go through the tent lol) so this is doubly so. When I finally got the courage to set it up I had no pressure.....took it someone who knew welding torches and they laughed in my face.....apparently it IS important for the flashback arresters to snap when connecting the hoses to the gauges . I finally get everything done, set up, and it all comes back....I'm going to blow myself up. I've only lit it once since I've had it. Mainly because I have no power right now in the shed (had to move it to set it on its own meter) and it's too hot to play with it (glasses fog up no matter what I do). So hopefully by the end of September at the absolute latest, I will be out there conquering my voices. It's so odd though. Once I get going I forget everything....every problem, every fear, EVERYTHING, and I cheer nerd that I am to see sheets of ice on my MAPP bottle so what the deal here is I just don't know .

Personally, I don't mind spiders that much (easy for me to say, living in Scotland). I used to be scared of them but I've slowly desensitised myself to them. Although, the sudden jerky movements (and especially if the spider's big) do still make me slightly nervous, and I don't think I'll ever get rid of that. Oh well.

I really only bother relocating spiders if they're in the way - like the time I found a large black house spider in my bed. Lying on my side, almost asleep, when this huge THING ran past my face. I bolted upright, we both froze, apparently both having the same "oh shit" reaction. When it made a break for it, I grabbed it. With my bare hands. I could honestly feel the spider wriggling and freaking out in my hands. I ended up releasing it (or her, I think) behind my bookshelf. No point in chucking them out, they come straight back in anyway.

I don't kill spiders either, or any bug, really. Pretty much the only bug I'll kill without guilt is flies. Killing anything else would genuinely bother me. I even cried over a spider I accidentally crushed!

Most bugs don't bother me, apart from bees and wasps - no idea why but the buzzing just really bothers me. And I HATE crane flies. I've been known to flee rooms and refuse to re-enter until the offending insect is gone.

And I love snakes. Love their appearance, love their attitude, they're just badass. Shame they've got such an awful reputation in Western society (thank you, Christianity).

--------------

mypersonality.info

"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who haven't got it."
George Bernard Shaw

"An oyster can play catch if u only give it the oprotunity"
Some random YouTube commenter

"hate comments will be deleted!! fuckers!"
Some random YouTube uploader

The Oatmeal has a new strip on FB about the hazards of hiking while wearing a bright orange T-shirt. Apparently the local bees wanted to be his Bro. Another poster responded

Dorisan I am seriously crying right now! That is just awesomely FUNNY!!
Thank you for sharing that and making my day!!

lariouslariouslariouslariouslariouslariouslariouslarious