Snake in the House!

I didn't realized how long it had been since I posted a new entry. Life is busy with t-ball, homeschool convention and used book sales. I guess I was starting to think nothing "exciting" ever happens around here so the Lord sent me some excitement!

Early this morning, Madisyn was feeding the chickens. She came running in the house and said she saw a snake by the water faucet. She told me she could only see the tail so I went to check it out. I really expected to see a little baby snake or a worm. What I saw was two HUGE snakes. They were laying beside each other just a few feet from the back door.The larger one is/was close to 4 feet long and I don't think I could hold it (not that I ever would!!!) and my fingers touch my thumb. The smaller one was around 3 feet long and much skinnier. I HATE HATE HATE snakes. I fully understand that God created them and that they serve a purpose. They don't serve a purpose near my door.



I debated what to do and finally got a hold of Kent. He suggested I try the pitchfork and attempt to stab them both so that they couldn't go anywhere and then I could take a shovel and behead them. I left the kids at the door watching the snakes (that had not moved in over ten minutes even with our Rat Terrier pawing their tails) while I went to get tools.

I stood behind them and examined the situation a little closer. In a split second the smaller one darted into the house right by the kids!Madisyn and Ty ran screaming into the house and Griffin ran into the yard. I grabbed Griffin (the larger one coiled up but remained in the same spot) and ran into the house with him. We went by the snake and I saw it slither towards the hall (away from where the other kids went). We have a door that seperates the main part of the house from the back hall, laundry, garage area. I tied that door shut and looked up snakes on-line.

I found two possiblities.

http://www.snakesofarkansas.com/gallery/snake/natricidae/nerodia_erythrogaster/2C3V7533.jpg.html?g2_imageViewsIndex=1

and

http://www.snakesofarkansas.com/gallery/snake/crotalidae/agkistrodon_piscivorus/2C3V5284.jpg.html

The second is venomous.In all the excitement I realized that the back door was still open. When I shut it, the larger snake was no longer there. It could be in the house as well. The kids and I left. I took them to Sonic and we went to the park. We then visited Kent's grandparents. After being away from home for over 4 hours, I had nothing left for us to do that wouldn't cost money. LOL

So I came back.I left the kids in the van and brought the dog in to examine the situation. A bag of trash is sitting the hall waiting to go out so I moved it with the hoe. Then I worked around to that small closet and I opened the door. I saw the snake's head and it retreated farther into the closet. I shut the door and put a towel and a rug at the bottom.I briefly checked the laundry room and the small bathroom and I don't see evidence of the larger one. I'm praying that it is in the backyard.

I really don't think it's the cottonmouth because it wasn't aggressive and never opened it's mouth but I'm not taking any chances!


Once the beast is tamed (read DEAD!) I plan to take some pictures and figure out exactly what it is.




My hero aka my daddy came over and took care of the issue tonight. It smelled terrible! We don't think the other snake got in the house because we couldn't hear or smell anything once this one was dead. This is an experience I hope to NEVER have again!