LOOK WHAT PAPA FOUND!
This is the first Prairie Kingsnake we've found this year, but it's really big and docile.
So, Monster Truck the Pepper was just hanging out with @papa-pepper and propagating some grapes, when they decided to switch to Elderberry plants. We called a neighbor and got permission to cut some of his Elderberries to propagate, when we came upon a familiar creature.
It was a pretty impressive snake, especially for this early in the year. Just look at how long it is compared to Monster Truck!
But, when we got back, Red-Pepper was all over that snake.
Since @papa-pepper has been handling wild animals like snakes all his life, he likes to take advantage of these opportunities to teach the @little-peppers. He doesn't allow them to do anything that they are not comfortable with, and though many people just dislike snakes, this one never posed any serious threat, and never even tried to bite us.
If Papa thought that there was a real risk, he would have never allowed the little ones to check it out. Don't you think that a cure girl can make a snake look a little cute?
These children are pretty well trained, and they understand that they are not allowed to pick up wild snakes on their own, even if they know what kind it is. Twice last year they called @papa-pepper over to deal with Pygmy Rattlesnakes (which he relocated), but those could have been bad situations if they were uneducated or disobedient.
In controlled situations with nonvenomous snakes, @papa-pepper lets them learn a little bit hands-on interaction, as Monster Truck shows in this video.
If this was an aggressive snake, this video would have never been made, nor this situation allowed to occur. To check out the post about this snake from @papa-pepper, CLICK HERE. Perhaps the Prairie Kingsnake will be the first creature featured in our upcoming Field Guide to Arkansas Reptiles and Amphibians!
UPVOTE-FOLLOW-RESTEEM
Awesome. Pics. Snakes are so much fun.
They really are!
When it comes to animals, the fear and ignorance of then is usually more dangerous than the animal itself.
So teaching the @little-peppers all about the animals they co-habit the world with is a good and proper thing to do.
If someone says it's dangerous or that you shouldn't do it, it's probably because they are afraid of things like snakes - because they were never allowed to interact with them as children.
So you are teaching your kids to not live in fear - which is the best kind of teaching there is ;-)
Well said, man! I try to stress those points myself!
Great find, @little-peppers! You are doing a great job there of handling that Prairie Kingsnake and treating it well. What a strong snake, too! I hope you found a good spot for it to live!
Firm and gentle, that's the way! Thanks, and these sure are some great snakes!
Good Lord LOL
I'm not a snake guy. I appreciate your snake handling abilities! Thanks for the awesome post!
My husband has a terrible fear of snakes. While I am not terribly fond of them, I once surprised what I assume is a Rough Green Snake (Opheodrys aestivus) while I was picking up armfuls of brush to burn. Almost nose to nose I stayed calm and said, "Well, hello. Sorry to disturb you but you either need to find a new home or you're getting sacrificed to the fire." When I came back to the brush pile, it was gone...and hubby would not come off the porch for the rest of the day. LOL
The Rough Green Snake is a good one, but so far we have only met the Smooth Green Snake.