Dalton rescues me from fear of snakes

A few weeks ago when I was walking the dogs we ran across a big, fat black snake.

I posted a picture of it on social media and about half misidentified it as venomous and the other half got it right. It was a plain bellied watersnake which are nonvenomous. Nerodia erythro gaster is the scientific name.

I was still kind of scared walking around now that it’s snake season around here.

I was sitting outside on the deck the other day and dad came outside and said he had seen a copperhead go under the deck early that morning. The deck I was sitting on.

And very shortly after that announcement I moved my chair, table and ashtray to the middle of the driveway where it’s been ever since.

I kept asking mom and dad about their run-ins with snakes since they’d moved to the house 20 years ago.

There were not as many stories as I thought there would be.

Mom found a copperhead on the front porch one morning when she went outside to get the paper.

Dad had a couple of encounters too.

Then, realizing I needed to be reassured, mom told me she was going to show me where the snake hoe is.

I was very confused until she showed me the garden implement she was referring to and not, as I had immediately pictured in my mind, a wanton snake wearing high heels and a lot of red lipstick.

Then my friend Dalton Hodge invited me to a Facebook group that is called “Central Texas Snake ID” and boy did that ever change things. I’ve already learned a couple of things.

There are a lot more nonvenomous snakes than venomous ones in Central Texas. Good to know.

There are really only four venomous ones: rattlesnakes, copperheads, coral snakes and water moccasins.

There are some people who think rattlesnakes should be divided into two sections making the total five venomous snakes, but to me if it rattles it’s a rattlesnake.

People post pictures of snakes they have run across and the people who run the group tell you what kind it is. It’s pretty cool.

I can already recognize two nonvenomous ones called Western Ribbon snakes and Coachwhips when I see their photos, so I’ll know what they are if I should ever see either in person.

This group of people have really calmed me down about snakes. I’m sure there are a lot of snake identification groups online.

So if, like me, you have a totally irrational fear of snakes there is no time like the present to read up on snakes and learn to tell them apart. They aren’t all bad.

For instance, guess what kingsnakes eat? Copperheads and rattle snakes. So kingsnakes are A-OK in my book.

That said, my chair, table and ashtray are staying where they are for now. kyle@rockdalereporter.com