Midnight Safari

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Midnight Safari

Tonight when I came into my house after a swim, maybe around 11:30 p.m., I went into the kitchen and there was a snake about a foot long and a half inch thick coiled in my sink!  It slithered under a plate and for some reason I ran water in the sink and he slipped down the drain onto the blades of the garbage disposal which were about five inches below the level of the sink!! It took some time for the water to drain, and then the flaps on the drain kept me from being able to look down and see if I could see him–and if he was moving. I put my ear close, trying to hear him, but heard no movement. Finally, I went to get a flashlight, put on long gloves and got a set of long-handled kitchen tongs. When I pushed back the rubber flaps on the drain and turned on the flashlight, I could see the snake coiled and it was moving! So it hadn’t drowned.  I went and got a wastebasket with a plastic liner bag and after 6 tries, finally picked up the snake with the tongs, dropped it in the can and released it outside. What a relief!!! This is only the second snake I’ve found inside in 19 years. No, it didn’t even occur to me to turn on the garbage disposal. Ew!!!

 

P.S. No, this isn’t a photo of tonight’s snake. There wasn’t time to take a photo. This is the first snake I found in the house, coiled behind the umbrella stand. The one tonight was shades of brown.  Always a new thrill.

 

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About lifelessons

My blog, which started out to be about overcoming grief, quickly grew into a blog about celebrating life. I post daily: poems, photographs, essays or stories. I've lived in countries all around the globe but have finally come to rest in Mexico, where I've lived since 2001. My books may be found on Amazon in Kindle and print format, my art in local Ajijic galleries. Hope to see you at my blog.

25 thoughts on “Midnight Safari”

    1. lifelessons's avatarlifelessons Post author

      Yes.. no time to research the matter…and no photo to do so now. He was not a coral snake or rattler as no bands or rattles. The photo was of an earlier snake visitor a few years ago. There was a workman here then to deal with it. Isolation means I had to be my own safari guide/snake charmer/ zoo keeper.

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    1. lifelessons's avatarlifelessons Post author

      It was bizarre. How in the world did he get in there? I don’t think he could have gotten out of the sink by himself, let alone the drain! And why would he go there in the first place. Could he have climbed up a vertical cabinet door to get there?

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  7. Dianne Morrow's avatarDianne Morrow

    Love receiving your daily postings again, Judy.
    Congrats on saving baby snake!
    Are you doing NaPoWriMo poems for April? Hope so! Thought I‘d see them here…

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  9. SAM VOELKER's avatarSAM VOELKER

    You probably already know this but…. A coral snake is not likely to bother you, but could be a danger to your animals. I can not see any red which is the best way to tell what it is. If the red bands have yellow bands touching then it is a coral snake if the red bands have black touching them, then it is a milk (king) snake. It may be that you have a dark red inside that black and I just can not see it on the photo. I would think that the coral snake in your part of the world would be a Sonora Coral snake.

    Most coral snakes are rather small, their fangs are tiny but stick out (do not fold like other venomous snakes), if they bite, they will try to hold on and chew. Their head is black to behind the eyes as is their tail. They are not aggressive but would bite if stepped on, or bothered by a pet. There are very few events where they will bite a human, but may bite a dog or cat on the foot or nose, even if bit, you would know it, but would not die …. I find them coming out at night and sometime under rocks out here but usually just leave them alone unless they are getting too close to the house.

    Now that BIG cottonmouth water moccasin that has invaded my koi pond is another story and a problem to me, because he is feeding on my fish and is too close to my house, in addition Tami is fascinated with him. I have not been able to get rid or him yet, but his days are numbered~! There is no such thing as a poisonous snake but there are a lot of venomous ones. That is kind of like that corona virus vs flu infection.

    I am proud that you did not “garbage disposal” of him, that would be a cutting action and would give me a sinking feeling.

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    1. SAM VOELKER's avatarSAM VOELKER

      Sorry, I did not see your post script until I posted the above, but maybe that was a king snake looking for a coral snake, or a wet lady with grit~! Maybe sense your blog is “live lessons” you should have said: “don’t try this at home”.

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    1. lifelessons's avatarlifelessons Post author

      I think harmless. I was in a hurry so didn’t get a photo and it was dark when I took it outside. I didn’t want to traumatize it any more so just left it alone. It was coiled by the wall when I left and the next time I came out it was gone.

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  14. Linda Crosfield's avatarLinda Crosfield

    Gawd. I’m a bit snake-phobic and what you had to do is sort of a perfect nightmare for me. But I’m glad you didn’t turn on the disposal. Just ’cause I don’t like something doesn’t mean it should die! Except for cedar bugs, maybe. And mosquitos.

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  15. Idara-abasi's avatarIdara-abasi

    one time we found a snake either inside or in front of our house, my memory is blurry. What I do remember is the evergreen torture my mum gave us. We literally had to turn the house upside down in search of “their nest” and then put back everything in order

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