When there was a curled snake on my front porch, (not coiled into a ‘spring’ type, but just laying there, all curled, under my chair)......I called 9-11. I told them I feared there was a very large diamond back rattle-snake on my porch. They said they were sending “Animal Control” immediately.
Well, I got to thinking............what if it was one of those “King Snakes” that eats rodents and bugs, and are good to have on your property?
So, when they pulled up, about ten minutes later, I went to the truck and told them it was probably a ‘King Snake’ and I was sorry to have bothered them, (to cover my eminent embarassment.)
The officer took one look, and said, “OMG! This is the biggest _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _[expletive deleted] rattler I have ever seen!”
He caught it around the neck with a long tong type instrument, and tried to put it in his big bucket. (It is illegal to kill rattlers, here in AZ.)
He lifted the tong with the snakes head, way over his head, and the tail was still hitting the ground (about three feet of it!) The dayumed thing was over 6 1/2 feet long!
He finally got it into the bucket, and snapped the lid on, while he was visabilly sweating profusely, and said they would take it up to Flagstaff - and release it in the forest.
I did some checking on the net - and rattlers will re-claim their territory up to 100 miles!
I enter my yard with caution, since then - but have never seen him again.......(but keep my eyes open!)
My visitor finally left..I am glad he isn’t venomous..but I don’t want him around me! LOL Why he kept looking through the glass is a mystery. I loved watching the kitties watch the snake..Their “vigil” is what alerted me something was there. He was spread out up against the door and around the corner. of the large slider in the LR DR. to the Patio
I’m glad you didn’t rile the rattler..Those are dangerous!
The most venomous snake I’ve seen here at my house is small..a coral snake..
Glad your visitor did not return..!!