Requiem for a snake

[Wal]

Having been bitten by a copperhead snake as a kid many years ago, I have never been a big snake fan. I don't try and hurt or kill them, I just avoid them. Last evening while cutting our one acre grass yard with the lawn tractor, I ran over a Prairie Kingsnake. I didn't know I had done it until I came back around to the same spot (I mow in an ever decreasing circle). Anyway, I came back around and saw this, three foot long Kingsnake all chopped up and still writhing around. I felt terrible (still do) /w3tcompact/icons/sad.gif The markings on this snake were beautiful. What a shame, what a waste. All I could think to do was put her out of her misery, which I did. I never thought I could feel such compassion for a snake. I guess I'm getting to be a softy as I get older. The picture is not the one I ran over, just one I found on the web.

 

[RichZ]

Wal, I understand how you feel. I love all animals, and I am a wildlife rehabilator. I have taken care of many snakes that I've found on roads that were run over by cars, as well as injured by other means. You did the merciful thing by putting her out of her misery. You did the only thing you could to help her. Snakes are so hard to see in grass, there's no way you could avoid it, so it wasn't your fault! I think the fact that you feel compassion for the snake is a good thing. Many people kill snakes on sight, without realizing how benficial they are.

 

[Argee]

I have a cousin who will cross over two lanes of oncoming traffic to run over one. I keep telling him how beneficial they are, but to no avail./w3tcompact/icons/sad.gif I think people in general are afraid of snakes and spiders because they don't know that much about them. They don't realize how beneficial they are in releiving this planet of other harmful vermin./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[RichZ]

Argee, if your cousin lives in New York, I've probably taken care of the few that have survived his attacks.

 

[Argee]

RichZ,
Rest assured, NONE have survived. If he doesn't he got the job done, he back up and do it again./w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif

 

[RichZ]

Argee, man, your cousin is brutal!!/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

 

[Argee]

Ironically, my cousins name is Rich. Do all people named Rich squash snakes?/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif I hope I never come back as a snake!/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[RichZ]

People named Rich NEVER squash snakes!!! Your cousin is going to be stripped of the name Rich, and renamed *****!!/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

 

[Alan L.]

Although I would like to drive them from under my porch, I don't kill snakes either. Last weekend I was cleaning up some trash, taking loader loads to a dumpster. This snake kept moving into whats left until it was all gone. Then he decided to crawl right under the rear tire of the tractor. I had to coax him out to keep from running over him.

 

[bsauter]

You havn't even started to feel bad until you run over some baby bunny rabbits like I did last year in the pasture. I killed one and had to kill two more to put them out of thier misery. Glad my little kids didn't see that.