Southern Black Racer

I know many people are not fond of snakes, but you have to admit, this guy looks kind of cute poking his head out of a rain spout. He was pretty curious and stayed still while I photographed him. I think he felt secure inside the down spout. New Floridians may be surprised to see this snake around the house. They are a common site during daylight hours.

As you might guess from it’s name, the snake moves fast. It is a non-poisonous snake, but has a bit of a nasty disposition. It will lash out and bite, if approached. The snake feeds on frogs, lizards and other small creatures. They are not harmful to humans.

This one decided to take off along the side of a house in the neighborhood. This house is in foreclosure and has not been occupied for two years. I wonder if this snake and other things have take up residence in the house.

We had one of these snakes get into our garage a few years ago. Every time I went to make a grab for it, the snake found a new place to hide. I decided that on the next Saturday, I would empty out the garage and find the snake. In the meantime, Mrs. Fog broke a black handle hoe. I told her to put it on the work bench and I would fix it. When I went out to the garage to make the repair, I saw a straight black rod on the bench; it was partially hidden by a box. When I went to grab the rod, much to my surprise it moved. Yep, it was the snake and he was as startled as I was. He made a mad dash to the floor and ended up right at the garage door. I opened the door and off he went. Hurray!!!

A few months ago, Mrs. Fog was out in the yard looking at some plants. She was wearing the standard Florida foot wear: flip flops. She saw a black racer snake on the ground and before she could jump out of the way, the snake speed across her bare foot. To say she was not happy is a gross understatement. Of course, I laughed like a fool, when she wasn’t looking.