Snakes are cool! Cold-blooded too

FORT SILL, Okla., May 5, 2016 -- Snakes have gotten a bad rap ever since one of them tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden. The mere fact of being a snake is enough to bring out the killer instinct in some of Eve's descendants.

I'm here to say DON'T DO IT! Snakes are not bad. Repeat: Snakes are not bad!

I'm just as scared of being bitten by a rattlesnake as anyone, but the truth is a snake will never seek you out for punishment. Most snakebites are caused by carelessness. See it from the snake's point of view.

You're snoozing peacefully with your eyes open (since you have no eyelids) on a warm rock and suddenly a foot or a hand lands right on top of you. There is no time to shake your substantial rattle in warning or to even move out of the way. You instinctively sink your fangs into the creature that tried to squish you. It jumps off and you slither away, indignant.

So you see, the snake, which is often very well camouflaged, is just defending itself.

I often wonder, when watching reruns of "Little House on the Prairie," about the girls romping blissfully through the tallgrass prairie, wondering if the film crew scared off the snakes first before letting their child actors in harm's way. I dunno. Maybe I'm just being overly worrisome.

Nonvenomous snakes are never a danger to people, and unless they're escaped pythons they're not likely to constrict your kitty cat or Chihuahua to death either. They do a great job of keeping down the rodent population, though.

If you really look at snakes, you might appreciate how beautifully colored and patterned they are. Whether it's a striped garter snake, a solid black racer, or a diamondback rattler, their scales are designed to help them blend into the grasses or tree trunks as they hunt their prey. Some, like rat snakes, have scales positioned in such a way that they can "climb" trees in search of nesting birds, flying squirrels or other tree-dwellers.

Holding a nonvenomous snake is a remarkable experience. Their sinewy and muscular movements over your arms or shoulders reveal the slender power and cool-to-the-touch smoothness of their skin. Try it with a ball python or other pet snake that's used to being handled.

If you're just too terrified of snakes to do this, I understand. I'll transport a house spider outside in a tissue (silently screaming the whole way) but there's no way in blazes I'll let one crawl on me. But being scared is no reason to kill a spider, or a snake.

If there's a venomous snake around your house or playground on post, call the military police at 580-442-2101 to dispatch someone, or Natural Resources at 580-442-4324.

"There's a good chance the snake will be gone by the time we get there," said Glen Wampler, natural resources and enforcement branch manager. But venomous snakes don't belong in the yard with family members."

He relocates all snakes captured far enough away that they won't return.

When he gets a call about a snake, he tries to find out what made the snake think that yard was a good place to hang out.

"Sometimes there are boards laying around and mice are under there. That's what attracts the snakes," said Wampler.

Make your yard less attractive to rodents, and it will also be less attractive to snakes. Remove shady hiding places such as debris and tall weeds. Keep livestock feed in lidded containers. Seal cracks in storage buildings so rodents can't get inside.

Wampler, an outdoorsman, said the coachwhip is his favorite snake. "They're fast and they are often red or pink. They're very pretty snakes." He sent a picture to prove it.