Al the California King

There is a story that goes along with Al. My son Colt is a big fan of the TV show "Home Improvement" as is everyone else in my family. In one of the episodes Tim has a confrontation with a "dangerous" California Kingsnake (lampropeltis getula californiae) that come shooting out of his wall. Please note the sarcasm!

Well, from that moment on he wanted a California Kingsnake. So for Christmas I ordered him two (a pair) from a dealer on Kingsnake.com. The vendor shipped them overnight on a Monday via DHL. Tuesday came and went, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday no snakes. So I called the local pet shop and the had This nice gentle California Kingsnake available. On Monday (a week later) I got a call from DHL and said my package was ready for pickup. Please note I live in New England and the average temps in the North East that week were around 20 degrees. SO I head to the depot to "claim the bodies" and I was floored. Not only were the to little critters alive but actively moving around and flickering their tongues. Talk about a Christmas miracle !!!

So I ended up keeping Al for myself and gave two little fellas to my son. He named them Tim and Jill. I eventually picked up a girl for Al. Her name is Ilene.

These are great snakes. I love watching them when they think they are rattlesnakes shaking their tails and trying to be tough.

Brown Snake

Northern Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi) Here is a picture of one of the three snakes I found while moving a pile of lumber in my yard.

I was very excited when I found them. I know what you are thinking boring little brown snake (not much thought put in the name either), but I don't get many snakes in my yard and when I do they aren't exciting looking ones like a coral snake or a California Kingsnake. I have to take what I can get.

When I found this little critter I thumbed through my National Audubon Society Field Guide field guide to identify it. I was very happy to find out they eat SLUGS. I have been battling slugs in my gardens for years. They are welcomed in my yard anytime. I wonder if I can buy a "herd" of them to fend off the slugs since my wife won't let me get chickens to do the job.