My daughter is a chip off the ol’ block. Not my block though. Unlike me, she has a true adventurer spirit and likes to break the rules. Please do not confuse the fact that she likes pink and gemstones with the inference that she is “a girly girl”. Cue the corn snake.
My little miss has a thing for creatures, especially ones that other people cringe at. Anybody will pick up a soft little kitten or a toy poodle. What fun is that? She likes the thrill that comes with finding a creature somewhere on our property that most people would run from. It gives her a few hours of wild playtime. Was she dismayed when we looked it up on the internet and saw that corn snakes have teeth (not fangs) and will quite readily bite? Actually strike, poised like a rattler? Nope. She simply ran in the house, grabbed gardening gloves and reached into the bucket.
The fun didn’t end there though. Nope. After two hours of playing with the little guy (outside of course – mummy doesn’t let yucky things that I’m terrified of in the house), my daughter was pleased as punch to run up and show me a new development.
Cue the regurgitated mole.
Oh joy! After being mauled for what was apparently too long, the snake tossed his lunch in the bucket. My daughter got to witness the entire thing. She was fascinated. Seemed he was just lightening his load though, because the next time she “took him for a walk” on the grass, he slithered away so fast she didn’t have a chance to grab him and get him back into the bucket.
She cried, then pouted, robbed of her new pet. I’m sure he celebrated the escape in his own slithery way. I though, did not celebrate. Since she lost him closer to the house than when she originally found him, I now have visions of a corn snake hanging out under my porch until he’s 6-feet long.
Cue the mom with ophidiophobia.
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Hee hee! Love this!! All I can think of is Little Miss spinning around my basement in her pink frilly tutu and ballet shoes and laugh at how great she is!
Hi Anissa! We just watched those videos last week and laughed our heads off – oh my she was a force in ballet shoes wasn’t she! Are you still teaching? I hope so – you were the best kind of teacher – encouraging and motivating!
Love the part where you said “the snake tossed his lunch in the bucket”! It sounded more like one of my kids being sick than the snake! I was so much like her when I was younger! It served me well as a Mom of two boys! I tried very hard not to teach them to be afraid of everything!
I love love love your blog!
xoxoxo
It gives me hope to think she may grow up like you!
I’m very glad the snake escaped. Poor little thing. I’m trying very hard not to sound judgmental, but I have to be honest. Although not physically hurt, the snake was basically tortured and scared out of its mind for two hours. That’s the only thing I find dismaying about this post. I’ll pick up a snake any day of the week and let my kids see it, even touch it gently, but then it goes free.
hmmm. I would agree on that on some level. Although I think all animals kept in cages and aquariums have that fate as well. Not to be trite about it, but considering Will and Lainey were up for buying an aquarium and keeping it as a pet, I felt letting her play with it for a few hours was a fair trade. To be honest, had it slithered across my feet or was sitting on my porch and I came across it, it would have faced death by broom. Needless to say, in this house with things that crawl and slither – we want them dead or love them too much. No curses on me now for being honest!
I don’t think it was a fair trade for the snake. Animals in cages have their freedom curtailed, certainly, but they aren’t necessarily mistreated otherwise. Depends on the owner, although you will notice there are no animals in cages in my house. I’m actually quite dismayed at all the responses to this post indicating that frightening an animal to the point of vomiting is cute and endearing. I feel very strongly that we need to be aware and to consciously cultivate respect for our fellow creatures.
Hi Lisa,
I think I should point out that the comments have all been made by people who have seen my daughter andd how she handles animals. Make no mistake; my children treat all living things with a gentle hand. Yes, she held him, had him on the grass, and in the bucket, but at no time was she was rough-handling the snake. She was holding him as gently as any one that has a love of all creatures would. And the vomit was a very cleaver tactic on the animals part -he rid himself of excess weight (the same reason animals will poop when people handle them) so he could move more stealthily. I think most animals would choose to do as they please rather than be in captivity, but he was not being tortured. I don’t want to belabour the discussion, but I wanted to assure you mistreatment was not part of the deal. I probably won’t get into what I do with spiders who find their way in my house though.
Have you Seeeeeeeen the latest Harry Potter ?
I haven’t! Will I love the snakes in it? Doubtful.
I apologize for the way my comments came across. I never meant to imply there was any deliberate ill will. I know the snake wasn’t physically hurt and I’m sure Lainey was very gentle. However, picking up and playing with an animal that is used to you and accustomed to humans is very different than picking up a wild animal. Animals do not understand your intent. Small animals are used to being prey, so when they are picked up they react as if they are about to be eaten. Vomiting or pooping is a preparation for fight or flight – a last-ditch effort to save itself from what it perceives as a threat to its life. No animal would vomit a hard-won meal just to move faster unless it perceives immediate danger. So from the snake’s point of view, as much as Lainey loved him, those two hours were torturous. If one (not you, of course) wanted a pet snake, there are snakes (including corn snakes) that have been captive-bred and hand raised that would not only be fine with that kind of handling, they may even like it – humans make great heat sources, you know.
I have to say Lisa, a fear of snakes prevents me from seeing this event from the creature’s viewpoint at first. Sounds like the snake felt true terror. I will endeavor to look on this type of occurance with new eyes, should my eyes happen upon such an event, and hope that compassion overules fear. Though I have my doubts. My fear is a strong as that of the snake. Though I will take flight over fight, given the option, I would fight to the death, as, I suspect, would the snake, if that’s what it came to. What an itneresting thought process you’ve begun in me. Thank you.
OMG. LOL, Better you than me. Though, I must admit to a strange facination with the regurgitated mole. Not enough to want to be there to see it, mind you. I will never be as brave as your daughter:o)
I’m not either – snakes give me the heebee jeebees!