A Beautiful Snake

The two words “beauty” and “snake” may seem incompatible or an oxymoron since many people automatically dislike and/or fear snakes. However once you realize that most aspects of the fear of snakes are learned from tales told by parents and friends and are without much justification (at least in comparison with typical sources of danger in our modern society), you should be able to appreciate that some snakes are truly beautiful.

One of the most impressive feats of rat snakes is their ability to climb up the trunk of a tree just using the rough bark to hold on.

The corn snake, a type of rat snake, is one of the truly pretty snakes based on interesting color pattern. It is also completely harmless and actually quite beneficial in that it often eats rodents. They are fairly common in Florida so watch out for them and enjoy them as part of nature’s plan. This beauty was found at Wildflower Preserve.

Bill Dunson, Englewood, FL & Galax, VA
wdunson@comcast.net