Hi

A couple of weeks ago while out on our morning walk through our back yard, we happened upon….. a snake. The boys had stopped all of a sudden to smell the ground and it was then that I noticed, about 4 feet in front of us, a black snake about 2 1/2 to 3 ft long. As I stood there watching it, the snake raised it’s head few inches off the ground and turned around to look at us. It was this movement that got the dogs attention, first Vlad, then Vitali.

Vlad appeared to be curious and showed no sign of distress, but Vitali went completely bonkers, as soon as he locked eyes on it he started to rear up like a wild horse being broken in those cowboy movies. He bucked and twisted and was hopping all over the place on his hind legs and making the most awful screams, yelps and other vocalizations I have ever heard come out of the mouth of any living creature. During the entire time, the snake did nothing except flick his tongue and follow us with his head, otherwise he did not move.

I took both of the boys away from there and brought them back into the house, where Vitali was still visibly shaking, bottom jaw quivering, so I stayed with him and comforted him awhile. A  little later I went back out to the same spot and the snake was still there, (maybe had moved a few feet) so I, with the help of a branch prodded it back into the woody area bordering the property where I assume it came from. I did, however, sprinkle some snake repellent pellets along the border a day or so later hoping it would choose another path from now on and so far have not seen it again.

Sometimes when out for a walk, the boys will see a stick on the ground and approach it very cautiously, ready to react if it should move.

I have a little movie posted in the video section about their encounter with a turtle. I guess, for them, it’s a reptile thing.