So I’m microwaving dinner at the lake cabin on Saturday night when I look out the tiny kitchen window into the backyard. I had just taken down the curtains that we put up, telling my husband that I wanted to “see some wildlife”. Well, ask and ye shall receive. Out there in the backyard underneath the pines was this HUGE snake. I blinked a few times to make sure I wasn’t seeing things, because he is quite possible the largest snake I’ve ever seen in person, not counting the zoo. I’d estimate his length to be between 5 or 6 feet long.
I grabbed my camera and headed out to the backyard to take some pictures. I got about 15 feet away from him and climbed up on the picnic table to take these shots. We watched each other for a while and finally after I went back inside to finish dinner he slithered off into the woods.
After some internet searching turned up nothing for me, my Father-in-law found a website with pictures of a yellow rat snake that looked very similar. I then emailed a professor at the University of GA who is a snake IDing expert (even has a book!), and I found out that it was probably a grey rat snake that was in my backyard. Which is a good thing to have. Based on this big guy’s size – he’s eaten plenty o’ rats in his day. Keep up the good work, dude.
I am learning more and more with each visit just how deep in the woods this cabin really is. The wildlife out there is very BIG and very REAL.
And I love it!
PS: There was also an extra large crappie caught by my proud husband Saturday morning. I’m so proud!
Leave a Reply