This morning I brought out a five gallon bottle of water to replenish the pond. As I poured, I noticed the familiar checkered pattern nestled in the plants next to the rocks that formed the sides of the pond. Quietly, I went for my tongs and gloves. As I got closer, I realized that this snake was big, too big for me to just grab without risking getting bitten.
I reached for the spade. I pressed the spade into the thick part of the snake that was visible - I wasn't sure where it was on the snakes body and I wasn't sure if I was actually killing it, but I could see its tail whip as I pressed as hard as I could against the spade. I realized that I really wasn't getting anywhere and was probably just causing pain, so I ran inside and asked my husband for some help. He came out, grasped the handle of the spade and applied more force to the snake's body. After awhile, he lifted the snake out of the garden and into a bucket.
Looking at the snake, I noticed that it still moved, its tongue still flicked and mouth still opened. I also saw that it had a large lump in its middle - it had just eaten. I dumped the snake out of the bucket onto some firm ground and struck with the spade several times so that the head was cleanly severed from the body.
I looked at the snake. And at the bulge. I ran inside and grabbed my kitchen shears. (Yes, the nice Kitchen Aide ones I use for cutting up chickens and such.) Cutting down from the incision on the neck, I found the snake's skin to be surprisingly tough. When I got to the bulge, I was very careful, but found a very dead young leopard frog. The frog was kind of smashed. If the poor frog was alive, I certainly killed it when killing the snake. I so hoped that this wasn't the sole leopard frog who had been hanging out in the pond every night, the frog I saw early this morning on the porch and said good morning to as she seemed to go hopping off to work. It probably was. I buried her in the garden and said a few words.
I reached for the spade. I pressed the spade into the thick part of the snake that was visible - I wasn't sure where it was on the snakes body and I wasn't sure if I was actually killing it, but I could see its tail whip as I pressed as hard as I could against the spade. I realized that I really wasn't getting anywhere and was probably just causing pain, so I ran inside and asked my husband for some help. He came out, grasped the handle of the spade and applied more force to the snake's body. After awhile, he lifted the snake out of the garden and into a bucket.
Looking at the snake, I noticed that it still moved, its tongue still flicked and mouth still opened. I also saw that it had a large lump in its middle - it had just eaten. I dumped the snake out of the bucket onto some firm ground and struck with the spade several times so that the head was cleanly severed from the body.
I looked at the snake. And at the bulge. I ran inside and grabbed my kitchen shears. (Yes, the nice Kitchen Aide ones I use for cutting up chickens and such.) Cutting down from the incision on the neck, I found the snake's skin to be surprisingly tough. When I got to the bulge, I was very careful, but found a very dead young leopard frog. The frog was kind of smashed. If the poor frog was alive, I certainly killed it when killing the snake. I so hoped that this wasn't the sole leopard frog who had been hanging out in the pond every night, the frog I saw early this morning on the porch and said good morning to as she seemed to go hopping off to work. It probably was. I buried her in the garden and said a few words.
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