The furthest compost pile was ready to turn (I have 5 going right now... I'm a glutton for punishment!) -- its been about a month since I started it which is WAY to long to wait to turn it. This pile borders the field with not a lot of activity going on. I'm doing my turning deed, and what do I find but a nest of eggs. ARGH!! What are they? Skunk? Turtle? Snake? Quick... run to the house and look them up. Damn... I don't have a reptile book, or any other kind of book to see what they are - I've just never been into mammals and reptiles. But ahh... the ever wondrous Internet. Rick, quick, look up box turtle eggs. We find a couple pics that maybe look a little like them, but its not a positive identification. Try black snake eggs. BINGO! They are identical for a black rat snake. So now what? Do I want about a dozen black snakes running around? I don't think so... even though black snakes ARE beneficial. Rick suggested scattering them in the field. I went back out and poked at them, and couldn't toss them. So I just pushed them a little closer to the pile so I don't roll over them with the lawn mower and will let mother nature do her thing. I have a sneaky suspicion now that they are exposed, a predator will eat them. What a night.
3 comments:
Didn't you recently have a snake inside your house? Eggs that close to home is just an open invitation into your house again! Yikes!
Yes!!! And I'm wondering now if that snake was seeking a place to lay eggs -- in the house?? All in all, its creepy, yet a natural part of nature that I'm going to just let be. It would be impossible to keep the snakes away from the house. The nest is about 100 yards from the house -- that's far in my book and I feel "safe." :) We're extra aware now to keep on the lookout.
Hello, I was turning my compost pile this morning, and I saw these white things, thought they were mushrooms or something with all the rain we've gotten, but lo-and-behold they were eggs, about had a coniption(?)and was lookin up snake eggs in Central PA and came across your blog, you saved me from a heart attack. Anyway how cool is that! Snake eggs, my boys thought it was awesome.
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