A snake in the grass isn't always a bad thing | CD Voice
As a boy, I had the privilege of growing up in small towns, where forests and fields were not too far from our back door. A sense of wonder and respect for nature came from climbing trees and building hideouts.
▲ Photo provided by Matt Prichard
With that came curiosity about other creatures. My stepdad grew up on a farm, and my grandmother used to bring me small snakes she caught such as rat snakes or corn snakes.
I would keep the snakes in a cage for a few weeks before releasing them, feeding them bits of meat and letting them curl around my arm. They felt like smooth, cool leather, not unpleasant at all.
As a young man, I had a few encounters with some of the venomous snakes of North America, including a big rattlesnake in Texas, a copperhead in Arkansas and a brightly colored but deadly coral snake in Florida.
In China, I have spent more time in cities than in the countryside, and have never seen a snake here. I do know that snakes play an important role in Chinese culture, such as in mythology and traditional medicine. Some snakes are bottled with wine.
One of the zodiac signs of the lunar calendar, snakes represent many qualities in Chinese culture, including evil, craftiness and luck. In the famous "Tale of the White Snake", Bai Suzhen, a snake spirit in the form of a woman, marries and has a son with a human. A magical monk bent on revenge reveals the woman's true form to the man, Xu Xian, who is shocked. Eventually, the monk is defeated and true love wins.
China is home to many snakes, including the beautiful but deadly king cobra, which can reach over 5 meters — the longest venomous snake in the world —and can inject a large amount of a powerful neurotoxin, enough to kill an elephant.
I've learned that snakes vary widely depending on which country or even which part of a country you're in. Since we have travel to Central America to visit family, I have joined several snake identification and education groups online to learn more about snakes in Panama and Costa Rica.
▲ Photo provided by Matt Prichard
Among the most feared is the "terciopelo", or velvet snake, a large viper with an "X" pattern on its body and part of the fer-de-lance, or lance head, group. Aside from its venom, a strong hemotoxin that destroys blood and flesh, it is dangerous because it doesn't mind living close to people.
▲ Photo provided by Matt Prichard
But one of the remarkable things I've found online is how many fans snakes have. One of the recurring themes in the groups is that people should not automatically kill snakes out of misunderstanding or ignorance.
They point out that snakes are important in nature's balance and help to control pests like rodents.
They say many nonvenomous snakes eat venomous ones. But they also advocate retreating from venomous snakes or moving them — preferably from a distance, as with a water hose —rather than killing them. They admiringly refer to pictured snakes as "cute" and "a beauty". One site has a "baby snake of the day" feature.
While my enthusiasm may not have reached quite the same heights, I have gained more appreciation for these magnificent creatures. I plan to try to stay away from the venomous ones and, as much as possible, live and let live.
About the authorbroadcaster
Matt Prichard is a copy editor and writer who works on the front page team of China Daily. He has lived in China for more than five years, in Shanghai and Beijing. Before that, he had a 30-year career as a reporter and editor in the United States and Latin America. He has an ABJ from the University of Georgia and did postgraduate work at the Universidad Nacional del Sur in Argentina. He speaks Spanish fluently and is still learning Mandarin.
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