I love and admire snakes greatly, though I don't think they would be the right pet for me because of care issues and I'd want to be sure and care for them the way they should be. I actually have a fascination for all reptiles, and my weakest spot is for land turtles/tortoises.

One thing I really miss in MN is fewer reptile species in the wild. In Missouri where I grew up, there were box turtles, all kinds of lizards, and so many varities of snakes. I loved going on hikes and running across them. Once I ran across a speckled king snake sunning on a rock. It was so very beautiful. Another time at the park I saw a huge black rat snake climbing up a tree. I reached out and lightly touched his/her back. I really love seeing them, though have a healthy respect for venomous varieties

I once saw a very newly hatched copperhead baby at a nature park along the hiking trail. It was so beautiful.. the color on copperheads are pretty anyway, but on a newly hatched one, they were brilliant! He even still had his egg tooth. We did call the nature park rangers to come out and move him though because he was on a branch overhanging the trail and someone could have walked into him.