When I was a kid, we had these all over: Blue Racer, they get big, and they do bite! Plus they are fast!
The general consensus, while in grade school, if you ticked one off, was to run like hell in a zig-zag fashion. Therefore the snake, while pursuing you would roll over, either on a zig or zag, and had to right them self, thus improving your chances of a clean getaway. Third and fourth grade were a lot of fun.
Todd will have nightmares for sure!
We don't have blue racers, but we have black racers. They are very closely related. I'm not sure why Michigan is fortunate to have their own version of this snake. The black racer isn't extremely aggressive, but it certainly will bite with the right opportunity. I find them quite attractive, and I'm not even a snake fancier. I just make sure I'm wearing my welding gloves (very long leather gloves) before I grab one to relocate it.
Although I'm crazy enough to believe that nightmares are a great adventures of the mind, maybe I can begin a "sensitivity" program for Todd and my spouse. I've been trying with my wife for about 35 years. It hasn't worked, so far.
I'm making progress with my youngest grand daughter.
She is doing pretty well with appreciating critters of all kinds. Maybe I can get her to start conditioning Todd's little ones, who are just younger and older than she is. I can just see Todd's family heading over the mountain after a visit -- "hey dad, do you know what kind of snake this is?" -- as she holds it up for him to see in the rear view mirror.
