your first time

The first snakes I remember are ones I would find in the yard when I was little and I'd pick them up and bring them inside. My mom would let me keep them for a couple hours tops and then make me release them back where I found them. After googling them just now, I've discovered them to be rough earth snakes, a non-venomous native species. They were all over my mom's front and back yards when I was growing up though I haven't seen many lately, though that could just be because I'm not running around the yard overturning rocks, the wooden garden separators, and anything else my little hands could grab hold of. Haha now that I think about it, after that I started on lizards with fire belly newts when I was about 7 or 8... and that was my last reptile until a year and a half ago when my bf renewed my interest in herps and snakes.

I've been fascinated by animals since before I can remember, so no real "first time" experience :confuzd: However, some of my fondest childhood memories are going out to the swamps and grass fields around them with two buckets. One for snakes (garters, some of them were so pretty!) and another one for frogs. I remember accidentally dropping a frog in the snake bucket once and watching the beastie gobble it down butt first. The little frog's head was sticking out of the snake's mouth, looked absolutely wicked! Poor girl who would accompany me sometimes was horrified though :rolleyes: