Snakes and Slug Slime

In a way, I am a little bit like James Harriott.  If you aren't familiar with him, he was a British Veterinarian and author of children's books.  Our children and grandchildren are great fans.

Somehow, I associate him with the words "all creatures great and small" which I think was the title of one of his books even though I believe the source of them was a children's song learned long ago in Sunday School.  In saying that I am a bit like him, I refer to the fact that I am intrigued by animals -- creatures -- of almost any kind.  That doesn't necessarily mean that I want them as companions or as pets, but that I am interested in their construction, their function and their place in the overall scheme of things.  After all, everything on this earth serves a purpose and every virus, bacteria, insect, plant and animal has a role to play.

What brings this to mind is a post from yesterday on Facebook in which a friend discovered a small garter snake trapped in a glue trap inside the bathroom at their home.  Snakes are interesting to me although I have never been one to pick them up and let them wind around my arm as my bride is willing to do.  I don't fear them, I just have no desire to interact with them on such a personal level.  I think finding one in the bathroom goes a bit beyond invasion of personal space.

Since moving to this part of Texas we have become acquainted with a number of creatures that were not a part of growing up in drier climes.  The one that specifically comes to mind is the common garden slug.  They come out at night and leave slime trails on our back porch.  In the daylight, after the slime has dried, you can see their trails shine as they reflect the light.  They especially follow the mortared seam where the concrete of the porch abuts the bricks of the house.  Over time, through repeated nights of traveling the same path, the thin layer of dried slime builds to form a thorough coating over the mortar and concrete that makes it look as though it has been varnished.  They sometimes will climb on the windows as well, leaving a tracery of paths across the glass that is only apparent when the light hits it just right.  I am not a fan of them if for no other reason than the mess they make with their slime trails.  They do, however, make good bait.

My "to do" list gets a new addition -- scrubbing the back porch.  I probably should wait until the sliming season is past.

I wonder what the purpose of a slug might be....