222/365: "Even if a snake is not poisonous, it should pretend to be venomous." ~ Chanakya

3 more pictures and 1 text note above! :)

Last October I was checking under rocks along our ridgetop and to my complete surprise, I found this beautiful California Mountain Kingsnake!! I could not resist capturing this tiny baby so that I could bring it home to show Steve, who also loves snakes. Never in my life have I seen such a gorgeous snake in the wild...and I found it on our property!! WOW! Both of us were so amazed by this little guy that we wanted to keep it for our own. However, I needed to know that it would be ok to do this, so I did some research on the internet and found out that in our area, this is a fairly common snake, but because it's secretive, it's rarely seen. I found out that it isn't illegal to keep them as a pet, and both of us have had snakes, so we understand how to care for them. Finally, both of us were concerned that he was too small, so late in the year, to survive the long winter. So, after trying out many different names, we decided to call him "Snakey" because it's cute to say, bought him a tank and everything needed to care for him, and he's been with us for nearly 9 months now. He's grown much larger from his original 11" by several inches and is wonderful to hold and observe! :)

The quote I picked is perfect for him, because these snakes mimic the color of the very dangerous Coral Snake, but are not venemous and are very gentle and docile.

Chanakya (c. 370–283 BCE) was an Indian teacher, philosopher and royal advisor. Originally a professor of economics and political science at the ancient Takshashila University, Chanakya managed the first Maurya emperor Chandragupta's rise to power at a young age. He is widely credited for having played an important role in the establishment of the Maurya Empire, which was the first empire in archaeologically recorded history to rule most of the Indian subcontinent. Chanakya served as the chief advisor to both Chandragupta and his son Bindusara. Wikipedia: Chanakya

Explored on August 11, 2012. Highest placement, page 4.