If you do keep him, make sure he’s on a leash. You know how NJ is about its leash laws.
[The Wiggles]
You better not…
You better not…
You better not touch.
[/The Wiggles]
From the moment I read the thread title, this refrain has been clanging aroung in my head…
Thanks.
I released Alfonso under the privet hedge in the back. 
There are lots of worms and bugs to keep him happy.
Farewell, Alfonso!
I swear, DeKay’s snakes (their former name until someone decided they shouldn’t be named after DeKay) are the worst little buggers for escaping. We had one at the nature center where I volunteered and he was constantly getting out of his cage----eventually he ran (slithered) away, never to be seen again.
Wait, first you scream at the poor guy and now you want to keep him away from his companions? Have a heart.
Yup, they sound like military wives to me, all right.
Greenbean you are a wonderful and caring person.
I just want you to know people do notice.
As a snake lover, I gotta say good for you for turning him/her loose, Green Bean. I know how hard it is when you’re thinking “Ooh, a new exotic pet…!” Wild-caught pretty much anything–snakes or otherwise–can have a very difficult time adjusting to domestic life, unless they’re injured (which would’ve been the case had other Dopers come across Alfonso, apparently) and need to be rehabilitated.
I say you go to the local pet store and check out corn snakes. 
[sub]And how impressed am I with you humane ways? Why, I used my 2000th post for this. I’ve never been much of a post-party type.[/sub]
Snakes are cool, I’d have a pet one if it was not for a) I’m never home. and b) feeder mice are gross.
Glad your Alphoso made it through his ordeal okay, but Vladimir is a much better name.
Next time you catch a snake, remember…
they taste like chicken!
My hat is off to you, too, Greenbean. When I was growing up in Upstate New York, snakes were the big thing for me and my buddies. We lived near a huge field with a stream, and would spend our weekends out there looking for new snake specimens. At first we would catch one and put it in a terrarium, but when the first one or two only ended up living a week or two, I realized that they didn’t need to be living their lives in a cage for my amusement. I grew up loving snakes and can remember a few of my favorites, like the beautiful bright green grass snake I had with a bright yellow belly and huge black eyes. He was the smoothest and friendliest snake I ever had.
Last week I came home after work and my 6-year-old daughter was very excited. She told me that in our neighbor’s front yard they had found a little baby snake, just a harmless one, in the grass. They didn’t know what to do, and the neighbor and my wife were just looking at each other, not knowing what to do. My daughter was no doubt running around the yard, all excited. Well along comes the neighbor’s mom, she gets out of her car, sees the excitement and says, “Who’s going to kill it?”. When no one volunteered, she went in the neighbor’s garage, got a shovel and cut it all up with the shovel.
I was so pissed off when I heard that story, I gave my wife and daughter heck for letting it happen. Disgusting! The poor little guy would have enjoyed eating plenty of bugs and being a service to the area. Thanks for sparing Alfonso.
It’s harmless. Let it go in the woods. Even if it’s venemous, it was harmless until you captured it.
Yay Green Bean! So many people just kill any and all snakes on sight, without even knowing what kind they are. I’m sure Alfonso is happily eating your slugs and telling alien abduction stories to his pals 
If you feel like getting a tame snake, another option besides corn snakes (which are cute, but IIRC eat mice) is garter snakes. I had one called Merlin for a while, and he was vastly entertaining. Garter snakes eat crickets, frogs and small fish; we always got him feeder fish from the local aquarium store, dumped the bag in his water pool and sat back to watch the show! I always wanted to try giving him crickets, but Mom wasn’t having any in the house.
The link I posted above is a garter snake. Another reason they’re good to have in the garden is that small rodents are terrified of them.
My mom has a big ol’ garter snake (4 footer) in her garden; she won’t let anybody harm it (including my father, who’s terrified of snakes).
She said she was out there working and a chipmunk (cursed eater of seeds and digger of bulbs) came hopping up its accustomed path. My mom was in its way so (after hurling some chipmunk invective her way) it detoured through a flower bed. It Stepped On the Snake. Mom said that 'munk went POING straight up in the air like it was shot out of a cannon. Heheh.
I second: kudos to those who do not bother snakes. They are harmless and much more scared of you.
You let it out IN YOUR BACKYARD? What if it comes BACK?
Heehee.
That was the best option. Good job!
I had a Burmese Python for years. He was a great pet. I’d consider getting another python, but I didn’t like feeding him rodents.
If you do plan to get a pet snake, Burmese Pythons are one of the most mellow snakes, but they do get large. Once they are used to being handled they become very affectionate*. Royal Pythons and Ball Pythons are a more manageable size.
*OK, reptiles don’t really do affection. They just like your body heat.
Well, if you’re like me, the first thing you need to do is defibrillate yourself.
I was walking into my apartment building one night and noticed what I thought was a stick leaning up against the doorjam. When I got closer I realized it was a snake, about 6’ long, 4’ of which was upright against the wall.
After I recovered from the shock I called out to anybody in the building who might have lost a pet. Then, realizing I had to get inside and the snake was about 4 inches from the door, I crept forward, finally managed to put the key in and turn it, and lunged through the door.
The snake, of course, did nothing.
I don’t hate snakes, rationally I realize they’re just animals and are part of the ecosystem and have as much right to live in peace as any other animal.
I just say, if they stay away from me, I’ll stay away from them.
I won’t bite them if they don’t bite me… is my motto.
Having grown up in rattler country I stay away from all snakes.
On the lighter side of snakedom… A little ditty to make you smile (or cringe)…
My friend Billy has a 5 foot willy
So he showed it to the girl next door.
She thought it was a snake
So whacked it with the rake
And now it’s only 2 foot 4.
