I’m in northeast Florida. For about six months of the year, the temp is in the high '80’s, mostly '90’s. But right now, it’s cool outside and I’m loving it. I’m going to buy a chaise longue for my patio, and I can see myself falling asleep in it. There’s a variety of wildlife in the area, including snakes. Now, I like snakes and I’d like to think I’d be awed by waking up with one, but in reality, I think it would be startling, and the snake would run off. We’ve also seen a Diamondback Rattler in our front yard. Other snakes moved like lightening as soon as they were aware of me, but the rattler didn’t make a move. He seemed intent on finding a meal (tongue flicking in and out), and I was within three feet of him. So whatcha think? Don’t fall asleep outdoors after dark, or don’t worry about it. (Lizards not a problem here; we have only very small anoles, and no 'gators [as far as I know]).
Try putting a heat rock outside. Those are what you put in lizard cages. And yes, your body heat will attract reptiles if they should come across you. My dad’s friend woke up with an iguana in his back one time in mexico
The chaise lounge will keep you a foot or so above ground. I doubt you will have any problems. Snakes aren’t likely to think of you as prey, mostly they are going to think of you as something to get the hell away from.
Tents are always handy.
When you do this, take a video camera. I would sure like to see the snake run off.
It’s the 6-legged things cuddling with you that I would worry about.
I am from Louisiana where there is also plenty of wildlife, especially the reptilian kind. Reptiles don’t usually seek out people as heat sources. I am sure it has happened but snakes are wary creatures by nature. I grew up with them all around, huge rattlesnakes, copperheads, water moccasins, and coral snakes but they were hard to find except for the water moccasins but they lived near water. The only thing we ever did was to check our sleeping bag before we got in at night if we were camping or look under recessed spaces before we got our legs right next to it but it was never a problem just sitting in the open. Poisonous snakes don’t like to crawl in open spaces. If it makes you feel any better, there may be thousands of poisonous snakes within a mile of you now with many inside of your house and you wouldn’t even know it. They are that good at hiding.
I can’t speak for North Florida…but down here in South Florida, I have plenty of homeless friends who sleep outside all the time. They rarely have visitors other than bugs. They do sleep with their shoes on, or with their shoes under the “pillows”…apparently they believe some bugs may crawl in there overnight.
I just sent an e-mail to one of them…I’ll report back when I get a response. Probably tomorrow.
*Them = homeless friends…not the bugs.
-D/a
Here’s an answer from a friend of mine who used to sleep outside every night:
When I was two years old my family traveled from California to Louisiana, sleeping on the ground in sleeping bags. Apparently one morning when my parents woke up they found several kittens on my stomach. Lucky they weren’t ravenous wolverines or something!
Isn’t that kind of dangerous for the reptiles? What if they curl up with something carnivorous?
If I fall asleep outside, after dark, will I awake with a critter cuddling me?
Maybe. It’s beyond our capability to prognosticate this.
Does Zeke the hobo count as a critter?
No, Zeke doesn’t count…or maybe he does if he’s reptilian
I wouldn’t be sleeping outside very late and certainly not all night (hubby would have something to say about that). I expect a short snooze in the evening wouldn’t be a problem. Thanks for the info.
Uh, no it does not me feel better in fact just the opposite! :eek:
In “True Grit” they put a rope on the ground around them in a circle to keep snakes away. I have no idea whether this works.
Forget about the rope, I googled it, and it’s an old wives’ tale.
This link suggests combining clove oil and cinnamon oil and spraying it around…
No reptiles, but I’ve woken up several times to the little beady eyes of a Marten staring right in my face, and once growling ferociously when it realized my head was beside the bag of food it was so intrigued by.
I do a fair amount of winter camping on my ski trips, and those Martens are as brave as they are curious and hungry. I even woke up once to one climbing on me to get to the food stash in the back of the snow cave.
Their retreat maneuver involves an instantaneous 180 degree reversal that is amazing to not really see.
Do mosquito bites count as evidence of “cuddling”?
So your homeless friends have internet?
Actually, most do - courtesy of your friendly public library. More than a few have smart phones also - dont ask me how they pay for them, but they have 'em.