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Sarasota News Leader January 11, 2013 Page 86 Black and White (Argentine) Tegu pictured in you for identification. If you neglected to have the first Ask Otus feature, The truth about te- crammed the snake into your pocket, then the gus (Aug. 23, 2012). nurses, nurse's aides and the doctors will ask People put too much import on whether a you the same question and make you feel like snake is venomous or non-venomous. The a real dunce for not having done your due dilminute they learn a snake is non-venomous, igence and for having misplaced crucial evithey get all brave and fuzzy-wuzzily affection- dence. ate over it. It is rather like saying, "Oh! It's On the bright side, tetanus shots do not hurt OK if my pet tiger bites me because he isn't like they used to, assuming you can convince poisonous." That is high hyperbole, of course, the hospital caregivers that your snake was but I want to grab everyone's attention here! non-venomous. Snakes do bite, particularly when cornered, or, during mating season, when someone stands in their path to true love. Snakebites hurt. Bites become infected. Some snakes, such as your charming, tiny Ringneck and the non-venomous Florida Banded Water Snake, will spew a vile musky odor which causes skin irritations or worse — non-removable stains on your favorite shirt. Now, you were fortunate to see this tiny little creature and because of its size you recognized it as something quite different from our Black Racer. Just to show other readers how tiny this snake is, I have provided a photo of an ordinary sidewalk with a standard-sized sidewalk crack in it. You can even use the blade of grass on the right side of the photo as a form of measuring stick against the crack to see how tiny the snake is. The Ringneck Snakebites can also be terribly embarrassing. still has room to maneuver inside that crack! When you arrive at the hospital emergency Amazing little creature. BUT PLEASE DON'T room, the intake staff will ask what kind of TOUCH! snake bit you and whether you brought it with Thank you for writing. Thank you for being so kind to your little snake and not killing it. And thank you for being curious about Florida's wondrous creatures. Otus ABOUT OTUS The Ringneck Snake is tiny, as evidenced by its comparison in size to this sidewalk crack. File photo Otus Rufous, an Eastern Screech-Owl, was born on Siesta Key and is a full-time resident there. An avid hunter, accomplished vocalist and genuine night owl, Otus is a keen observer of our local wildlife and knows many of nature's secrets. Otus will answer your questions about our amazing wildlife, but only if you Ask Otus. So please send your questions and photos to askotus@sarasotanewsleader.com. Thank you.