Crickets Chirping in Our Dining Room

About a month ago we found a baby garter snake in our basement. I had seen a few outside in summers and fall but this one was running around in January. Rather than throw it outside we decided to make it a pet,

Tank, heater, mat, limbs, and two water pools (a hundred dollars) later the snake sits in our house and it does not eat. White worms we tried to feed it hatched into moths, the baby guppies and huge earthworms died. But the crickets, they are the toughest. They eat anything dead and thrive on celery and carrots. They have grown and now they are chirping. I love the soft sound, but I seem to be the only one.

It is August in my house right now or at least sounds like it. The only thing missing is balmy breeze through an open window. And blueberries - no fresh blueberries tonight, either.



The snake is about as thick as a pencil and maybe 10 inches long. It lets the crickets sit on him. It is brown like the one in this picture.

My family worries more about the snake than about me. We will release it in late April unless it starts to eat.