It’s gonna be a tough sell to find a way to relate snakes to the boating world, but let’s try anyway.

Yes, you easily could find a snake in your boat at any given time. There’s the connection, if you want to take a real stretch.

But the reason for writing about snake behavior right now is because of Ian – and, of course, other storms that pass through the region. Anything that’s going to dump copious amounts of water onto the ground is going to change snake behavior.

When normally dry or marshy areas become flooded out, snakes are going to move to a more tolerable environment. Yep, that could be your boat.

More likely, however, it’s going to be somewhere around your house – the garage, back deck, anywhere where they will feel safe and more comfortable.

Chances are high that you’ll never know they are there. That’s what the snakes want, at least. They’re not fond of people in the least bit.

If you see one, leave it alone. Chances are that it will be gone after it’s eaten any potential food or figured out there isn’t any.

We have three species of venomous snakes in the region, and all three prefer to be left alone. The other species that help with vermin control will bite you if messed with. And their mouths contain lots of very nasty bacteria.

So leave them alone and wait for waters to recede. They’ll find their way home and it’ll all be just fine.

Until the next storm.