Had a black snake living my backyard for a couple of years & named her Mirtha. Mirtha was good folk, ate mice, kept copperheads at bay, & occasionally got a lil fancy trying to eat hummingbirds.
This year Mirtha made herself more visible to us. She was showing up in higher traffic areas, seemed to have a blockage in her belly.
A friend, who’s a herpetologist at a local university, connected us with the reptile team at NC State University. We drove Mirtha to Raleigh for help.
Sadly, we learned that Mirtha had eggs from last year that she could not birth. The eggs had begun deteriorating & created the risk of sepsis; Mirtha was euthanized & laid to rest.
I never thought I’d cry over a black snake, but damn do I miss Mirtha…