"OmManiPadmeOmelet" wrote in message
...
Insects I believe are not intelligent enough to reason... or to attack
unless they think you are "food" for some reason?

It probably kept coming towards him 'cause it was too dumb to do
anything else and just wanted to go that way? G

I think the stories of people being "chased" by water moccasin snakes
are pretty much the same thing. The snake is just trying to get away,
but too stupid to move in the right direction.

Best thing to do is to step aside?

But yeah, I'd be curious to see what A&M says. I'm always up for an
education if I am wrong. ;-)

I remember my Dad was trying to get away at the same time pushing it off the
driveway with the shovel. But who knows, the whole thing may have been one
big misunderstanding (my Dad and the stick, that is).

But remember, many creatures are not intelligent, but are perfectly capable
of aggression in self-defense (fire ants, for example).

You're right about the "chasing" thing. Many times it's just the noise the
person makes while they're running away crashing through the brush that
makes them think the snake is chasing them. I spent a *bunch* of time in
East Texas doing my field work for herpetology in the early 90's and we
found more than our share of moccasins. Nasty things, they are - stink like
rotten eggs (sulphur) when you disturb them. But only once did I have one
get *really* aggressive with me - it was when I was in a canoe and I
happened to paddle right on top of the lilies where he was sunning himself.
I thought he was going to come *into* the canoe with me....he struck the
paddle like 6 times!!

Hoop snakes are another Texas lore that makes me laugh. The best one was a
little old lady in East Texas that we were talking with on a cultural
herpetology trip. She claimed that the hoop snake took it's tail in it's
mouth (forming the "hoop") and then rolled at high speed chasing her across
the pasture, over a barbed wire fence (it jumped it) and then up a tree!
And the whole time the snake was whistling....I didn't have the nerve to ask
what tune.

I've always maintained a healthy dose of skeptcism on both sides - both the
believers and the unbelievers of an "animal legend." It's funny how
emotional people get (not you Om ) on both sides of the equation. When
emotion is projected onto critters - whether loving or hateful - objectivity
goes out the door. And a little objectivitiy - and education - is a good
thing. We need more people that can balance both with care and kindness
(like you, Om )! ok soapbox over!!

Julie