Maya is interested in bugs. So far she's seen big summer spiders in our trees, june bugs, lady bugs, butterflies, etc. So we got her a bug kit which included a bug catcher and a bug observation container.
Her dad caught a shiny green beetle this weekend and we put it in the container for her to see. I pursuaded her dad to let it go by the end of the day by telling him it had to "eat dinner". 
This guy or gal we found hanging out by our front door. Maya grabbed her bug catcher and said "I catch it!!" I said no, you're not. It's about 12 inches long. I think still a baby. It may be the standard gartner snake. I researched the checkered pattern and the dark line across its head and it closely resembles a Sonoran Gopher Snake or a Bullsnake. If you look closer though, you'll see it resembles the checkered pattern of Louis Vuitton. Nice. We'll call our city's animal control to find out for sure. For now, it's under a wire mesh colander out front for my husband to see when he gets home from work.