Here's a modern Snake Story--
My wife is TERRIFIED of Toads & Frogs. We live in the country in Michigan, and there are plenty of these creatures around during the season. She would return home late evening just after dusk, and the toads would love sitting up on our driveway, probably because is was damp and warm. And she would just SCREAM! It happened a lot, 2-3 times each week for awhile. I'd have to go outside prior to her return and clear the deck, so to speak. A couple of years ago, I bought some rubber snakes and lined our driveway with them. Guess what? We haven't seen a toad on our driveway since. We bought a few more last year, and now we have 12-15 rubber snakes around our house and driveway. Works like a charm! The only downside is that deliverymen and visitors sometimes see them and have a moment of panic until they realize that they're fake.