Snakes

[deserteagle71]

Out here in Nevada what I see the most of is what the locals call "Bull" snakes or "Gopher Snakes". They can grow quite large but are harmless.

Here's a 6 footer:

They crawl all over my deck:

And even up onto the kennel:

I'd always heard that a snake would only eat what they killed. Not so. One day I found a mouse in a trap in the barn, and I'd seen a bull snake on my patio. I dropped the mouse in front of the snake and it proceeded to just swallow it up!

This one managed to climb up 13' in my pole barn to a bird's nest and feast on either the eggs or baby birds that were up there.

Last summer as I was walking on my deck after dark I heard a familiar buzz. Thank God for the warning, but still, can't have these things hanging around the house where someone could be inadvertently bitten. .22 revolver with bird shot took care of the problem, had to hold a flashlight in one hand and the Smith in the other because it was too dark to see anything. First time I'd seen a rattler at the house in the 24 years I've lived here.

Out on a ride on my Yamaha Kodiak last month, this guy took refuge under the quad. But since it was the middle of nowhere I took his picture (and some good video), then carefully maneuvered away from him and left him be.

 

[PILOON]

Timber rattlers are protected.

Good to know, but who protects us?

 

[bunyip]

I used to tell people that I had a very effective snake repellent spray, comes in a container about the size of my thumb, the applicator is a bit more difficult to get as you need a licence for a 12g shotgun.
When I was in the Air Force I was posted in Malaysia for a while, there were fences alongside the runways so the natives didn't set up camp in a clear area, during the monsoon season the edges of the runways were underwater and the cyclone fences were host to hundreds of snakes, mainly cobras and crates, I have never seen so many snakes in such a small area all interwoven through the wire, soon as the water dropped they were gone but it served to remind you just how many snakes were in the area that you probably walked through a day or so earlier and never saw.

 

[WM75Guy]

When I worked for the FD in the NE suburbs of Fort Worth a lady called 911 and reported a snake on her front porch. Animal Control was off so the PD sent the sergeant to investigate. When he called for back up and a camera Code 3 we went to see what was going on. This little fellow was on her porch. Measured 14'. We borrowed her trashcan and put him in the back of the ambulance for transport to the station.

We played with him for 2 hours till the Humane Society agreed to come and get him. Later a neighbor called after seeing a news story about the snake and asked if he could have it back. He had opened a window to air out the snake's bedroom. The snake pushed the screen off and escaped. He got his snake back with a warning to relocate it out of the city as it violated city ordinance on exotic pets.

 

[stingray1]

Timber rattlers are protected.

Here in East Tennessee they're dead.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Had a good wake up call about a week ago. We are at are present property about a year now. When I fenced for our horses, I left some space for mowing rather than go right against the tree line. I like or rather my boxer dog likes a daily walk so I take him around the fence line. He is happy for his walk and I get a daily check on my fence.

The grass was in need of mowing so it was just dumb luck that I saw a copperhead curled up in the grass. We were close though, whew! We paid him/her a wide berth and I am vigilant now when we walk. The wake up call has me looking around the barn when I go for a bale of hay or whatever.

 

[CajunRider]

Ran over this 3 ft water moccasin on my driveway yesterday afternoon. He wasn't very happy.
PS: Without anything to show the size, he looked puny in this picture. He couldn't move but was still striking. I didn't want to risk putting anything next to him. I simply drove over him again.

 

[k0ua]

All of ours are protected and I generally ignore them as most are around the creek or drain having a feast of endangered Growling Grass Frogs, if one comes near the house or won't move it gets relocated to snake heaven.
We had one in the bathroom when I was doing renovations, the walls were off and he came in from under the house, my wife found him and I reckon that you probably would have heard the scream where you are, another time our fox terier brought one into the house and presented it to us in the kitchen, it was very much alive and not happy, a few character building moments that day.
And to be a sanctimonious pedant I have heard there are only two poisonous snakes in the world and I think they are both in Japan.

I don't know of any poisonous snakes, but we have 4 species of venomous snakes in my state alone. Although one the coral snake has a very limited range in Missouri. But as for our rattlesnakes, copperhead, and cotton mouth snakes, they can be found in suitable habitat over the state. The copperhead is probably our most widely distributed venomous snake, But they probably are not as dangerous from a venom standpoint or aggressiveness standpoint as our cotton mouth also called water moccasin snakes. Those guys hate humans and love to fight.

 

[dmccarty]

Ran over this 3 ft water moccasin on my driveway yesterday afternoon. He wasn't very happy.
PS: Without anything to show the size, he looked puny in this picture. He couldn't move but was still striking. I didn't want to risk putting anything next to him. I simply drove over him again.

Years ago, I was driving up our road and I saw a copperhead heading towards our house. :thumbdown: My first thought was to stop the truck, get one of the 2x4's used to hold cargo in the truck bed and wack the snake. Thought about that idea for a second... Figured getting close enough to wack the snake with a short 2x4 was not the best idea and I was missing the obvious... RUN THE DANG THING OVER WITH THE TRUCK! :laughing::laughing::laughing:

So I did. Once in gear, and to make sure, put the truck in neutral and rolled back over Mr. Poison No Legs.

Got a stick and tossed a flattened Mr. Poison No Legs into the woods for something to eat. It was gone the next day.

Don't like killing snakes but poisonous ones near the house are a threat.

Later,
Dan

 

[beowulf]

There may be a day now and then when you are thinking you are having a bad day. It happens. But, for those days, save and replay this link and remember that somewhere there may be someone who is having a worse day.

video breaking up sink to find snake inside - Bing video