snakes

[neo]

How do u deal with them when detecting my biggest concern is digging a hole a snake could be in, how would i get it to come out.

 

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[cudamark]

I guess I'm lucky as I have never run across a snake in my 43+ years of detecting. Now where's my chunk of wood to knock on........oh, here it is.......

 

[Msbeepbeep]

I hunt mostly open spaces so they know I'm coming long before I know they are there. They then have time to drop my gold and slither away!

 

[Carolina Tom]

Snakes are not usually going to be in holes. They bask in the sun, rest in the shade and hunt for something to eat. If you see one, stomp the ground, it will feel the vibrations. Snakes do not hear or see very well, so yelling or waving at them does not do much good. A gentle poke with a stick, or detector coil should make make them flee.

Don't be afraid of snakes, they will not chase you, and almost all of them are non-poisonous.

 

[Talon]

This comes up once a month. The long and short of it is: Don't mess with snakes and they won't mess with you. Seriously, just back away and go around. You aren't going to dig in the ground and lo' and behold find a snake. That's not how they work. They are surface dwellers like us. Be observant of your surroundings, which you should be looking at the ground as you detect and you will never be "surprised" by a snake.

 

[aliciakay1981]

when i was about 6 yrs old i kept a baby red belly in my closet in a big pickle jar until my momma found it : ) snake aint scary, people are

 

[Ism]

When I was young hiking through the woods in Ohio, I heard what I thought was a cicada on a tree and started looking for it. After a few moments I looked down and saw a coiled rattler about 2 ft. from me.
Popular wisdom at the time was to stand very still.... I jumped back and ran the other direction.

 

[dnewbury2]

I came across this one last summer.

 

[BDinutah]

I don't know what area of the country you're from, so your snakes may be different from mine, but most snakes want to avoid humans & people who usually get bit have startled the snake in some way, the rattlers out here can strike 1/3 to 1/2 their body length, they generally like concealment unless they're on the move & they seem to be rather lethargic up to 50-60 degrees, but as stated previously be alert & aware of your surroundings, make noise & if you come across one give it a wide berth & you won't have any problems.

 

[Carolina Tom]

Looks like a Canebrake rattlesnake. That is one bad customer!

 

[dnewbury2]

Looks like a Canebrake rattlesnake. That is one bad customer!

It's a timber rattler and I almost stepped on him.

 

[DDancer]

I've detected in plenty of woods and a lot of desert. Its only in the desert I've ever really had a concern about snakes taking a poke at me. If you use your coil like a shield and just scoot along if said snake is upset it will hit the coil before it hits you. Seen it plenty of times. Same goes with walking to a dig and using my shovel like a shield.

Want to find something mean in a hole or under a rock.... scorpions and ants. Even the big centipedes can be a nuisance but they wont chase ya down.

Just having a walk about in the woods.... carry a stick and shuffle it ahead. Snakes generally don't want to mess with things bigger than they are however if your fishing water moccasins like to play.

 

[Carolina Tom]

It's a timber rattler and I almost stepped on him.

Canebrake is a Timber rattler (Crotalus horridus). It is known for that yellow orange stripe down it's back, as well as it's lighter overall color. We usually see them closer to the coast around the Carolinas. I am glad that you didn't step on it... would have made for a BAD day.

GL&HH.

 

[Peyton Manning]

most snakes are no worries, but watch out for those boomslang- cobras

 

[Moise]

In the Mojave Desert where I'm from we like to see gopher and kings. If they are around it's a good sign as they usually displace the other more dangerous snakes; Mojave Greens and sidewinders and such. There was a picture going around my work of a nice rhumba of snakes basking in the sun when the weather finally warmed up a bit. I think there were somewhere around 30-40 in the picture basking around the base of a large creosote bush with more coming out of the holes at the base.

Mojave Greens/Reds are no joke. Sidewinders are bad as well since they can coil down level with the sand. sometimes they are hard to spot until you are within their defense zone and the only notice you will get is when they posture up.

We always go by the rule; never put your body or limbs in places before your eyes have scoped it.

 

[DigginDownUnder]

Snake gaiters are a must when detecting in Australia during summer.

 

[dirtlooter]

in most of the south, if you are outside, the potential of seeing a snake is usually pretty high, that is why I am always looking down. For a snake to be in a hole at this time of the year usually means it is hunting something in the hole. most will be hiding under something unless coiled and ambush hunting. then of course there are the water snakes, one nonvenomous kind gets confused with copperheads and killed. I hear about poisonous snakes getting killed all the time by people who don't know their snakes and a lot of the time they were harmless. they do serve a valuable service in nature and they are great at scaring the crap out of people! lol I used to catch the rattlers and copperheads to show the kids their fangs and the poison dripping from them and explain why they don't catch snakes until they know what they are actually catching. yep, kids out in the country catch a lot of them, play with them along with the lizards and frogs, tarantulas, scorpions etc. something to do and kids are curious and fast learners. at a early age we teach them how to tell the difference for their safety as well as the snakes.

 

[TrpnBils]

How do u deal with them when detecting my biggest concern is digging a hole a snake could be in, how would i get it to come out.

I always hesitate to click on "snakes" topics here because I usually don't find things as positive as this thread has been, so that's a nice surprise. My wife and I are both former zookeepers and I specialized in all things creepy and crawly that nobody else wanted to work with: snakes, lizards, turtles, scorpions, tarantulas, alligators, etc. On top of that, we're snake breeders in addition to our regular jobs. As I type this, I'm sitting in our snake room feeding this year's clutch of babies.

I agree with lots of people here...with one additional point. Definitely aren't likely to find snakes "in a hole"...if anything, you're more likely to find them in rocky crevices or out in the open, or underneath cover debris (discarded boards, car parts, and occasional big rocks). Don't bother them and they won't bother you, and the ones that could actually do you harm (and there aren't that many in your neck of the woods) will give you fair warning the fast majority of the time.

The additional point I wanted to raise is this: if you find a snake while you're detecting, hiking, or whatever, take the time to appreciate what you've come across!!! They really are fascinating creatures, especially when you take the time to really study them and see how different they are from us and every other mammal we come across on a daily basis. Most snakes have cool patterns, unique adaptations, or just an interesting look about them if you really want to stay superficial, so take the time to get to know it before running the other way or shooing it out of your way (if that's the case, just walk around it, because if you poke it with a stick it's probably going to shoot off in another direction...if you're not comfortable around them, wouldn't you rather know where it is instead of wondering where it went?).

Okay I have an additional additional point... I am out of the reptile business, professionally anyway, but I still get calls from people almost weekly during the summer about "venomous snakes" in their yard, house, etc. I have yet to actually see one at one of these calls.... misidentification can make a huge deal out of something that doesn't need to be. You'd only need to be careful around about half a dozen snakes in your state (and I'd bet money they're not all in your particular area of the state anyway). If you're taking the time to really look at a snake if you find it (notice "look at" does not mean "handle or harass"), take a look at the eyes.... all of the venomous snakes in your state have vertical pupils like a cat EXCEPT for the coral snake, which is pretty recognizable without getting that close....it's also not super common that far north). All other snakes in your state have round pupils and are harmless to people!

Enjoy it!

 

[Red James Cash]

I read,i forget where,it was either the Black Mamba or the Fer De Lance that will chase you.I think its an old wives tale though.Anyway theyre not in your area.If they were leave them be,they would definitely ruin your day.

 

[TrpnBils]

I read,i forget where,it was either the Black Mamba or the Fer De Lance that will chase you.I think its an old wives tale though.Anyway theyre not in your area.If they were leave them be,they would definitely ruin your day.

I'd like to add that not only are they not in your area, but not on this continent. You'd be surprised at how many people believe that because they're seen them on the Discovery Channel that they must be crawling every inch of the earth. My favorite old wives tale is the one where a rat snake (or other harmless snake) is somehow magically interbreeding with rattlesnakes so that you get a snake that looks like a harmless one but is somehow packing fangs and deadly venom. That can't biologically happen either.... but it's so commonly heard the PA Game Commission (or Dept of Natural Resources....can't remember which) has it on an FAQ on their website.