Well the snakes are officially on the move here

[kcm]

gunsil wrote, "Snakes do NOT interbreed."

...To each his/her own. But my post above....all anyone has to do is a web search or two. It is rare in the wild, but happens. Baffles me though that people actually interbreed snakes "for sale".

 

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[kcm]

Seems I also remember hearing about a similar such instance - someone getting the venom of a dead snake injected. This was many years back and, I think, down south somewhere. But far too long ago to remember any details. I've been away from snakes so long now that I don't even think about them. Only thing we have is garter snakes. Nothing else can withstand the cold temps here.

 

[smokeythecat]

Digiron2, you're cool. I killed a garter snake on purpose once over 20 years ago. I still regret doing it but the sucker would jump out in front of me every time I'd go in the garden. It was just too much. Didn't need the heart attack and we have copperheads here.

Was in my mother in laws garden a bunch of years ago, and it was just getting dark. I smelled cucumbers. Wait - She didn't plant cucumbers. I backed out real slow. That was a copperhead.

There is also a quarry not far from here. I was mineral colleting there once upon a lifetime ago, and in the bottom of this quarry, I smelled cucumbers. SNAKES! Poisonous ones. Run Away!

And then there was the copperhead in the street that one night. Just like the post of the copperhead here. I won't admit to running it over, backing back over it, and then running it over again. It's called a mercy killing. Don't think I'd ever do that again though. That was 35 years ago.

Couple zillion years ago a milk snake, harmless, got trapped at my basement door. Back then there were concrete steps going down to the basement. Didn't want to hurt it, so scooped it up in a large Tupperware tub. Wanted to make SURE it was harmless so took it to the guys at the local state park. So the ranger just reaches and grabs the little snake (all 12" worth) and proceeds to hold this wild animal (who was probably having a cow), like WILD and he and the snake show me a picture of the snake in a book.

About 3 years ago a BIG milk snake is in the middle of my street. So I pull up along side it, roll the window down, and tell the snake (like it can understand me) how pretty it is and it better get out of the road before someone runs over it. He apparently did move right after that. I have almost turned the car over a few times (exaggerating here some) to MISS snakes in the road. I've changed a lot.

Back to the mother in law's house 35 years ago, I'm walking to the house and didn't see the little copperhead next to the walkway. Little creep (word chosen carefully), struck me! Got the back of the tennis shoe and not me. How do you spell dead snake? shovel

And finally, I was hunting about 40 years ago (Yes the cat is old), anyway, I'm walking through a low area and I stepped right around a snake. Didn't know it at the time, but it was right between my legs. I must have known something was wrong. So I stop. And this here snake scrambles from where I'm standing over it and heads away. Well, let's just say at that point it was unnecessary to defend myself. But I leveled the 12 gauge and fired it three times. Then, not seeing the snake anymore, backed up about 10 feet (pellets were zinging by my head after hitting rocks), and emptied three more rounds into the piece of territory where the snake had been. I don't think there was enough for the bugs to get a taste. Notice - don't scare the cat while the cat is hunting!

 

[Peyton Manning]

kill them all,only good snake is a dead one

well there we have some brilliant thinking!! NOT

 

[Limitool]

oops. Well that sucks! Live and learn I guess. At least now I know for future reference. I don't ever see that variety of garden snake around here. Mostly just ring necks , Blacks snakes, and the occasional green snake, which I never bother of course. First thing that came to mind when I saw this one was a copperhead. I don't like to take any things life unless it is necessary or to fill the freezer, I know everything has a purpose. Personally snakes don't bother me at all, but then again I haven't stepped on one yet either, just looking out for the family. Now anything with eight legs or more, "Yikes", not a big fan. Well I made a mistake and for that I am sorry. I am still glad I posted it, I guess that is one way to learn.

That is very big of you to admit that.... You certainly have my respect buddy. Maybe someday I'll make a mistake.... (60+ and counting) Lets move on... QUICKLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Peyton Manning]

just for future info, copperheads are not aggressive snakes, leave en alone and you will be ok

BTW here I am with a bull snake in North Dakota last summer

 

[Limitool]

just for future info, copperheads are not aggressive snakes, leave en alone and you will be ok

BTW here I am with a bull snake in North Dakota last summer

View attachment 1290696

Jeff... while I'm not at all trying to argue with ya.... I've found Copperheads are very aggressive if confronted. While they avoid striking and wasting venom the one's I've dealt with are real aggressive... just saying guy. Maybe it's a personal thing between me and them.....

And I grabbed a bull by the neck like that when I was 13.... it really didn't work out well for me... just saying. The bull I grabbed had these things called horns. Another story... Brad

 

[Peyton Manning]

I can only speak from experience. I found one right next to a well traveled trail, I poked it with a stick to get it away from the trail in case others saw it. And it slowly moved away.

 

[Terry Soloman]

 

[wainzoid]

I have found copperheads to be very aggressive. Northern water snakes can be also, but they are not venomous.

 

[kcm]

Define "aggressive". They don't want to bite. They don't want to be stepped on. However, if provoked, they will protect themselves with the only defense they have, other than slithering away.

So if a (meaning "any") snake doesn't want to bite and doesn't want to attack, how exactly is it aggressive? (<-- serious question - am NOT picking fun at anyone!)

 

[wainzoid]

Define "aggressive". They don't want to bite. They don't want to be stepped on. However, if provoked, they will protect themselves with the only defense they have, other than slithering away.

So if a (meaning "any") snake doesn't want to bite and doesn't want to attack, how exactly is it aggressive? (<-- serious question - am NOT picking fun at anyone!)

On several occassions while fishing, both on the bank and while wading, I have had both copperheads and water snakes come towards me. I repeatedly had to push them away or flip them over with my wading staff or fishing rod. Once, only a couple years ago, I had to do this to a copperhead at least a dozen times until I gave up, and got the heck outta there.

 

[wainzoid]

My experience is, that 99 percent of the copperheads that people claim to see, are either milk snakes or water snakes.

 

[kcm]

When non-water snakes see you in the water, they're not seeing a snack or a victim, they're seeing an island in the water that they can go and lounge on. ...Snakes don't see well. They find their way with there heat-sensing tongue.

 

[gunsil]

gunsil wrote, "Snakes do NOT interbreed."

...To each his/her own. But my post above....all anyone has to do is a web search or two. It is rare in the wild, but happens. Baffles me though that people actually interbreed snakes "for sale".

There are NO instances of non-venomous snakes interbreeding with venomous snakes, it is all a falsehood. Remember, everything you read on the internet is true, Abraham Lincoln said so. The one internet site that says snake interbreeding is true was a creationist site. I studied herpetology at university in the 60s and there was no proof of snake interbreeding then and I doubt it has happened since then.

 

[pa plateau hiker]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. It always amazes me how a 200 lb man can be afraid of a 10" non-poisonous snake and have to kill it. I have handled dozens and dozens of non-poisonous snakes and yes, some will bite you. Most are docile. They usually pee on you. I look for snakes all summer, flipping rocks and debris. It is difficult to get pictures of them because they crawl away so fast. They do not attack. I've had rattlesnakes crawl away before I could get a photo. Timber rattlesnakes are not as aggression as most people think they are. I've walked within feet of them, not knowing they where there. And they never struck at me.

 

[Ahab8]

Sheesh!! What a lot of hooey here. OP killed a poor defenseless garter snake without a doubt. Snakes do NOT interbreed. A dead snake cannot kill you. Most people think any black snake in the water, some even think any snake in the water is a cottonmouth-not true. Most people cannot be killed by either a rattlesnake or a copperhead if your body weight is over 80 lbs, they will make you sick and sore but will not kill you unless you are allergic to their venom as some folks are to bee stings. Copperheads look VERY similar to milk snakes, copperheads have pink bellies while milk snakes have a black and white checkerboard pattern belly, and of course copperheads have the triangular head.. I'll bet most of you don't know that some species of snakes such as the poor dead garter snake shown give live birth while other species lay eggs.

People, it is NOT COOL to kill snakes, they will not attack you, although they will bite if you step on one. Snakes do not spread disease but they kill a large amount of rodents that do carry disease or the parasites the rodents carry do. They are god's creatures just as we are and deserve a place on our earth the same as we do. Now in other continents there are extremely poisonous snakes and around 100,000 people a year die from snakebite but we are lucky to not have such species here in north america. Here in N.Y. state timber rattlers are a protected species with fines for those caught killing them. The most poisonous snake in north america is the coral snake found in the southern US. Coral snakes are very small and have no fangs, their mouths are so small they could only bite ones toes or fingers and even then they have to abrade your skin to the blood to poison you and it takes time for them to do so since they have no fangs and their teeth are tiny.

Gunsil, that was very well written. Thanks you

 

[Ahab8]

oops. Well that sucks! Live and learn I guess. At least now I know for future reference. I don't ever see that variety of garden snake around here. Mostly just ring necks , Blacks snakes, and the occasional green snake, which I never bother of course. First thing that came to mind when I saw this one was a copperhead. I don't like to take any things life unless it is necessary or to fill the freezer, I know everything has a purpose. Personally snakes don't bother me at all, but then again I haven't stepped on one yet either, just looking out for the family. Now anything with eight legs or more, "Yikes", not a big fan. Well I made a mistake and for that I am sorry. I am still glad I posted it, I guess that is one way to learn.

Hey brother you made a mistake and killed a non venomous snakes. Yeah that sucks but obviously you're not one of those people that just runs around killing everything that slithers or creeps around in the shadows. You handled this the best way you could. You didn't turn it in to a fight you simply said I was wrong and am sorry. Everybody should have nothing g but respect for that bro. Keep digging that treasure man.

 

[wainzoid]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. It always amazes me how a 200 lb man can be afraid of a 10" non-poisonous snake and have to kill it. I have handled dozens and dozens of non-poisonous snakes and yes, some will bite you. Most are docile. They usually pee on you. I look for snakes all summer, flipping rocks and debris. It is difficult to get pictures of them because they crawl away so fast. They do not attack. I've had rattlesnakes crawl away before I could get a photo. Timber rattlesnakes are not as aggression as most people think they are. I've walked within feet of them, not knowing they where there. And they never struck at me.

I have probably encountered around 50 timber rattlers in my lifetime. 23 of them here near the house. I would agree, if I had to label them, I would call them lazy or sleepy.

 

[Limitool]

I can only speak from experience. I found one right next to a well traveled trail, I poked it with a stick to get it away from the trail in case others saw it. And it slowly moved away.

Can't argue with ya.... but the one's I've encountered are very aggressive. They curl up quickly and are ready to strike quickly when confronted. Even when I've backed off they've crawled closer to me till I moved even further back. Maybe... just maybe the one you encountered was to cold, old or sick.....? I probably see 20-25 of them every summer around here.

We've had a 6-7 foot black snake around here now for the last 4 years. I assume it's the same one. How many snakes that long can be around? And this snake is FAST!!!!!