Well the snakes are officially on the move here

[laradactyl]

I have encountered lots of snakes in my life. I've been face to face with with everything from timber rattlers to earth worms and the only snake that has ever bothered to strike at me unprovoked was a copper head. He was near a cow path that I was walking, I never saw even saw him until after he struck and bounced off the sole of my boot. He immediately suffered a fatal dose of "lead poisoning". I have never trusted a copperhead since that day and refuse to let one live near my house, family, and dog. There have been other instances which lead me to believe that the local copperheads are quite aggressive snakes. The Texas Rat Snake is also very aggressive but non poisonous an I allow them to stay. I have one that lives in a old dead partially hollow tree in the back yard. I like having him around to help control the rodents around here. But I have had to chase him back into his tree on a couple of occasions when he and my dog were in in a stand off.

 

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[kcm]

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.

[insert Charlie Daniels music]
...kcm bowed his head because he knew that he'd been beat,
and he laid that golden nugget on the ground at gunsil's feet....


Hmm...there's a lot of good info out there; some of which even "I" did not know!

 

[smokeythecat]

Northern water snakes I can vouch can be very aggressive. My daughter (adult) was getting some potted water plants out of the garden pond to take to a yard sale. They were potted, so I instructed to pull them over to the side, because of the possibility there could be a snake in there. We live next to the woods. She got several, then while pulling them out of the pond (manmade 12' x 16'), with a rake, so she wouldn't put her hands in the water. A northern water snake launches itself out of the water and tries to bite her. Once in Louisiana, a cottonmouth chased our little fishing boar.

The snake's obituary did not make it to the local papers.

 

[gunsil]

Yes, I have been bitten by a bunch of them while capturing them. The painted water snake looks a lot like a copperhead with similar colors and patterns but without the triangular head. Was skinny dipping a few years back with a girlfriend and we were sunning on a rock when a water snake came right up onto the rock we were on. Man, did she let out a scream!! She never went back into the water after that. The poor snake was as surprised as she was and went right back into the water. 20 years earlier I was on the way to the same lake back in the woods about a forty minute hike on rugged trails and one old dirt road with a different girl, a petite 100lb 5'2" cutie when all of a sudden she jumped so high I swear her feet were at my waist level. She had stepped on a six foot black snake. When I asked her why she stepped on the snake she said she thought it was an old piece of garden hose!! I cracked up laughing and asked her why she thought there would be a hose that far back in the woods. Too bad you killed another harmless snake.
Another snake factoid: snakes have two different types of scales. The garters, northern water snakes, and rattlers and others have "keeled" scales with a little ridge on each scale. Black snakes, milk snakes, king snakes and others have "smooth" scales and they feel much smoother and cooler in one's hands.

 

[kcm]

gunsil, you're just ssSSssssick!

 

[Terry Soloman]

Spending most of my growing years in Texas and Arizona, the vast majority of snakes that I've crossed paths with are poisonous. One, the Mojave Green rattlesnake, is not only aggressive and territorial, its venom is high in hemo-toxins (causes internal bleeding) and is 10-15 times stronger than the Western Diamondback.

I have not killed 95% of the snakes I've encountered over the years, but I have been prepared to. This is the time of year in the high desert of Arizona when the rattlesnakes get crazy, fighting with each other for the right to mate with females. It's pretty "wild" to see a big Diamondback reared up half its body length!

 

[Carolina Tom]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignorance

Please become more knowledgeable prior to killing little animals that are just doing what comes natural to them. If you had done that to a baby rabbit, squirrel or kitten, there would be an outcry!

Knowledge is good for dispelling the fear associated with ignorance.

 

[RGINN]

Excellent posts, gunsil. People confuse aggressive with territorial. Water snakes are the most territorial snakes I've encountered. Copperheads are closely related to water moccasins. In fact, at birth they're almost identical. But I haven't noticed copperheads being that interested in checking out what you're doing, like any water snake will do. Diamondback or brown water snakes are often confused for being venomous moccasins. They're not, but they do have a nasty bite, as they will lock on and try to drag back, and with their teeth being tilted back that can leave a pretty good gash. (Personal experience with that.) One way to tell the difference between common water snakes and moccasins is that moccasins will always swim on top of the water. You will see water snakes diving and swimming below the surface. And that is as a rule, most of the time.

 

[GA_Boy]

Yes, I have been bitten by a bunch of them while capturing them. The painted water snake looks a lot like a copperhead with similar colors and patterns but without the triangular head. Was skinny dipping a few years back with a girlfriend and we were sunning on a rock when a water snake came right up onto the rock we were on. Man, did she let out a scream!! She never went back into the water after that. The poor snake was as surprised as she was and went right back into the water. 20 years earlier I was on the way to the same lake back in the woods about a forty minute hike on rugged trails and one old dirt road with a different girl, a petite 100lb 5'2" cutie when all of a sudden she jumped so high I swear her feet were at my waist level. She had stepped on a six foot black snake. When I asked her why she stepped on the snake she said she thought it was an old piece of garden hose!! I cracked up laughing and asked her why she thought there would be a hose that far back in the woods. Too bad you killed another harmless snake.
Another snake factoid: snakes have two different types of scales. The garters, northern water snakes, and rattlers and others have "keeled" scales with a little ridge on each scale. Black snakes, milk snakes, king snakes and others have "smooth" scales and they feel much smoother and cooler in one's hands.

Moral of that story--------------------don't take the same girl to the lake twice.
Marvin

 

[kcm]

Ok, one more post - now THIS is a snake with a set of chompers!!

 

[GA_Boy]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignorance

Please become more knowledgeable prior to killing little animals that are just doing what comes natural to them. If you had done that to a baby rabbit, squirrel or kitten, there would be an outcry!

Knowledge is good for dispelling the fear associated with ignorance.

You can Educate ignorance but you can't fix stupid.
Marvin

 

[acm3]

Hate snakes. Sorry to all you out there that defend them and their existence. I am sure your argument is valid. I just bought a new pair of snake boots and hope not to come across them. I would rather be overrun by insects and rats. just saying.

 

[Limitool]

Come on folks... for those who are damning him (still) for what he did I'm sure he's sorry and he has apologized. It obviously was a mistake on his part or it wouldn't have been posted knowing different. Let it go... and let's just share our snake stories.

Here today on a sunny warm day my granddaughter said come here papa.... We walked to her spot and there was a dead newborn copperhead one of the dogs had chomped upon. While it's not really hot here yet it is obviously warm enough for the snakes to come on out now.

 

[wainzoid]

Come on folks... for those who are damning him (still) for what he did I'm sure he's sorry and he has apologized. It obviously was a mistake on his part or it wouldn't have been posted knowing different. Let it go... and let's just share our snake stories.

Here today on a sunny warm day my granddaughter said come here papa.... We walked to her spot and there was a dead newborn copperhead one of the dogs had chomped upon. While it's not really hot here yet it is obviously warm enough for the snakes to come on out now.

Did the dog apologize? Lol

 

[smokeythecat]

One last snake story. Was outside of Las Vegas in late April awhile back. Was walking (in dress shoes), in the desert at Valley of Fire State Park, so it's about 10 am or so and I decide to hump it back to car, about 200 yards off as it's starting to get warm. So it's dry, white, sandy flat terrain with a few rocks and small scrub brush. So my mind says "STOP". And I stop. Less than three front directly in front of me is a coiled, semi buried sidewinder. I could see the top of his back and his nose poking out of the sand. Good thing I watch where I walk. One more step and I would have stepped on him or her. So I back up 3 feet and evaluate the situation. (did not wet self). So take the Nikon out with the zoom lens and take a couple pics after getting closer to the snake, I then back off and circle the beast and lean over and take a couple more up close. He was maybe 18" long, a pretty big fat one. Then I go back to the car VERY SLOWLY. Scared that snake real good.

 

[Peyton Manning]

I have encountered lots of snakes in my life. I've been face to face with with everything from timber rattlers to earth worms and the only snake that has ever bothered to strike at me unprovoked was a copper head. He was near a cow path that I was walking, I never saw even saw him until after he struck and bounced off the sole of my boot. He immediately suffered a fatal dose of "lead poisoning". I have never trusted a copperhead since that day and refuse to let one live near my house, family, and dog. There have been other instances which lead me to believe that the local copperheads are quite aggressive snakes. The Texas Rat Snake is also very aggressive but non poisonous an I allow them to stay. I have one that lives in a old dead partially hollow tree in the back yard. I like having him around to help control the rodents around here. But I have had to chase him back into his tree on a couple of occasions when he and my dog were in in a stand off.

But to be honest, nearly everything in Texas is more aggressive than in the US

 

[smokeythecat]

That's true Jeff.

 

[kcm]

But to be honest, nearly everything in Texas is more aggressive than in the US

Not that we wouldn't mind seceding now and then, but isn't Texas still a part of the US??

 

[gunsil]

Excellent posts, gunsil. People confuse aggressive with territorial. Water snakes are the most territorial snakes I've encountered. Copperheads are closely related to water moccasins. In fact, at birth they're almost identical. But I haven't noticed copperheads being that interested in checking out what you're doing, like any water snake will do. Diamondback or brown water snakes are often confused for being venomous moccasins. They're not, but they do have a nasty bite, as they will lock on and try to drag back, and with their teeth being tilted back that can leave a pretty good gash. (Personal experience with that.) One way to tell the difference between common water snakes and moccasins is that moccasins will always swim on top of the water. You will see water snakes diving and swimming below the surface. And that is as a rule, most of the time.

I see you're in Colorado. I hope you aren't seeing any water moccasins there because none live there. Water moccasins only live in the southeastern US from southern VA to southeast TX. I have heard many people over the years from all over the US above the Mason-Dixon line say they saw or killed a water moccasin, it just isn't true. They are warm climate only snakes.

Another snake fact: How do you tell whether a snake is male or female? By the length of it's tail!! I know this sounds funny but the tail is the distance from the anal opening to the back end of the snake. A female will have a much shorter tail than a male because she has her reproductive (egg or baby carrying area) towards the back of her body but before the tail.

 

[kcm]

Gunsil wrote, "Another snake fact: How do you tell whether a snake is male or female? By the length of it's tail!! I know this sounds funny but the tail is the distance from the anal opening to the back end of the snake. A female will have a much shorter tail than a male because she has her reproductive (egg or baby carrying area) towards the back of her body but before the tail."

If it's all the same to you, I'll leave that up to someone else!! I don't like snakes. I respect(!!) them, I agree that they are important to the ecology, but I still don't like them. ...Not even the garter snakes that keep finding their way into the basement here in MN. ...Should have seen my wife when I had to carry a 3' garter up and outside!! Wish I could have carried that thing AND carrying a camcorder!!

Is fun to watch the cat around one. But that 3-footer, she (the cat) wouldn't even go near it!!