Well the snakes are officially on the move here

[pat-tekker-cat]

I remember painting my Grandmothers log cabin home when I was a teenager. The home was built by hand from the timber on the land back in 1937, or '39 or so (it's still standing and being lived in today, they did some renovation, back down to the bare wood beams, just beautiful).

So anywhoooo, I'm on a ladder under the overhang, outside the kitchen window, and this BIG OLE SNAKE pokes it head outta them rafters right in front of my face. I'm jumping off that ladder, yelling screaming (thing looked like a rattlesnake). My boyfriend came running with the shovel and here comes grandma........"NO NO don't kill my snake!" We're thinking WTH?..... lol.
G-ma proceeds to tell us, that's her rat snake. Said, she can hear him at nights, slithering through the kitchen cabinets and he keeps the rats and bugs away. Do you know how hard it was to get back on that ladder and finish painting them rafters? LOL.

I got a little black snake, lives around here. He'll shock me every now and then, when he slithers outta under something and skits across the yard. He's about 2 feet long, found one of his skin sheddings one year. I let him be, and will, till he starts chasing me, then he's going down! LOL.

 

[ScubaDetector]

I guess I have an opinion on needless killing of animals. However, I will just say snakes just don't come out and bite you usually even if poisonous. Unless you accidentally scare them. Again everybody do what they want, it is your life. I believe in letting nature live.

 

[kcm]

**shaking head in disbelief** That's a BIG snake?!?!? I remember my mom coming home from work and telling of a....I think it was a Diamondback Rattler that a trucker ran over and killed. The snake was as big around as a full-grown man's upper arm and was nearly 5' long. Not a record by any means, but plenty big enough.

Another time was out picking Dewberries. Normally I went out alone, but this time Mom decided to go out and help. She went hysterical when she saw me picking berries under this big ol' Pine Tree limb, and on that limb was about a 5.5' long chicken snake. .....Come to think of it, I can't remember my mom ever going berry picking again after that!

Just did a web search and yes, there ARE documented cases of poisonous and non-poisonous snakes breeding. Some turn out sterile. Some may have fangs, but no venom (dry-bite). Also, there are Colubrid's that are interbred - even a couple of websites devoted specifically to this. One that I went to actually breeds these snakes intentionally and lists them for sale. ...Has been a long time, but seems I also remember hearing about various Rattlesnakes interbreeding sometimes. It IS rare, but definitely not impossible.

Colubrid - n. Any of numerous, widely distributed, chiefly nonvenomous snakes of the family Colubridae, which includes the king snakes, garter snakes, and water snakes.


Just because something is unusual doesn't mean it's impossible. When I looked at that snake as a kid, I would have sworn up and down it was a Hognose, only its skin was a bit lighter. However, those were definitely fangs in its mouth! I remember Rusty (the dog) going around and visiting the homes of various neighbors. He knew who was outside regularly and would often to visiting. Heard several times of him preventing other folks from getting snake-bit. I can only guess at this, but is very likely he was able to smell whether a snake had venom or not.

 

[Boatlode]

I just caught this copperhead having some dinner at the gold fish pond in the front yard. Unfortunately for this guy he was in the yard or he would probably still be alive. I always leave them alone if I see them in the woods or elsewhere but I can't have a poisonous snake hanging around the house for the sake of others. He is a pretty good size joker, about two feet long or more. Looks like he at least had him a last meal anyway. If you look at his center, looks like he got him a frog. Anyway watch your step out there. --HH--GL.

You killed a harmless garter snake, not a copperhead.

Brasure's Pest Control Blog » Copperheads vs. Garter snakes

 

[Limitool]

I guess I have an opinion on needless killing of animals. However, I will just say snakes just don't come out and bite you usually even if poisonous. Unless you accidentally scare them. Again everybody do what they want, it is your life. I believe in letting nature live.

Me too..... Most poisonous snakes do not want to waste their venom on large pray unless stepped upon, scared or cornered. But I do take'em out around the house. To many grandchildren and dogs around to take a chance. This high ridge I live on used to be called "Copperhead Ridge".... There's a reason for this!!!! Killing one here is like spitting in the ocean and checking to see if it raised!!

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

And don't ever let anyone tell you a snake can't bite underwater.

Spending a day on a SW GA creek area, with many rocks and shallows, us kids would hang out, play, drink, be kids..... We called the place "the rapids". Out in Lee cty on the prison road.
All of a sudden one of the girls let out that piercing scream, SNAKE and starts running away.
Well, us girls follow her, all the guys go towards the snake, LOL. One took a boat paddle. They said it was a huge ole cotton mouth water moccasin, had a fish in it's mouth. They slammed the boat paddle down on it (or so they thought, it was rocky). The guys said he let go of that fish, the fish swam downstream, and the snake went back upstream. We all packed up and went HOME!

That fish didn't jump outta that water into that snakes mouth, I'm pretty sure.


I used to do A LOT of blackberry pickin, when they was in season. My hands and arms would be stained purple for a week or more. Never ever went without a poking stick. In them snakey looking areas, you poke that stick down in that bush and rattle it around a little, if nothing strikes the stick, it may be safe to stick your hand down there.

 

[CMDiamonddawg]

Your killer serpent was harmless .I see them everyday .This one is still where I left it a year ago .
Next time you will know more about reptiles .

 

[kcm]

p-t-c wrote, "And don't ever let anyone tell you a snake can't bite underwater."

Who in the WORLD would lead you to believe that snakes can't bite under water

...I guess the same people that would tell you that water snakes never come on land, or that non-water snakes never go in the water. Ah, the ignorance of some people!


CMDiamonddawg wrote, "Your killer serpent was harmless .I see them everyday .This one is still where I left it a year ago .
Next time you will know more about reptiles ."

Oh??

Sorry, couldn't resist a little jab in the ribs.

 

[CoilyGirl]

I didn't wanna open this thread but I did and was thoroughly entertained by pat and smokey as well as more informed about the "S" word. I remember years ago a large snake was curled up in our next door neighbor's garage and it was a copperhead. The neighbor's 80 something year old granny was raised in a farm in Kentucky so she goes out there and starts wailing on this thing with a garden hoe,cut that sucker into sushi sized pieces.

 

[GA_Boy]

Well all the experts will disagree with me. But Copperheads interbred with other snakes. Grandma Sadie told me that and I believe here. Grandma Sadie never told a lie in her life.

Granny was spreading an old wives tale IMO. I've never heard of snakes doing that.
Marvin

 

[GA_Boy]

Yes, it's true that vipers can mix with non-vipers. Had a small dog one time that we called our "Snake Dog", Rusty. He kept several people in the area from being snake bit, including me. One time he kept barking at a snake. It looked like a non-poisonous snake on the outside, but had unusual colorations. I finally had to kill the snake to shut the dog up. I looked in its mouth and was amazed to see a perfectly good, functional set of fangs!

I thought the fangs retracted on a dead snake. You were probably looking at teeth.
Marvin

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

I thought the fangs retracted on a dead snake. You were probably looking at teeth.
Marvin

A dead poisonous snake will kill you just as quick and easy as a live one. Maybe easier, because a persons guard is down, they think they cant be hurt.

 

[kcm]

I thought the fangs retracted on a dead snake. You were probably looking at teeth.
Marvin

Looking at "teeth"?? I was a young boy growing up in the country - I used a stick to pry open the mouth. Case closed.

 

[gunsil]

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]

A dead poisonous snake will kill you just as quick and easy as a live one. Maybe easier, because a persons guard is down, they think they cant be hurt.

For a dead pit viper (copperhead or rattler) to poison somebody they would have to first impale themselves on a fang or two and then squeeze the venom sacs to inject the poison. There is not enough poison in dead snakes fang to even make you sick. When a viper bites something they have to intentionally inject poison from their venom sacs, the poison does not flow automatically. Also as somebody above pointed out when a pit viper dies it's fangs usually fold back to the flat position so one would have to reach into it's mouth, pull the fangs down, and squeeze the venom sacs to get poisoned. I have never met anybody stupid enough to try that. The fangs of pit vipers are deployed by the snake as they wish, the fangs do not stick down unless the snake wishes to do so. When these snakes travel about or are eating a mouse or frog the fangs stay tucked back against the roof of the mouth.

 

[GA_Boy]

For a dead pit viper (copperhead or rattler) to poison somebody they would have to first impale themselves on a fang or two and then squeeze the venom sacs to inject the poison. There is not enough poison in dead snakes fang to even make you sick. When a viper bites something they have to intentionally inject poison from their venom sacs, the poison does not flow automatically. Also as somebody above pointed out when a pit viper dies it's fangs usually fold back to the flat position so one would have to reach into it's mouth, pull the fangs down, and squeeze the venom sacs to get poisoned. I have never met anybody stupid enough to try that. The fangs of pit vipers are deployed by the snake as they wish, the fangs do not stick down unless the snake wishes to do so. When these snakes travel about or are eating a mouse or frog the fangs stay tucked back against the roof of the mouth.

Nice writeup------you certainly know your snakes. Thanks,
Marvin

 

[DigIron2]

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.

 

[DigIron2]

and thank you guys for all the information!--HH

 

[stefen]

Yes, it's true that vipers can mix with non-vipers. Had a small dog one time that we called our "Snake Dog", Rusty. He kept several people in the area from being snake bit, including me. One time he kept barking at a snake. It looked like a non-poisonous snake on the outside, but had unusual colorations. I finally had to kill the snake to shut the dog up. I looked in its mouth and was amazed to see a perfectly good, functional set of fangs!

Where I live there are anti-rattlesnake schools for dogs In Northern California (also SoCal)...

They introduce dogs to live rattlers (caged, of course) actually trains dogs to leave the snakes alone but bark a warning to the human owner...

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

A dead snake cannot kill you.

Well gunsil, I guess this guy might would argue the fact with you, but, he can't. He's dead.
He died from a dead snake head bite, ooopsies.

Chef killed by severed snake head


For those that don't like clicking, or can't.


Peng Fan had chopped the head off the Indochinese spitting cobra, a delicacy in Asia, to make a snake soup.

Around 20 minutes later he was tossing it in the rubbish when the snake’s head bit him, injecting him with its lethal venom, the Mirror reported.

Restaurant guests reported hearing screams from the kitchen.

The chef from Shunde, a district in the city of Foshan in southern China’s Guangdong province, was rushed to hospital but died before he could be given an anti-venom.

A police spokesman called it “a highly unusual case”.

He said: “There was nothing that could be done to save the man. Only the anti-venom could have helped but this was not given in time. It was just a tragic accident.”