Rattlesnakes & others

[wmrussel]

I've almost stepped on three rattlers since late May of this year.  I'm in the woods around 50-60 hours a week and this is a LOT of snakes for me.  When I say almost stepped, I mean the next step would've been on the rattler, no doubt.  One of the times I was taking a leak and he was 14 inches from my left foot.  Wasn't rattling, so I wasn't scared.  I did NOT pee on him, though.

Here's a video of the first rattler I almost landed on in May:

http://www.youtube.com/v/4in5l0FFqwY

[Jeff]

After watching your clip, I got the option for this one. It also includes a short bit about a rattle snake.

http://www.youtube.com/v/Yx79U3l-b-I

[wmrussel]

That tree would take up my entire yard!   

[WDH]

Nice diamond-back!  I like the orange vest on the dog, too.  I am up to about 8 snakes this year.  One pretty close call with a cottonmouth in Texas.

[wmrussel]

What were ya doing over in Texas?  I've not been there in almost 2 years.  I use started using the orange vests for hunting season, then kept them a little longer for general safety.  It's a bit hot now for them to wear 'em anymore.  No water, too.  I have to carry water & bowl for my dog in the woods now! 

[WDH]

The company I work for bought land in East Texas and I am developing management plans. 

I have to bring water to the woods for my dog too.  Much too stressful on her otherwise.

[clif]

no snakes in Alaska!!!!!!! 8)

[Tom]

What I've seen so far has been non-poisonous.   I've seen some empty skins and have anticipated a lot of crawling in the heat, but they are staying out of the open.  The weather being dry has kept the moccosins near the water. 

[Bro. Noble]

I found a little ground rattler in the milkbarn a couple of weeks ago and stomped the little devil.  Was cutting brush with a metal blade on a weedeater yesterday and came across a big copperhead.  He won't be bothering anyone anymore ;D  We are cutting logs in an area that looks like copperhead heaven,  but havn't seen any there so far.

[Fla._Deadheader]

Quartered a Coral Snake on the back porch, 2 days ago.  8)

[Slabs]

Blasted a good size Cottonmouth a couple of weeks ago.  Booger was hanging around my irrigation pump intake.  I need to do some work there but haven't taken care of it yet.

Me and Wiggly just don't gee-haw.

[fat olde elf]

I think you guys start these snake threads just to drive Jeff nuts.........I mostly have black snakes(good) and copperheads ( not good) My springer spaniel, Mandy had a special snake alarm bark....Had a big copperhead corraled in the garage one day...I couldn't figure the snake bark in the garage..... We got him....Good doggie...She died four years ago on June 13, not from snakebite..........Doggies just wear out... I miss her.....

[asy]

Well, I'm sorry, we don't have rattlers here, but I wish someone would install a warning device in the snakes we DO have...

The worst one we have on the farmy is the Eastern Brown Snake. These are the second most venomous land snake in the world (after the Inland Taipan). Let's put it this way, we refrain from killing the Red Bellied Black snakes (I suspect you've heard of those) because they feed on the young Eastern Browns, and without the RBB's the EB's would explode in population, which would NOT be fun.

Found a dead EB on the weekend, no idea how it died, but it's head was squished, so I suspect one of the horses on next door's property (we were walking over next door) killed it.

The big difference between the two (other than toxicity) is that the RBB will just lie there and you can almost hear them thinking "Oh gosh, humans, DanG, now I'll have to move...  Nah, I'll just lie here and hope they go away....  Dum de dum de dah...", whereas the EB will start salivating at the thought and come getcha...

Only good EB is a dead EB.

This guy was on the road when we were leaving next door after our walk last Saturday. He was about 8ft long. Really pretty.



Here he is smiling at you:



asy :D

[Weekend_Sawyer]

I have only seen black snakes and a black snake with yellow stripes we call a racer.
I have been on my property in WV alot this year and havn't seen a rattler, which is a shame cause they make nice appitizers!

Jon

[Carries-Mom]

The only snakes so far are the black snakes.  My dogs let me know when there's one around...they race over to it and bark at it and if the snake sits there long enough, they try to play with it.  We did have another kind of snake, not a black one, but didn't get that good a look at it, but the dogs were barking like crazy and didn't want to play with that one. ;D

[Weekend_Sawyer]

I love Google, the snake I thought was a racer turns out to be a ribbon snake.

Jon

[inspectorwoody]

The following pictures are from a forward I recieved called "Broken Fan Belt!" I don't mind snakes if they are obviously dead....or behind a glass box!  :D



Ran into quite a few water snakes last year while fishing at one of my favorite county parks but have yet to see any this year...just the skin...Hope to keep it that way too!  ;D

[DragonsBane]

 Caught three Massuagua (timber rattlers) already this year at my in-laws place. funny thing is none of them even tried to strike. I just walked over to them and picked them up. Come to think of it they were all about the same length. Wonder if it was the same one trying to get a free ride some place else?

[wmrussel]

I killed a copperhead yesterday & a timber rattler today.  This is the most snakes I've seen in the woods in a long time. 

[ellmoe]

   We had three black racers doing a courtship dance outside our kitchen window a couple of weeks ago. When the lovely bride to be made her choice the rejected suitor slunk (stithered) off. However, before the honeymon could commence the neighbor's cat came over and interupted the marital bliss. The whole show entertained us for about fifteen minutes.
;D
Mark

[wmrussel]

I wish you could've filmed that.  Sounds pretty cool.