Snakes Alive !

[knighthawk]

Question for you "Southern Boys ", what kind of snake is this ? My nephew tellls me, that if the head is triangle, they are poisonous ! I doubt if can look at the shape of it's head, and crap my drawers at the same time !!! As you can see, I do have some protection ( Rat shot !) What about these holes in the ground, ? and under the wood pile ? Don't tell me they are ''snake holes'' ?????????????

[windsor8]

Could you get a little close so we can see the head better?

[Scruffy49]

Looks like a corn snake to me. Or rat snake. Or gopher snake. Different names for the same snake. Non-venomous. BUT I am NOT an expert.

Since you already croaked it, open its mouth and look at the upper fangs (even safe snakes have them). Short and U shaped = non-venomous. Long and triangular = good call on shooting it. If the mouth is white, double good call, but unless you live near water you shouldn't have any cottonmouths (water mocassins).

I shoot 2 or 3 mocassins every time I wander down to my pond. Hollow point .22 out of an old Marlin Glenfield model 20 squirrel rifle. Got a 6+ footer last week, it was 3/4 of the way across the pond, swimming. 2 acre pond, got him on the 3rd shot.

[knighthawk]

''Since you already croaked it, open its mouth and look at the upper fangs''

''I don't think so !!!!!!!!!!!! Besides, the buzzards probabley by now............... maybe, I say maybe, if he's still out in the feild where I put him, I'll look..........maybe

[Desotodav]

I'm with you knighthawk - the only good snake is a dead snake!

Desotodav

[boxer_inv]

we got this little one a couple of years ago, just as it was going into the bedroom where our 2 little ones were sleeping... It was dark and we weren't taking any chances on the type. In the cold light of day, it turned out to be just a tree snake.

[1947PLEVY]

They look like good ones.......DEAD...

[MarkAubuchon]

My aunt who has lived in snake country her whole life told me the best way to have snakes by your house, :eek:were you walk, work or play is to have firewood stacked. the wood pile makes for a great place for rodents to live, (all the holes you found), stays cool and is like a neon buffet sign for snakes.

[Scruffy49]

The only snakes I shoot on purpose are water mocassins. Because they are unpredictably aggressive. Same with the snapping turtles.

When we lived on this same property 10 years ago we had a "pet" snake in the greenhouse. "Sneaky" lived between the layers of the pallet floor. Never a mouse in the big house (father in law's 1840 plantation manor house). Sneaky was about the most laid back snake you could hope to run across, he'd completely ignore you, even if you stepped right next to his head. Good thing too, one bite would have killed a full grown adult. Sneaky was a 6 foot long copperhead (pit viper, aka, rattlesnake with no buttons).

I kind of like having the snakes around. Keep the rodent and insect population in check. It's hard to keep up the mowing on 50 something acres of orchards, outbuildings, gardens and mixed hardwoods.

[knighthawk]

I do agree that the snalkes do keep the 'mouse ' and / or rat problem in check. My place in country has very little mouse problems........but, when the snakes get anywhere near my house or shop, I get a litle nervous.. I figure them as ' fair game' ! ......Like last year, I saw a 6 to 8 footer near a big old Ash tree ( a 50' tree with a lot of rotted out core and open knot holes ) this snake went up the tree , by clinghing to the side of the tree and dissappeared in the tree. trying mowing under this tree with out looking up ! That reminds me......quote ::: '' but unless you live near water you shouldn't have any cottonmouths (water mocassins).''

I do have an old cistern out by the barn, that I pump water from for the garden during the dry spells, I do know there were some snakes in there....would that be considered as water ?

[Scruffy49]

I've seen them curled up in old tractor tires. And in the currently decrepit swimming pool. Got a turtle in the pool the size of a 5 gallon bucket lid.

You should see the snakes in north Memphis right now, the flood brought them out by the thousands. Lots of harmless brown water snakes, lots of mocassins.

Any standing water below or near the Mason Dixon line will draw mocassins if they are in the area. And those no good, fish killing, bait stealing, ugly as sin snapping turtles. Once they get bigger than a bucket lid the .22 doesn't cut it.

[knighthawk]

quote :''Any standing water below or near the Mason Dixon line will draw mocassins''............. does the mason- dixon line go thru Kansas ??????/ I also forgot, 1/4 mile away is a BIG Bass lake, does that count ?????.............. CRAP ! I think I'm screwed !

[Rodney Bullock]

All this talk about snakes is making me home sick.....for my 41 Stude:eek: I have been up close and personal with a snake in the car a couple of years ago. I don't miss it, did not make friends with it. just looking at that hing gives me the willys. You guy's be careful I just can't iage being bitten and since I can't run I would be dinner. Stay safe;)

[Martin53Cranbrook]

reminds me of when i saved my 53 from a feild there was a snake wrapped around my oil bath

[LAKOTA169]

I was talking to a neighbor girl last summer when her pretty "choker" moved.

[Scruffy49]

Saw a really cute yellow belly water snake at the pond yesterday. V8s and riding tractor engines bring them to the shore. The mocassins get shot, the others don't. Only reason I shoot the mocassins is my father in law is 85 and still working his pecan orchards. And the old guy from down the road who comes fishing is 83. He caught a nice pound to pound and a half crappie out there today.

Kansas is above the line, but the snakes are moving west and north with the changing climate. When you start seeing armadillos, you'll know you've had mocassins for awhile.

[knighthawk]

well, we got Armidillos ! again..........Crap!......... I guess I'll have to get a book or some pictures !!!!!!!! We got armidillo's, possums, turkeys, ans skunks , all digging in the yard ! In fact, I got sprayed by a skunk a couple days back , just walking back thru the shadows from the barn after dark !!....Oh Yeah , also Racoons, neighbors cats and dogs .............................

[austinsailor]

Here's 2 ways to tell.

cat's eyes, with a slit - poisen

round pupils - not poisen

one row of scales to the tip of the tail - poisen

two rows of scales from the "vent" (butthole) to the tip of the tail -not poisen

Non poisenous snakes can still bite or injure you, don't kill them, just leave them alone. If I tried to kill everything that scarf me, I'd be in a gunfight every day!

[Scruffy49]

Poisonous here are rattlers, mocassins, copperheads (all pit vipers) and coral snakes. And black widow and brown recluse spiders.

I've been bitten in the same year by a western diamond back rattler and a black widow. Back in 92, went to college in eastern Washington AND worked on a horse farm/stable. Lots of predators getting the mice in the barns.

Like I said in an earlier post, we had a "pet" 6 foot copperhead here. Something is killing off the local snakes and snapping turtles though. Pond is full of harmless mud turtles (never had those before) and the manor house has mice. Must be a reptile virus making the rounds.

I worry more about the fire ants than I do the snakes. Damn things keep building nests in the stock racks on one of my trucks. And in the tractor seats.

[knighthawk]

I had fire ants when I lived in Texas, still got some scars on my ankels. Fire ants in the tractor seats ! WOW ! At least no fire ants here !.............quote : ""two rows of scales from the "vent" (butthole) to the tip of the tail -not poisen""...as if I 'm going to check to see where his 'vent' is ??????

[randroid]

Scruffy49,

Fire ants are in the genus "Formidea" (sp) because of their formic acid, which is what burns you. Household ammonia will neutralize formic acid in a hot second so if you're going to be around them carry a spray bottle of it with you. I've tried it and it not only works but is the #1 antidote recommended by the federal folks who recommend such things.

-Randy

[Joe Flanagan]

Wow, that's good to know. I go to Puerto Rico often and there are fire ants there. Seems I'm always finding the nest and even if I'm wearing shoes, they manage to get up around my shins.

[1just4don]

according to Billy the exterminator show,,,which gets rather dumb sometimes,,,says you can tell by dirrection of stripes or skin before and after the 'vent' as described previous. For the life of me cant remember what. We dont have poisonous snakes here. Hardly ever see anything besides garter snakes.

Speaking of that I picked some stuff out of the yard yesterday and there were literaly dozens of them hiding under around and thru. I dont mind them when I can see them. just dont like to be surprised.

Knighthawk, you can BET your cistern is full of them. Also if you have any rotten old tree stumps anywhere around,,prime habitat.

wsa just telling this tale this weekend. While in high school few hundred years ago went camping by the river. Found old log to burn on our bonfire. It was full of snakes and camp was chock full of them all night. You cant imagine how many hundred snakes can live in a big log.

If they are non poisonous make nice with them and coexist. Poisonous ones,,,shoot and whack away. Best way of getting rid of snakes is to remove habitat. They do make repellants for them too. Dont know how well they work.

[knighthawk]

I think what would really help would be if they had a bell on them or something so I could at least have some kind of warning..........( NOT a rattle either !)

[austinsailor]

Well, Nighthawk, someone said they wished you could tell by looking if they were poisen or not. Well, I, for one, find it more likely to see his eyes from the top, or his tail from the bottom, than to examine the inside of his mouth!

There are a couple other ways to tell but they are less obvious and I probably would not get them exactly right, or maybe even backwards. That would be bad, huh?

My house is right on the water (16 feet front door to wet) and we have snakes swimming in the water occasionally. I never much worried about them. Not nearly as much bother as the darn geese.

www.austinsailor.net

Edited May 18, 2011 by austinsailor