Seen any snakes moving?

[pinkytuscadero]

Be careful out there. My Dad just got a 6 1/2 foot rattlesnake in his backyard, moving towards the underside of his hottub.

He told me that he heard some birds chirping wildly so he looked out his blinds to have a look. He saw the snake moving toward the house.

Pinky

[No-Halo]

They're still out, I caught a snake in the carport earlier this week, it scared Mrs Halo good....the poor snake'll never be the same. ;)

[Guru]

Know what? Come to think of it I have only seen one snake in the last month of two and it was in the pasture, non-poisonous.

[RGDoherty]

Pinky

Cooler mornings have the snakes looking for possible denning locations. A hot tub would be an optimum situation for a snake. They aren't ready to den up yet, just scouting out locations. When the snakes den here in the south, they don't really hibernate as our temps don't cool off enough to put them in a true hibernation. So if you have a snake in this area you have to treat it as hot year round. Waterfront lot owners really need to keep grass cropped close, and keep other "Homes" for the snakes down, by storing firewood in racks off the ground and the like.

[justme]

we killed one in our carport last week. There was also a baby one the week before.

[pinkytuscadero]

Are they out looking for a place to "den up" for the winter?

[RGDoherty]

Yes just trying to scout out locations see my post above.

[RGDoherty]

Oh, I see I wasn't clear.....yes winter denning. Once they find a location they will stay within about 200 feet of it to forage for food until they move into it. The snakes down here move in and out of their dens as our temps fluctuate in our mild winters.

[pinkytuscadero]

Yes just trying to scout out locations see my post above.


Sorry, I didn't see it until I had posted mine. :kekeke:

Daddy said that his Daddy told him that "where there's one, another one is close by". Is that true?

Pinky

[Michelle]

I've got one in my bedroom.

[pinkytuscadero]

I've got one in my bedroom.


You should chop it up with a shovel.:clap:

Pinky

[RGDoherty]

Rattlesnakes often den communitively yes. But that addage is for the den itself, not the one off snakes that are searching for dens. A 6 and a half foot is a full grown boy for an Eastern Diamond Back. Other venomous Snakes that can be found in our area, (I know because I've moved em all), are the copperhead, the Cottonmouth, the Pigmy Rattler, The Canebrake Rattlesnake, and the Coral Snake. The coral snake is the only neurotoxic snake of the lot. All of the others are Pit Vipers and have Hemotoxins.

[RGDoherty]

What kind Michelle?

[pinkytuscadero]

Rattlesnakes often den communitively yes. But that addage is for the den itself, not the one off snakes that are searching for dens. A 6 and a half foot is a full grown boy for an Eastern Diamond Back. Other venomous Snakes that can be found in our area, (I know because I've moved em all), are the copperhead, the Cottonmouth, the Pigmy Rattler, The Canebrake Rattlesnake, and the Coral Snake. The coral snake is the only neurotoxic snake of the lot. All of the others are Pit Vipers and have Hemotoxins.


Daddy said it had 13 rattles and a button. I want it to show my class.

Do you think the Canebrake Rattlesnake is uppity?:smt118

[RGDoherty]

LOL probably........The 13 rattles and a button really have nothing to do with the age of the snake....what is he doing with the animal??????? I'd like the hide.

[RGDoherty]

Most people think they can tell a snakes age by the number of rattles, however, that is a wivestell. Snakes put a new section of rattle on each time they shed their skin. In this portion of the country, the active cycle is longer than up north, so the snakes grow more in a year. They may shed their skins 2 or 3 times a year. Also, the rattles get knocked off.

[pinkytuscadero]

LOL probably........The 13 rattles and a button really have nothing to do with the age of the snake....what is he doing with the animal??????? I'd like the hide.

I'm sure he is now showing it to folks up and down the roads in Dixie. If he doesn't give it to one of them, I'm sure he'll share.

Pinky

[pinkytuscadero]

Most people think they can tell a snakes age by the number of rattles, however, that is a wivestell. Snakes put a new section of rattle on each time they shed their skin. In this portion of the country, the active cycle is longer than up north, so the snakes grow more in a year. They may shed their skins 2 or 3 times a year. Also, the rattles get knocked off.

So you would approximate the age based on length? Rattlesnakes creep me out. A young girl was bit at the softball park in Dixie when I was a child. She was sitting on a concrete picnic table, dangling her feet.

[RGDoherty]

Yes, based on the length of the snake. a 6 and a half foot snake would probably be between 14 to 18 years old. The species can live up to 20 years or so.

[RGDoherty]

Pinky you know for your classroom, you really could dress it up with posters that the Mississippi Wildlife fisheries and parks put out, and are made available trhough the museum of natrual sciences in Jackson. They have them for Snakes, Turtles, Muscles, Freshwater Fish, Saltwater fish.....all found here in the area.

[pinkytuscadero]

Pinky you know for your classroom, you really could dress it up with posters that the Mississippi Wildlife fisheries and parks put out, and are made available trhough the museum of natrual sciences in Jackson. They have them for Snakes, Turtles, Muscles, Freshwater Fish, Saltwater fish.....all found here in the area.

I love that museum! I have most of their stuff as I went last year with my class. I could have stayed much longer than I did. I actually want to go without 90 children the next time I go!:smt023
Pinky

[RGDoherty]

Just take yours next time......take a Saturday Road trip for a quick getaway and catch the Museum and the Zoo. The kids go nuts for stuff like that and it's really not that expensive......Of course, the gas in a Titan <grinz>......

[Scarlett O'Hara]

I found a water moccasin in my fish pond in Lake Serene a month ago and all my koi dead. It was thrashing all around the pond and I was too scared to do anything. By the time I got my wits about me and got the hoe, it was gone. Last week, I saw a snake in the driveway and ran for the shovel. "Off with his head!" Didn't know what kind it was until my Rhett came home and told me it was only a king snake.

[eyescene]

The coral snake is the only neurotoxic snake of the lot. All of the others are Pit Vipers and have Hemotoxins.

huh what? neurotoxic ? Hemotoxins?:confused::ohnoes::ohnoes::ohnoes:

[pinkytuscadero]

It looks as if someone has already started cooking the snake. I was asked if I wanted any but I declined.

Ribeyes were on sale at Corner Market this weekend.:smt118

Pinky

[dollfus46]

What kind Michelle?
She's talking about seeing Harry Reid on the bedroom TV.:smt118

[pinkytuscadero]

Pinky, if yo dad get another that large, please tell him I want the meat. Just trow him/her on ice after de kill and I skin and give dad the hide.

You got it! Does it taste like chicken?

[58ford]

Please, I know that most people are scared of snakes, but please leave them alone. Even poisonous snakes are very beneficial animals. Leave them alone. They will run away if you threaten then them. Just run 'em off.

[pinkytuscadero]

I agree about the king snakes and such. However, when rattlesnakes are by the house where the grandkids run around, the snake is not going to stay. Running the snake off means that he will be somewhere else next time. Sorry.:-D

[carsalesguy]

I've got one in my bedroom.

yea- and it's trying to find a place to hibernate-:-D

[RGDoherty]

wise ass <grinz>

[firefly]

RG, I was aware that we had the pit vipers that you listed & yes they all have hemotoxic venom. I did not know that the coral snakes are here in Forrset County! :smt118 I read an article several months ago that the Coral snakes were just in the 3 coastal counties. Have you seen any up this way???:ohnoes:

[RGDoherty]

The coral snake ranges all the way up to Smith County, and yes I've seen them in this area. Coral Snakes tend to be more leary of people than the pit vipers and most bites occur when curious children try to catch them. Don't rely on the the red on yellow rhymes becuase most people mess those up.......if you see a Coral Snake knock off like the Rocky Mountain King Snake, just avoid it.

[firefly]

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!: smt118:ohnoes::smt118

[RGDoherty]

eyescene,

Pit vipers have a hemotoxic venom that acts like a supercharged anticoagulant. The pit viper is actually a slow moving snake, as far as snakes go, and they use their venom to kill then soften their prey for swallowing. They strike their prey then follow the scent to it. By the time they've caught up to it, the venom has worked like a meat tenderizer on it. They then swallow the softened prey whole. when this type of snake bites a human, the firtt sign of envenomnation is generally freebleeding back out of the wounds. The Coral Snake is the only posionous snake in the area that's venom works on the nervous system.

[kevin]

There's only one venomous snake I can think of with no anti-venom what snake is that RG?

[firefly]

Yep, the Coral snake's neurotoxic venom will kill you quicker & a pit viper's venom will rot your foot, leg, ect. wherever you are bitten. We had a few pit viper snake bite victims when I worked at the hospital. One boy almost lost his leg.:ohnoes:

[RGDoherty]

Kevin, I can't call it, please do the honors.......

One of the fun facts that I have used as a trivia question on the radio show......What is the only poisonous snake in the USA that lays eggs?








Answer: The Coral Snake, all pit vipers give live birth.

[kevin]

I Use to know it's a rare snake with a nasty neurotoxin my martial arts instructor was a herpatologist.I'll look that up tommorow. I think it's found only in Asia particularly in Vietnam.I've seen the snake the guy had a great love for snakes.

[firefly]

I Use to know it's a rare snake with a nasty neurotoxin my martial arts instructor was a herpatologist.I'll look that up tommorow. I think it's found only in Asia particularly in Vietnam.I've seen the snake the guy had a great love for snakes.
Kevin, are you referring to a Black Mamba??? They call them "two steppers" because you take a couple of steps & then drop dead.:ohnoes:

[kevin]

Not sure he harvested the venom though and the snake is very rare may be it the Mamba? Hmm Don't know?

[daisy]

Not sure he harvested the venom though and the snake is very rare may be it the Mamba? Hmm Don't know?


Why did he harvest the venom if there is no antidote? Or did I read that wrong?

My Grandaddy was approached about going to South America as a timber cruiser for a large amount of money. Considered it until he heard about a Bushmaster snake that is deadly.

[daisy]

I dislike poisonous snakes. I found out opossums eat snakes and are equipped to be immune to poionous snake bites in the areas they are native of. Neat.

I googled opossum recently after seeing one. I really like possums now :smt023and will watch out for them.

[jojobeans1120]

Thankfully, I've not seen the first snake around my house. Actually, I've not seen one around here in the three years that I've lived in this house...

[RGDoherty]

Hawk they do, as well as all of the other pit vipers. The Coral is the only poisonous snake in our area that lays eggs.

[No-Halo]

Thankfully, I've not seen the first snake around my house. Actually, I've not seen one around here in the three years that I've lived in this house...
You live in the city limits of Petal, the snakes couldnt afford a sssssslither permit. :-D

[RGDoherty]

No Hawk the old Rattlesnake Eggs in an envelope trick are for those that DON'T know that Rattlers give live birth.

[bpitt]

Be careful out there. My Dad just got a 6 1/2 foot rattlesnake in his backyard, moving towards the underside of his hottub.

He told me that he heard some birds chirping wildly so he looked out his blinds to have a look. He saw the snake moving toward the house.

Pinky
Thanks for posting, my father-in-law has skinned aforemention snake, is tanning the hide, and fried the meat last night........look for a large belt soon.......

[RGDoherty]

Boots bpitt.....too big for a belt, unless it will be a rasslin (spelled that way on purpose) belt.

[Remington]

Only seen one coral snake in my life, as they tend to be rare to find. It was exposed when we were doing some clearing. It was no match for a track hoe, though. I like king snakes and always let one go if I find one, but have always wanted to see a big king snake go at it with a little rattlesnake and see the king snake eat the rattler. They say wild hogs will eat a rattlesnake and that the venom doesn't bother the hog.

[R1ZOOM]

I encountered a king snake consuming a cottonmouth in my yard last summer. It was pretty neat to watch. I ran across a small copperhead beside my neighbor's house last week being taunted by the cat, so I took the shovel to said snake so that it didn't bite the cat. Someone ran over a big water moccosain<sp> Friday in the street by my house...one of the largest ones I've seen in a while. It was probably 5 feet long or so and looked to be about the diameter of a racquetball. I haven't seen any snakes in the yard or lake all summer until these 2 in the past week.

[RGDoherty]

They're looking around for good dens and feeding up before the cold slows them down.

[pinkytuscadero]

Thanks for posting, my father-in-law has skinned aforemention snake, is tanning the hide, and fried the meat last night........look for a large belt soon.......


Did you taste it bpitt? I am dying to know how it was? :ohnoes:That pawinlaw of yours is quite the cook. I've had some of his drunk chicken.

Pinky

[bpitt]

I haven't tried it, I'll ask him how it was.....

[ynotme297]

this is one of the very reasons why we try to get people to keep their yards and lots cut close. tall grass brings rats which bring snakes, and cutting it also keeps your house looking good so your neighbor won't be calling me and bitching about you.:-D

[pinkytuscadero]

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s257/alese1016/rattlesnake.jpg


Got a photo of the snake. Just wanted to share.:-D

[Hob684]

Why did he harvest the venom if there is no antidote? Or did I read that wrong?


the way most antivenoms work are that you take the actual venom from which ever snake you're tryin to work with and then inject small amounts of this venom into say a horse or a rabbit. Wait a few days, give it some more. The animal will build an antibody to the venom with out being harmed since it is receiving it in small doses.

Then take a few pints of blood (less for the rabbit), spin it down, get the antibodies out and voila! antivenom.

Then when a human gets bitten by the snake, take some of this antivenom and inject the human. Antibodies don't care what body they're in, they're goin for the poison.

[amanda]

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s257/alese1016/rattlesnake.jpg


Got a photo of the snake. Just wanted to share.:-D



Kill it!! Kill it!! Get in the car and run over it (my favorite method). :)

Sorry - I know a bunch of people are just gonna jump my sh!t for saying it - but KILL IT!

My kids went next door the other day and the found a baby snake in THEIR HOUSE!!! It wasn't suppose to be there either. The oldest child stepped on it while the kids hollered enough to get the parents to come into the room. It was a baby rattler. The neighbors have a 2 year old and a 4 year old that were playing in the room at the time.

KILL IT!

[RGDoherty]

Pinky,

Do you have a closer picture of the tail of that snake???????

[pinkytuscadero]

I don't know if you can see much more but I zoomed and cropped. I really want to post the one with my Daddy holding it but I don't know how to black out his face.
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s257/alese1016/tail.jpg

[RGDoherty]

O.K. the lighter colored scales nearest the tail are the same color as throughout the snake, and not wide enough......I was about to wonder how a Western Diamond back got over here, but that's an Eastern. Thanks Pinky.

[Honey]

Pinky, I would have died if I had seen that snake. Oh my stars!

[pinkytuscadero]

Y'all have got to see it on the shovel! Somebody tell me how to cloud up Big D's face!!!:smt118

[RGDoherty]

Send it to me via email and I'll do it with Adobe if you don't have it.

[Guru]

The two fattest snakes I have ever seen in my life were Rattlesnakes and both of them came from one day trip to Lake Mary Crawford.
A friend was the one that lost the coin flip and had to go check on loggers there that day. He came back with them in the back of the truck after they had gotten run over by skidders.
Over the years I have always stated that they were fat as a football but I do remember them sort of flattened out and it makes me wonder if they might have been bigger. But these were only 5-6' long and for a snake that big around I remember thinking how short they were.

[RGDoherty]

Sounds like they were full of Rabbit and Squirrels.....Possibly possums, they are pretty slow and very low IQ as far as animals go.

[RGDoherty]

Broken Link for the pic.

[Honey]

I wish I hadn't looked. Oh dear.

[RGDoherty]

That was a growed up snake alright!

[pinkytuscadero]

I am trying again.
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s257/alese1016/Daddysrattlesnake2.jpg

[Scarlett O'Hara]

OH my goodness!!!!!

[firefly]

Kill it!! Kill it!! Get in the car and run over it (my favorite method). :)

Sorry - I know a bunch of people are just gonna jump my sh!t for saying it - but KILL IT!

My kids went next door the other day and the found a baby snake in THEIR HOUSE!!! It wasn't suppose to be there either. The oldest child stepped on it while the kids hollered enough to get the parents to come into the room. It was a baby rattler. The neighbors have a 2 year old and a 4 year old that were playing in the room at the time.

KILL IT! That is a Rattlesnake & he ain't no lil' one, either!!! He would be DEAD, DEAD, DEAD if I got ahold of him with a big stick or a hoe or whatever!!!! EEEEEK!!!:smt118

[Maggie-Doodle]

If it is a snake and IF he is MY yard HE is D.E.A.D.! No if's, and's or but's! IMO there ain't no good snake! I saw one about a foot long and as big around as a pencil about two weeks ago...he got away before I could grab the shovel...I know there has to be big ones close by though...thank God we don't get any more snakes than we do living right here on the creek bank...

[dollfus46]

I am trying again.

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s257/alese1016/Daddysrattlesnake2.jpg

Now, that's a hoss! Look at the size of the head on that snake! Frankly I don't kill any animals, snakes included. Spiders are not animals.:smt118 Actually I don't kill them either.