Who likes snakes?

[Vulcan Bob]

Non poisonous snakes are welcome on my property, poisonous not so much.

 

[redlevel]

Even though they are probably the major nest-robbers that Bobwhite Quail are afflicted by, I give non-venemous snakes a pass on my place. I see mostly common king snakes and timber rattlesnakes. The rattlers get a dose of snake shot. I have too many birddawgs and young'uns running around. Not necessarily my young'uns, but young'uns none the less.

This'un was just a few feet from my back door. Not 20 yards from the dawg-pen.

 

[cass]

They are. But if they are in our yard than there's no mercy

That hook looks very similar to mine - mine isn't so rounded in the cradle. The best design ever for a hook - built mine in 1961, and still use it.

 

[JJEH]

That hook looks very similar to mine - mine isn't so rounded in the cradle. The best design ever for a hook - built mine in 1961, and still use it.

I bought a "Professional Snake Hook" from Midwest Tongs, Inc. It's expensive but I rather have one...

 

[walkin jack]

Snakes? Meh, I can take 'em or leave 'em, although I'd just as soon leave 'em. I don't go looking for them but I don't fool around with 'em if they threaten me or anything or anyone in my world. Put in terms of today's vernacular, I have a 0 tolerance policy.

 

[Comrad]

I cane to work this morning and found a dead possum in my parking place.

Cajun Possum Chili - NUCLEAR HOT !!!

Ingredients:
Tomatoe Sauce (depends on possum)
1 tsp.-1 cup Chili Powder (Depends on Taste and possum)
1 Large possum or 3 small (If you ran over the possum better make it 4)
1 large pot or two large ones if the first isn't enough.
5-10 chili peppers (depends on taste and possum)
5-10 red peppers (depends on taste and possum)
5-10 jalapenio peppers (depends on taste and possum)
How ever much Cayenne Pepper you like, it depends on your taste and possum.
1 tsp. Black Pepper
a pinch of salt
Chili Beans for extra flavor
And whatever other ingredients that are hot and spicy you would like to add.

Directions:
1. Skin possum(s)
2. Remove internal organs, head, claws, and bones. There is no flavor or use for these. But if you want to add them, Go ahead.
3. Put some tomatoe sauce in the pot(s). Then add the possum.
4. Chop peppers
5. Skip step four if you don't want chopped peppers; it doesn't matter.
6. Put the rest in and let set for a long dang while.
7. Before serving make sure you have enough bread, Milk, and Toliet paper for after dinner.
8. Serve. Enjoy
9. Race for bathroom. Whoever is first will make a large stench. Have enough air freshner.
Serving size of Meal-depends on how much you put in and on the possum.

 

[GKC]

I grew up in West Texas, where rattlesnakes were common. I don't like snakes. I don't go out of my way to kill them, but I'd just as soon not share living space with them.

A while back, my wife started screaming that there was a snake in the bathroom. I came in and saw it disappearing under a cabinet. The cabinet apparently had a small space between the base and the floor (it was built in, and not moveable.) We sat and watched for a while, and occasionally the snake would stick it's head out, but retreat when it saw us. I could tell it was probably a garter snake, or some other small, harmless snake, so I wasn't worried about it, but my wife insisted that I remove the snake from the house.

I tried to grab the snake with tongs when it would stick it's head out, but it was far faster than I was. So, finally, I got a piece of cardboard, and covered it with duct tape with the sticky side up, and put it at the base of the cabinet. The next time the snake stuck his head out, he got stuck on the duct tape. I pulled him out, and he was less than a foot long, and looked harmless.

I carried him outside, but he had thrashed around and gotten his jaw dislocated on the tape, and some of his body was stuck by then as well...I was afraid I'd pull his jaw off if I tried to pull him off the tape, or parts of his skin, so I killed him rather than let him suffer. When I came back in and told my wife, she was actually sad that I'd killed it....but she still didn't want it in the bathroom, or anywhere else in the house either.

 

[Texas Star]

I like them, unless one of them gets a little too friendly with my (then) 3 year old son!

http://smith-wessonforum.com/lounge/320474-model-67-saves-3-year-old-boy-fearsome-rattler.html

Is this a Prairie Rattler? I bet that head could still bite.
\
I remember the photo from a prior post, but don't recall your .38 load or the snake's size?

Some snakes are brighter than you'd think. The zoo here used to have a Black & White Forest Cobra (Naja melanoleuca) that was deemed to be very dangerous. It was aggressive and had learned to feint one way and when the handler moved his hook to counter, it'd switch direction and try to hit him. They finally traded it off to another zoo.

 

[DR505]

Is this a Prairie Rattler? I bet that head could still bite.
\
I remember the photo from a prior post, but don't recall your .38 load or the snake's size?

It looks to be a Desert Massagua, about 18" in length. The revolver was loaded with 158 grain +P SWCHP (Old FBI load). Had mountain lions around earlier (hence the load)...wasn't expecting snakes.

 

[357-RevolverGuy]

I hate snakes. Crazy thing is I remember how my grandfather and dad would just hack them to pieces with a machete or shovel. Didn't matter how big or dangerous they were, they'd just get real close and hack the head off (rattlers and cottonmouths). I remember being around 13 and a big cottonmouth while we were fishing had snuck up behind us. With a cigarette in one hand and a machete in the other grandpa somehow got him. Me, I shoot them.

 

[Texas Star]

Years ago my sister & I went to the San Antonio Zoo. One of the exhibits was the largest snake I've ever seen;maybe a Rock Python? I know it wasn't an Anaconda. The snake was easily thicker than my upper thigh & had a head the size of a football. Just a huge snake. I have no problem with snakes mostly because I'm never around them these days. When I was growing up in the Canal Zone there were quite an assortment of dangerous snakes that you definitely had to be aware of.

This sounds more like a Reticulated Python, Python reticulatus. I think I remembered the scientific name and spelled it right.

They're often bad tempered and can definitely constrict a human. One was found in Burma in WW II with the remains of a Japanese soldier in it. But the African Rock Python you mentioned is also large and is often vicious, too.

The teeth of pythons and boas and anacondas curve backward, the better to hold prey. They can be hard to extract once the snake has bitten someone. I once saw a pet shop owner who had been bitten by either a Green Tree Python or an Emerald Tree Boa; I forget which. They look a LOT alke, despite coming from half the world away. That's called Parallel Development by scientists. Similar environments produced similar snakes.

This guy's hand was a mess. He'd smeared it liberally with antibiotic ointment and infection hadn't set in but it was still swollen a little and red. The tooth marks were clear.

Can you imagine what it'd be like to save yourself or a friend from a big constrictor? I wrote a scene for the The Lost World fan fiction where a big boa constrictor had gotten hold of Prof. Challenger and his friends were stumped about what to do. Then, Ned Malone grabbed the head and pried it loose while Veronica (if you recall those characters from the show) knifed it in the brain from below. They still had to unwind it from Veronica. Finally, they tossed it aside and Finn shot it, although the brain-knifing had probably killed it. She twisted the knife in there as the snake struggled and entwined her. Some snakes continue to wriggle when dead. And a severed head can still bite for some time. It was a pretty intense scene to write and I made it as real as I could. They did all that I could think of, but I hope that I never have to deal with a big constrictor.

Have any of you seen the pics floating around the Net of the Rock Python that bit an electric fence and was fried? I'm guessing that the fence burned it and it struck the fence, only to be electrocuted even more effectively. The open mouth was on the fence.

I presume that everyone here knows that Burmese pythons are reproducing in parts of Florida and are considered a nuisance. But the state is being very PC about killing them, from what I read. If one kills a child or some important person's favorite pet, maybe that will change. And Nile Monitor Lizards are also now becoming common. Both the monitor lizard and the big snakes bred from released pets.

 

[Texas Star]

It looks to be a Desert Massagua, about 18" in length. The revolver was loaded with 158 grain +P SWCHP (Old FBI load). Had mountain lions around earlier (hence the load)...wasn't expecting snakes.

Thanks. That was another of my guesses. I know that Massasaugas (sp?) don't grow too large, but both they and the little Pygmy Rattler are quite dangerous. Recent studies found that Massasaguas are quite a bit more toxic than was thought. At least some populations have neurotoxic venom, as with the Mohave/Mojave rattler.

I like your .38 load, and it's what I'd use in a .38 if I was leery of cougars and wasn't carrying a more potent gun.

 

[speedyquad]

up until about a month ago, i had a ball/royal python...it was my 2nd one. i rescued it from a young guy that had no idea how to raise a royal and was afraid of it. i tried my best, but over the 6+ years that i had him, he never ate like he should have. this one didn't like to wrap around my wrist like the first one did. my first one was a beloved pet for almost 14 years.

oh by the way, i am afraid of snakes...lol

 

[ChuckS1]

I like them, unless one of them gets a little too friendly with my (then) 3 year old son!

http://smith-wessonforum.com/lounge/320474-model-67-saves-3-year-old-boy-fearsome-rattler.html

Good snake there...

 

[rwsmith]

Snakes are fine.......

Snakes are fine until they get too close to me. I do think that there are some really beautiful snakes (to see at a distance) like indigo snakes, corn snakes, king snakes boas, tree snakes and the like. I don't know of any pretty poisonous snakes, except maybe the coral snake.

 

[Texas Star]

Snakes are fine until they get too close to me. I do think that there are some really beautiful snakes (to see at a distance) like indigo snakes, corn snakes, king snakes boas, tree snakes and the like. I don't know of any pretty poisonous snakes, except maybe the coral snake.

Oh, there are many pretty venomous snakes! One is the awful Gaboon Viper (Bitis gabonica) with mottled shades of purple, gray, and other hues. Ditto for the related Rhino Viper/River Jack, (B. nasicornis.)

The Green and Jameson's mambas, genus Dendroaspis, are a beautiful, vivid green, as is the highly venomous Boomslang, D. typus.

The various color variations of the Cape Cobra, esp. the more vivid yellow or gold phases, are lovely, as is the Red Spitting Cobra, Naja pallida. Some of the kraits and tropical corals are also quite pretty.

The King Cobra, Ophiophagus hannah, is sometimes a nice olive green with orange bands on the ventral surfaces. The Egyptian cobra, N. haje, can also be impressive, in the black phase with gold underbands. If you saw videos of Shakira's 2003 concert in Rotterdam (on YouTube; I bought the DVD), the huge snake image that reared up above her as she came on stage is one of these. They range throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa, not limited to Egypt. It was probably this snake with which Cleopatra committed suicide, to avoid becoming a trophy captive of the victorious Roman general, Octavius Caesar, later Caesar Augustus.

Some color phases of the Eyelash Viper are also very colorful, although they tend to blend into their environment. These used to be part of genus Bothrops, as are many of the tropical pit vipers. Some have been reclassified, so check current listings, if interested.

Even some of the rattlers, like the Rock Rattler, are quite pretty.

 

[POPPER]

Spent many of my years in central Texas in Copperhead country mostly. When I moved to Tennessee I was shocked to find out they actually stock rattlesnakes in some areas as an endangered species and you're not allowed to kill them. I don't know who the nut job was that came up with that deal.Go figure. It's your butt if you get caught killing one. I just don't get the logic to this one. Their fair game in Texas along with mocs, copperheads etc. Me personally? I won't mess with a non poisones snakes. Especially a black snake around my place. But I have no compassion for rattlers and copperheads. A copperhead nailed me last year on the calf of my leg when I was watering my dog out back in the dark like a dope. It was not a fun thing to have to go through. for that deal. Trust me. Just glad it wasn't a rattler. That would have been ugly sure enough. Spent a little time in the hosp. over that one. I had it coming though. I went outside in denim shorts and moccisions in the dark to fetch some water for my cur dog behind the house and rousted out a copperhead cooling his self on a stepping stone near the water faucet. Dumb Dumb!!!!!! Please excuse the spelling. Popper

 

[medic15al]

Even though they are probably the major nest-robbers that Bobwhite Quail are afflicted by, I give non-venemous snakes a pass on my place. I see mostly common king snakes and timber rattlesnakes. The rattlers get a dose of snake shot. I have too many birddawgs and young'uns running around. Not necessarily my young'uns, but young'uns none the less.

This'un was just a few feet from my back door. Not 20 yards from the dawg-pen.

The coloring on him is quite nice.

In still don't like venomous breeds....

 

[shouldazagged]

Oh, there are many pretty venomous snakes! One is the awful Gaboon Viper (Bitis gabonica) with mottled shades of purple, gray, and other hues.

That one is brilliantly camouflaged to disappear in forest leaf litter.

Orson Bean claimed they got their name because they invariably bite you on the gaboon.

 

[Slim Chance]

Redlevel,
That is a big rattler! What part of Ga? I'm in NW Ga.