Snakes are out and around!

[Evans, Marv]

This guy (gal) has been under this rock in the back yard now for two days. I suppose it will move on if it doesn't get a mouse of lizard pretty soon. Pretty colors. I don't kill them, but I'm wearing my high Redwing logger boots when I'm out & around now. It's pretty small - about 1.5 ft. long.

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by Evans, Marv

This guy (gal) has been under this rock in the back yard now for two days. I suppose it will move on if it doesn't get a mouse of lizard pretty soon. Pretty colors. I don't kill them, but I'm wearing my high Redwing logger boots when I'm out & around now. It's pretty small - about 1.5 ft. long.

Good for you, I also don't harm snakes.

[cassisrot]

Snakes tend to multiply. You might want to talk to your local game warden. He/she will relocate it for you.

[masraum]

We've got snakes around here. I've been surprised, I've seen 3-4 different non-venomous types, and the only venomous snake that I've seen (several) has been copperheads. I was surprised when I realized how small most of the copper heads are. Most of them are less than 18" or 20", and even their heads (and therefore mouths) are pretty small. The first one that I saw close up probably had a head the size of my thumb. I have since seen one that while still pretty short, had a much bigger head. I've been a little surprised to not see any rattlers. I guess this just isn't the right area for them.
I haven't killed any of the snakes that I've seen including the copperheads, but I have relocated one with a make-shift hook. My mom wants me to kill the poisonous snakes. As long as they don't get to be a problem, I'm not going to do that. I've taken measures to try to make the area around the house less appealing to them and mice and rats, and so far it seems to be working.

[McLovin]

That looks like one of those friendly ones.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by McLovin

That looks like one of those friendly ones.

Yep.

And I think you forgot your green text.

[matthewb0051]

I dislike them so much I had to put my finger to far side of my screen to scroll down the page on tablet. Had a very close encounter with a rattler in high school. Not a fan

[Baz]

Hey Marv - thanks for not going for the low hanging fruit and just doing away with this beautiful creature.

I love snakes and try to look after them as much as possible.

Around here most of them are non-poisonous.

In all the years I did landscaping work I've not one time come across any poisonous snake. Not even a Pygmy Rattler.

Lots of non-poisonous ones though.

Couple weeks back at one of my accounts I found a deceased Black Racer. Pierced in it's side like a bird tried to get it. I brought it home to give it a proper burial. Sat it on a bench in the garden and when I went to get it a few hours later it was on the ground and one of my resident painted turtles was eating it. It ended up eating the entire thing! I didn't realize turtles ate snakes so a new one on me.

[john70t]

Used to find and play with garter snakes in my youth, but I haven't seen a single one on the other side of this state for many decades.

Plenty of mice still around though.

The only time I was ever afraid of snakes was being chased by a water moccasin in waist-deep swamp (1ft water and 2ft sludge).
A few smacks made it turn around.

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by Baz

Hey Marv - thanks for not going for the low hanging fruit and just doing away with this beautiful creature.

I love snakes and try to look after them as much as possible.

Around here most of them are non-poisonous.

In all the years I did landscaping work I've not one time come across any poisonous snake. Not even a Pygmy Rattler.

Lots of non-poisonous ones though.

Couple weeks back at one of my accounts I found a deceased Black Racer. Pierced in it's side like a bird tried to get it. I brought it home to give it a proper burial. Sat it on a bench in the garden and when I went to get it a few hours later it was on the ground and one of my resident painted turtles was eating it. It ended up eating the entire thing! I didn't realize turtles ate snakes so a new one on me.

You have been lucky, as a kid, learned to be very careful when taking fire wood off the pile when I was grabbing for the fireplace and, bam, a baby rattler, I jumped way back. The only snakes that I don't like, but still won't go out of my way to harm one, is a water moccasin. They are flat out mean and will chase you.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Baz

Couple weeks back at one of my accounts I found a deceased Black Racer. Pierced in it's side like a bird tried to get it. I brought it home to give it a proper burial. Sat it on a bench in the garden and when I went to get it a few hours later it was on the ground and one of my resident painted turtles was eating it. It ended up eating the entire thing! I didn't realize turtles ate snakes so a new one on me.

Wow, that's crazy! I'd have been shocked and fascinated.

[Jolly Amaranto]

Up at the Armadillo Ranch in central Texas we have copper heads and coral snakes as well as black racers, garter snakes and corn snakes. We used to dispatch the venomous ones but stopped doing that year ago. A few years ago, my brother and I happened to be there sitting on the front porch one evening. There was a hatch of cicadas that were crawling out of the ground and up the big post oak tree in the front yard to shed their nymph shell and fly away. It seems every copper head in the county knew about our tree as the front lawn was crawling with them. They were gorging themselves on cicadas. It was fascinating to watch.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Jolly Amaranto

Up at the Armadillo Ranch in central Texas we have copper heads and coral snakes as well as black racers, garter snakes and corn snakes. We used to dispatch the venomous ones but stopped doing that year ago. A few years ago, my brother and I happened to be there sitting on the front porch one evening. There was a hatch of cicadas that were crawling out of the ground and up the big post oak tree in the front yard to shed their nymph shell and fly away. It seems every copper head in the county knew about our tree as the front lawn was crawling with them. They were gorging themselves on cicadas. It was fascinating to watch.

Yikes! Fascinating to watch from a distance with a long stick in case anyone decided to check the porch for cicadas!

I've heard lots of cicadas over the years in FL, VA, and Japan, but last summer here in the boonies was the first year that I'd heard the "giant cicada" which has a different sound than a regular cicada. I never did see one that I'm aware of. I also saw the smallest cicada I've ever seen last summer.

[MAS956]

Mother effin snakes near the mother effin plains.

[Jolly Amaranto]

[Rick Lee]

I got your Rattler right here. What could go wrong?

[Rick Lee]

I relocated this fellow a few months ago. Love these guys.

[Baz]

This guy is a resident here. I've run across him three times so far - all in different locations in my front yard. So cool......

[john walker's workshop]

Corn snakes are so cool.

[porsche tech]

Copperheads are the most common poisonous snakes around here and I’ve seen several. It’s important to be careful letting your dog sniff around in bushes! Several friend’s dogs have been bitten. Be careful!