Well, that's over with...

Snark

Mutts to you
Joined
Mar 27, 2006
Messages
4,023
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Midwest
#1
My annual almost-step-on-a-snake-and-have-a-heart-attack incident. Was walking back down the driveway after putting the horses out in pasture and nearly stepped on a black rat snake. Wasn't very big, only about 3 ft. but I still managed to leap and shriek like a girl (oh, wait, make that a middle-aged lady who just added another gray hair). Anyway, I went one way and he went the other so it's all good. :D Except I didn't have my camera to take pics of him... boo!
 

Miakoda

New Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2006
Messages
7,666
Likes
0
Points
0
#2
LOL.

Two weeks ago, while scooping poop in the very back of my pasture, a baby Water Moccasin (aka Cottonmouth) took off right from underneath my shovel. I had a Psycho moment and repeatedly jabbed the ground (unfortunately covered in leaves so I couldn't see anything) with the shovel...over and over and over and over and over again.

I know we have snake lovers on this forum, but I have no shame about killing anything venomous around my home. I actually caught a LOT of flak on another forum, but if it's their kids and animals, so be it. But I'm not going to have my boys playing with Copperheads and Water Moccasins (which, btw, are two very agressive snakes...they don't usually try to flee).
 

skittledoo

Crazy naked dog lady
Joined
Sep 27, 2007
Messages
13,667
Likes
5
Points
38
Age
37
Location
Fredericksburg
#3
I'm a huge snake lover and I have no qualms over killing a venomous snake if you feel it is potentially putting you, your children or your animals in danger. We have a ton of copperheads on the trails where I take the dogs hiking and they will just slither right across the path so you have to keep an eye out for them. We also have the water moccasins around here as well as your non venomous rats and corns etc.
 

Snark

Mutts to you
Joined
Mar 27, 2006
Messages
4,023
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Midwest
#4
Yeah, Missouri just has 3 poisonous snakes - copperhead, cottonmouth and timber rattler. I've seen cottonmouths and copperheads but, knock on wood, haven't seen a rattler on our property. Our original group of barn cats used to tell us if there was a snake in the vicinity - if we saw 3 or more cats sitting in a circle, we knew there was a snake in the middle. A couple of times, they were venomous and we did kill them.

I'm not a fan of snakes, they give me the heebie-jeebies but I know the non-venomous ones are beneficial, it's just the OMG! Snake! reaction when we surprise each other.
 

Red.Apricot

Active Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2011
Messages
2,984
Likes
2
Points
38
Location
Southern California
#5
I adore snakes, but kids do come first. In our area, the only poisonous snakes are rattlesnakes, and they're not nearly as dangerous.

It upset me when our neighbors beheaded a six inch gopher snake because it was on their property, but I just told them that if they found another gopher snake, let me know, and I'd remove it. About two months later, they came over and had my sister (who was 9 or so) take the second one they found. We put it down one of our gopher holes.

I like 'bugs', but black widows on our property get smashed. Their egg sack things get smashed. If it were just me and Donny, we'd probably only kill the indoor/garage ones, but with the dogs, they're not welcome here, no matter how interesting they are.
 
Joined
Dec 20, 2003
Messages
94,266
Likes
3
Points
36
Location
Where the selas blooms
#6
I'm with you totally, Mia.

The black snakes I love. They help keep the venomous ones out. Now, if I could just convince my idiot parents to QUIT KILLING BLACKSNAKES!
 

Romy

Taxiderpy
Joined
Dec 2, 2006
Messages
10,233
Likes
1
Points
38
Location
Olympia, WA
#7
You guys have blacksnakes and water moccasins and copperheads?!?! *is jealous*.

We just have garter snakes and rubber boas, but I have NEVER seen a wild rubber boa ever.

I shouldn't say "just" garters though, because ours rock. I caught this one in the road near the courthouse a few years ago:




We did have pacific rattlers in eastern wa. I really liked them. My aunt used to pay us to catch bullsnakes to put under the chicken barn. She sacrificed a few eggs to feed them once in a while, but they kept the rattlers out of the hay and away from the birds so it was a good trade.
 
Joined
Dec 20, 2003
Messages
94,266
Likes
3
Points
36
Location
Where the selas blooms
#8
And racers and green snakes and various and sundries, lol. The blue racers are gorgeous but you don't get to look at them for very long :D Technically we aren't supposed to have them here, but we do.
 

SizzleDog

Lord Cynical
Joined
Nov 12, 2004
Messages
9,449
Likes
0
Points
0
#9
You guys have blacksnakes and water moccasins and copperheads?!?! *is jealous*.

We just have garter snakes and rubber boas, but I have NEVER seen a wild rubber boa ever.

I shouldn't say "just" garters though, because ours rock. I caught this one in the road near the courthouse a few years ago:




We did have pacific rattlers in eastern wa. I really liked them. My aunt used to pay us to catch bullsnakes to put under the chicken barn. She sacrificed a few eggs to feed them once in a while, but they kept the rattlers out of the hay and away from the birds so it was a good trade.
WOW, that is a gorgeous garter! Ours are normal-looking, and we see a ton of them.

We too have water moccasins, in fact we almost stepped on one in the creek last year. Thank goodness I watch where I step!
 

ACooper

Moderator
Joined
Jan 7, 2007
Messages
27,772
Likes
1
Points
38
Location
IN
#11
Not a snake lover, and not a snake hater........nor am I afraid of snakes. Come 'round where you don't belong and it's on, prepare for death. Perhaps it's too many years spent in the Arizona desert, but that's how I feel on the subject. Same went for coyotes, spiders, scorpions, or any other 'hazardous' pests.

Those who don't agree with you Mia are welcome to let critters live in harmony around them............just don't expect ME to do it too, LOL
 
Joined
Apr 4, 2011
Messages
3,199
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
St. Louis, MO
#12
Yeah, Missouri just has 3 poisonous snakes - copperhead, cottonmouth and timber rattler. I've seen cottonmouths and copperheads but, knock on wood, haven't seen a rattler on our property. Our original group of barn cats used to tell us if there was a snake in the vicinity - if we saw 3 or more cats sitting in a circle, we knew there was a snake in the middle. A couple of times, they were venomous and we did kill them.

I'm not a fan of snakes, they give me the heebie-jeebies but I know the non-venomous ones are beneficial, it's just the OMG! Snake! reaction when we surprise each other.
According the to MO Dept of Conservation, we actually have 6

The venomous snakes found in Missouri include: the Osage and southern copperhead, cottonmouth, western pygmy rattlesnake, massasauga rattlesnake and timber rattlesnake.
I do like non-venomous snakes, but yes, they can cause me to jump for sure! When my son was really little I was out walking him around in a carrier trying to get him to sleep at my moms. I almost stepped on a huge black snake that was out sunning. My mom still laughs to this day about how high I jumped and fast I ran away lol
 

Romy

Taxiderpy
Joined
Dec 2, 2006
Messages
10,233
Likes
1
Points
38
Location
Olympia, WA
#13
Hey now, that is also gorgeous. :)

Last year at Moxiecollies' place she lifted a board to show me her garter hoard. There were all kinds of color morphs. Several were hypomelanistic terrestrials, but they had a really beautiful metallic copper sheen. I'm going to try and get pictures this summer.
 

skittledoo

Crazy naked dog lady
Joined
Sep 27, 2007
Messages
13,667
Likes
5
Points
38
Age
37
Location
Fredericksburg
#15

SizzleDog

Lord Cynical
Joined
Nov 12, 2004
Messages
9,449
Likes
0
Points
0
#16
I love my pet snake. He's "just" a normal, but morphs in ball pythons also often come with health/neuro problems as well as hefty price tags.

 

Xandra

Active Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2009
Messages
3,806
Likes
0
Points
36
#17
lol aww come on Josh, they're so low key and slithery, what's not to like? :D

I'd settle for some wild snakes where I live, but no luck. :(

And Sizzle your python is lovely. For some reason I like corn snake morphs, but boas and balls au natural (natural morphs OK).
 

skittledoo

Crazy naked dog lady
Joined
Sep 27, 2007
Messages
13,667
Likes
5
Points
38
Age
37
Location
Fredericksburg
#18
Haha he thinks they are boring and a waste of money. They cost next to nothing to feed though.... Super low maitenance.
Here are two pics of my slithery friends since we are posting pics.

Aneira- 3-4 year old snow female corn




Serkan- 2011 Bloodred male hatchling


 

Snark

Mutts to you
Joined
Mar 27, 2006
Messages
4,023
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Midwest
#19
Heebie jeebies! Heebie jeebies! :yikes: :yikes:

Okay, carry on with the slithery pics... ;)
 

Romy

Taxiderpy
Joined
Dec 2, 2006
Messages
10,233
Likes
1
Points
38
Location
Olympia, WA
#20
I love my pet snake. He's "just" a normal, but morphs in ball pythons also often come with health/neuro problems as well as hefty price tags.

We prefer the term "wild type" around here. ;) I definitely prefer the wild markings on BPs. I hate piebald anything in reptiles. They tend to look like they've got a skin condition to me. The only exception I've seen are pied-sided bloodreds but those aren't really pied, just have bellies that extend up the sides a bit.

Yours looks like his markings were batiked on. So awesome.

I used to have one of these guys as a buddy. He was an oregon red spotted garter. They are hands down, one of my favorite garters EVER. Also, I think of all snakes garters are my absolute favorites. People overlook them as companions, but they're diurnal so you actually get to see them during the day, and mine were usually pretty social (as far as snakes go).


Some day when I'm a home owner, I'd really love to put together a nice little colony of garters again.
 

Members online

Top