Let’s talk snakes for a minute...

Dobie

Botch said:

NPHuskerFL said:

Too many species to name here in FL. I've dispatched (in my yard) E. Diamondbacks, Corals, Cottonmouths, Pygmys & Water Moccasins.  To be fair we see far more Black Racers than venomous.  Racers are welcome and they do occasional terminate venomous intruders along with other pests. 

Wow, so you have all four N. American venomous varieties in your locale.  I didn't realize rattlers extended to FL.    

Oh yeah we got rattle snakes. We moved over the winter and have a nature preserve directly behind the house. Saw a black racer tail slithering into the hedges today. Told the wife it was OK, she wasn’t assured. As long as it’s not venomous it’s safe. Hope it gets some of those fooking moles in the yard...

Rascal

Beware that "innocent" garter snake!!
http://www.iamatexan.com/2016/04/24/1garter-garden-snakes-can-be-super-deadly/?utm_content=bufferbbd3c&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer#

Carolina Q

Rascal said:

Beware that "innocent" garter snake!!
http://www.iamatexan.com/2016/04/24/1garter-garden-snakes-can-be-super-deadly/?utm_content=bufferbbd3c&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer#

Hahahaha! Awesome!

JRWhitee

@Rascal, I can see that happening @northGAcock house for sure...the only thing that story is missing is the dog killing the neighbors cat...

Legume

bucky925 said:

Debated posting this account it's a bit OT and a little long, but it's amazing what will jog your memory.

In the early 80's A bunch of the railroad guys would get together each year and have a "safety" cookout in the NC mountains.  Well things were flowing and everyone was having fun.  One of the engineers (that could not swim) was in one of those floatie chairs in the pond when a little snake started swimming his way.  He was freeking out and splashing all around and of course this made the snake head straight for him.  Well it bit him on the leg.   He got to the bank and was in full fit.  We asked him what the snake looked like...The conclusion was it was a harmless water snake.  He didn't buy it and wanted to go somewhere to get checked out.  

We headed down the mountain trying to find a phone.  I'm not entirely sure why we were looking for a phone instead of a ER but for some reason it made since at the time.  In any case we came upon a house and knocked on the door.  A fellow answerd wearing overhauls and had tobacco juice running down his mouth.  We asked to use his phone and he told us Ain't got no phone, what's the matter?  We explained and he asked what the snake looked like?  We described it and he told us it was just a hamless water snake.  That was good enough for us, but the guy who was bitten said and I quote as I will remember it all my life.   I DON'T WANT SOME REDNECK IN OVERHAULS THAT DOESN'T HAVE A PHONE WITH TOBACCO SPIT RUNNING DOWN HIS CHIN TO TELL ME IT'S ALRIGHT!  I WANT A DOCTOR IN A WHITE COAT TO TELL ME IT'S ALL RIGHT!

Long story a bit shorter he was fine and retired with over 40 years of service.  I'm so glad my grey matter coughed this memory up. 

Funny story, but that guy was probably exactly who you wanted to trust in that situation.

Ike

If it doesn't rattle, it's a copperhead.  Truth.

DoubleEgger

It is Sunday you know... 

GATraveller

I always liked the name "Death Adder". Especially when Steve Irwin said it....deeth adda

theyolksonyou

DoubleEgger said:

It is Sunday you know... 

@d@DoubleEgger I didn't see you this morning. Did you sit in the back again?

FrostyEgg

Hard pass on the danger noodles. I'll certainly leave them be if I see one, but i'm not about to pick one up.

WeberWho

The toughest snake you'll find!

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Foghorn said:

Leave it alone. It’s not like it was one of these that I saw 2 weeks ago. 

Whoa. Never seen a coral snake in the water. 

The Cen-Tex Smoker

SSQUAL612 said:

Big California Garter Snake crossing my path the other day. 

That is bigger than any garter snake I have ever seen by 3x. Very cool. 

SSQUAL612

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

SSQUAL612 said:

Big California Garter Snake crossing my path the other day. 

That is bigger than any garter snake I have ever seen by 3x. Very cool. 

It was a healthy specimen & the largest one I have seen.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Botch said:

NPHuskerFL said:

Too many species to name here in FL. I've dispatched (in my yard) E. Diamondbacks, Corals, Cottonmouths, Pygmys & Water Moccasins.  To be fair we see far more Black Racers than venomous.  Racers are welcome and they do occasional terminate venomous intruders along with other pests. 

Wow, so you have all four N. American venomous varieties in your locale.  I didn't realize rattlers extended to FL.    

We have all 4 of them too. But FL also has to deal with the feral Pythons which we dont. 

HoustonEgger

This time of year, you probably saw a baby snake - a green racer or garden snake most likely. Came across about 10 of them the other day when working in my yard. 

The doggo killed this in the back yard last year - wife called me as I was pulling in the driveway saying the dog was playing with a snake in the back yard. 


Kiddo ran this one over on his bike - just pissed it off



One day, came home from work and saw a giant snake cross our backyard - went outside and it went straight up a tree. 

fishlessman

kinda glad we dont have many pit vipers up here. the men in green took my timber rattler away when i was a kid, denied it was a rattler. later found out the one den in nh is just a couple miles away up the road. only one ive ever seen here. though maybe i had seen another one a few years back but when i got close it flipped over and played dead. those are extremely rare here

billt01

go to your local big box store and buy 20oz of cinnamon and the largest amount of clove you can purchase. I ending grinding the clove up in a coffee grinder and mixing the cinnamon and clove together.

Sprinkle this mixture around your house liberally.

One will be hard pressed to find a snake around your home...

This recipe can from a old NC mountain man...

northGAcock

billt01 said:

go to your local big box store and buy 20oz of cinnamon and the largest amount of clove you can purchase. I ending grinding the clove up in a coffee grinder and mixing the cinnamon and clove together.

Sprinkle this mixture around your house liberally.

One will be hard pressed to find a snake around your home...

This recipe can from a old NC mountain man...

Finally some good advice. Seriously  appreciate it. 

Foghorn

billt01 said:

go to your local big box store and buy 20oz of cinnamon and the largest amount of clove you can purchase. I ending grinding the clove up in a coffee grinder and mixing the cinnamon and clove together.

Sprinkle this mixture around your house liberally.

One will be hard pressed to find a snake around your home...

This recipe can from a old NC mountain man...

I hear rats love that stuff.

billt01

Foghorn said:

billt01 said:

go to your local big box store and buy 20oz of cinnamon and the largest amount of clove you can purchase. I ending grinding the clove up in a coffee grinder and mixing the cinnamon and clove together.

Sprinkle this mixture around your house liberally.

One will be hard pressed to find a snake around your home...

This recipe can from a old NC mountain man...

I hear rats love that stuff.

@foghorn never had a problem with either..I had a few snakes in my attic a few years ago after finding some massive snake skins while getting the Chrima tree down...after sprinkling in the attic and around the house, no snakes or rats...

Foghorn

billt01 said:

Foghorn said:

billt01 said:

go to your local big box store and buy 20oz of cinnamon and the largest amount of clove you can purchase. I ending grinding the clove up in a coffee grinder and mixing the cinnamon and clove together.

Sprinkle this mixture around your house liberally.

One will be hard pressed to find a snake around your home...

This recipe can from a old NC mountain man...

I hear rats love that stuff.

@foghorn never had a problem with either..I had a few snakes in my attic a few years ago after finding some massive snake skins while getting the Chrima tree down...after sprinkling in the attic and around the house, no snakes or rats...

Cool.  I was mostly just being a jerk. And pointing out the potential for a downside when one gets rid of snakes. 

TideEggHead

I'd skip telling the wife, or at least that's what I did with the copper head I saw last week! As far as snake bait or keeping snakes away, there's nothing out there that will consistently work (skip moth balls they don't work). Side note, careful if it is a garter snake, they have a bacteria in their mouths, so if you get bitten it will cause some inflammation and a burning sensation for a while. Hard to tell exactly what type of snake it was unless there are some pictures. It was probably just cruising around looking for a meal.

As others have said, snakes play an important role in the ecosystems they are found in. If you are seeing them regularly there may be a food source attracting the snakes prey, get rid of the prey's food source (grain, corn, dog food, etc..) and you will get rid of the snakes. Unless you live by a swamp, then I'd move.

I'm all about not killing snakes but if you have kids around and you do see that it is venomous, I'd get rid of it.

TideEggHead

Botch said:

NPHuskerFL said:

Too many species to name here in FL. I've dispatched (in my yard) E. Diamondbacks, Corals, Cottonmouths, Pygmys & Water Moccasins.  To be fair we see far more Black Racers than venomous.  Racers are welcome and they do occasional terminate venomous intruders along with other pests. 

Wow, so you have all four N. American venomous varieties in your locale.  I didn't realize rattlers extended to FL.    

@Botch So there are quite a few more venomous snakes across north America (a lot of sub species). In AL and FL there are 6: coral, copperhead, water moccasin, pygmy rattle snake, timber rattle snake, and diamondback!

JethroVA

fishlessman

JethroVA said:

that hognose has to be the strangest snake up here. those northern water snakes are pretty aggressive up here, dont like them when they are in the water with you, they come right at you where most snakes head the other way

alaskanassasin

I thought sulfur was a snake deterrent. Googled it, save your money.

gonepostal

Ran up on this behemoth on the route today. Rain, sleet, snow or snakes 

billt01

gonepostal said:

Ran up on this behemoth on the route today. Rain, sleet, snow or snakes 

Id love to put that on my wife's side of the bed...

It'd may be worth the worth the divorce which would follow..

SSQUAL612

gonepostal said:

Ran up on this behemoth on the route today. Rain, sleet, snow or snakes 

The ole Rubber Snake trick.