First one of the year!!! Be careful!!

[NorCalMikie]

My Mom always told stories about her Dad out checking animals on the Sheep Ranch in the hills above Clear Lake in California. Grandpa would wear stove pipes over his boots and when he walked thru the grass he would hear the "ting" of the snakes hitting the pipes.

Neighbor lady called for me to come over and "take care" of a rattler in her yard so the dog wouldn't get bit. Stood and looked in the same place for about 10 minutes before I finally saw it. Blended right in with the Oak leaves. Popped it and threw it back over the fence into the vineyard. Only one I've ever seen in our area.

 

[Turpentine]

The guys at the sepentatrium at Edisto use black painted corrugated tin to draw them in. Holds a lot of heat thru the night. Old cars, particularly hoods work good as well. They also have an affinity for corn piles since their favorite food, squirrels and rats, come feed there. The bad thing about a cane brake is the smaller ones have more potent venom. They've also figured out that cane brakes have both hemotoxic and a bit of neurotoxic venom because in our thick woods, they need to immobilize prey very quickly. I asked Mr. Heyward Clamp at the serpentarium how long it takes the venom to act on a squirell. His answer, he won't make it up the tree very far at all.

 

[GotRDid]

You got him with your Judge. Good work!

Judge-Jury-Executioner Model!

 

[Turpentine]

My Mom always told stories about her Dad out checking animals on the Sheep Ranch in the hills above Clear Lake in California. Grandpa would wear stove pipes over his boots and when he walked thru the grass he would hear the "ting" of the snakes hitting the pipes.

Neighbor lady called for me to come over and "take care" of a rattler in her yard so the dog wouldn't get bit. Stood and looked in the same place for about 10 minutes before I finally saw it. Blended right in with the Oak leaves. Popped it and threw it back over the fence into the vineyard. Only one I've ever seen in our area.

Had that happen with a Copperhead before. Amazing how they blend in and disappear! The Cottonmouth is for whatever reason one of the toughest for me to pick out.
We always had to wear gaiters over our boots cruising and marking timber and I can tell you 1st hand that they work.

 

[INTJ]

Showed the wife, and asked her if she wanted to move to the south.
Uh No!
Was her response.
She has the judge tucked in on her side of the bed.

As far as I know, the rattlers in the South have only hemotoxin in their venom. The ones in Oregon and CA (Pacific Rattler) can have neurotoxin mixed in as well. Something about ground squirrels developing resistance to hemotoxin.

So an Oregon rattler might give a nastier bite than an Arkansas rattler....

 

[Bc'z]

As far as I know, the rattlers in the South have only hemotoxin in their venom. The ones in Oregon and CA (Pacific Rattler) can have neurotoxin mixed in as well. Something about ground squirrels developing resistance to hemotoxin.

So an Oregon rattler might give a nastier bite than an Arkansas rattler....

I've personally never seen a rattler in Oregon, I know they're here fortunately we've never crossed paths.

 

[NorCalMikie]

There was an article in one of the gun/hunting mags quite a few years back about dealing with snake bites. Far from help, spark plug or coil wire from a car engine.
Get zapped from the plug or coil wire on the bite area and it changes the venom???
Showed it to an ER Dr, while we were working on his car. He took the mag to work, showed it around and I never saw it again.
Not sure which is worse, snake bite or a deliberate coil wire zap.

 

[rockhound78]

Heard that about spider venom. Though, a stun gun was used. Supposed to change the venom, maybe break it down somewhat so not as potent.

 

[davidjoe]

This rattle wins. 10 minute old picture. You don’t get this old throwing your delicate head at every new sight, and after cooperating beautifully for some video and pictures, this discerning reptile kept enjoying the perfect weather.

 

[farmerjohn]

Hey Feller, it does for a fact, been too cold for them here yet. Still down in the middle 30s at night. We usually don't see any till April. ... John

 

[dusterdave173]

We shot a match Thursday here in North Carolina--match director said he had seen his first of the season be on the watch--Friday I was under a car in my garage--great sun shine nice warm day--I look up from under the car and there was a beautiful King snake--they are the black snakes with the nice gold lines--somehow I like them way better than our standard black snake--It was so close that it startled me at first then I said--go your way and I will stay right here --it eased on away from the shop---No mice getting in this car project!
Now Copperheads? I would have been doing some Killing but the black snakes and King snakes get a pass from me--they eat too many song birds out of the nest and are a PIA on chicken eggs but hey--each creature has to make a living
Twice bit by Copperheads---it ain't fun last time they asked did you bring the snake? I said nope so I puked a bucket full and was sent home with a watermelon sized leg Turns out that anti venom is kept in just a very few places in our state--they fly it in if needed ( medical chopper) and the cost is about the price of a good used Lexus with low miles

 

[GotRDid]

This rattle wins. 10 minute old picture. You don’t get this old throwing your delicate head at every new sight, and after cooperating beautifully for some video and pictures, this discerning reptile kept enjoying the perfect weather.

That one has shed quite a few skins!

 

[NorCalMikie]

Worked on a California Fish and Game Wardens car. Fun guy to talk to.
Found out Scrub Jays are protected.
Also found out Rattle Snakes have "a limit" but according to him, you can kill as many as you want.

 

[NorCalMikie]

We have outside cats. Nothing gets past them so maybe that's the reason we don't see many snakes.
Have seen scrub Jays throwing baby snakes in the air and pecking them so maybe that's another reason not too many snakes around?

 

[JPB4BAMA]

Timber rattler isn’t it?

Define small! Which by the way is also an inverse relationship to the distance at which you first encounter the critter. Saw one on display by the local Fire department her in Alabama just a touch over 6 ft, thats pretty big in my eyes.

 

[Kittitas George]

Define small! Which by the way is also an inverse relationship to the distance at which you first encounter the critter. Saw one on display by the local Fire department her in Alabama just a touch over 6 ft, thats pretty big in my eyes.

Here in Washington we have a Pacific rattler, they may get to 3' is all. A friend that has eaten them 'it's like eating chicken necks.' H e also had eaten the very big crawlies in South America, boas I think, the camp cook cooked them like a roast. I have used a 357 with 'home made' shot shells, # 9 shot gas check top and bottom, wax sealed. From the back of a horse they will take the wiggle right out of a snake. That was before the shot capsules were available, the capsules increase the volume. Anything that low to the ground can't be good.

 

[wedgy]

We had our first warm spell a few weeks ago and I found a foot long baby rattler in the road. As I reached for a rock to smash it I saw this other baby curled up behind the rock. I was about 6 inches from grabbing it. Then a 3rd one on the other side of the road. I have killed 8 of these babies in the same 100 yard stretch in the last 3 weeks. Yikes !

 

[RED DIRT]

Thee ONLY good snake i ever seen in my life, was a DEAD one!

 

[roband]

It might give them cancer after many, many, many years of exposure, so yes, sort of.

Thats also in category of,Dont care who you are" thats funny, for me even funnier was "does it kill them".

 

[deadeyemike]

There was an article in one of the gun/hunting mags quite a few years back about dealing with snake bites. Far from help, spark plug or coil wire from a car engine.
Get zapped from the plug or coil wire on the bite area and it changes the venom???
Showed it to an ER Dr, while we were working on his car. He took the mag to work, showed it around and I never saw it again.
Not sure which is worse, snake bite or a deliberate coil wire zap.

That article was in Outdoor Life or Sports Afield many years ago. We have did this numerous times when our dogs have been bitten by copperheads and it has worked every time. I was telling our veterinarian about it and he remembered it too. He said they were suppose to do more research on it but due to "Big Pharma" getting involved and the price of antivenom you know what happened. I know for a fact it works and have seen it work many times so if I ever get bit that will be the 1st thing I do.