You’ve Got To Be Careful!
- Thread starter tbradsim1
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You have more excitement in your day than I've had in the last 6 months.
Everytime I have to go in the garden shed, I stick my head in and scan around for snakes. Living right next to a bamboo grove, they just seem to be in every nook and cranny. I once had a Copperhead in the plywood ceiling, in the small crawlspace of the shed, probably waiting on the mice that are sometimes in there. As soon as I started moving stuff to get my tiller out of there, it started coming down on me pretty fast. I didn't even know what it was, but I had every stitch of clothing off and my heart rate was faster than a small 2 cycle engine. Mrs Cosmic, whom I never mention snakes to, was just looking at me from the back porch. I just shrugged and said, "It's really hot in there." Then proceeded to use the shovel on it.
I now keep a machete right inside the shed door.
I now keep a machete right inside the shed door.
Jeez, I'm Mr. Magoo with snakes. I know they are everywhere, but I seldom see them. Yipes. Good catch with the vipers guys. Tall boots are in order. And good vision.
I love snakes. Had a beautiful garter snake living in my garage for a while. He didn't know we were friends and tried to hide from me. And when I was four I was camping and flipping rocks over despite being told not to and a copper head struck the rubber sole of my shoe teaching me to be more careful about flipping rocks.
Pygmy rattlers are no joke. The name fools people.
Every species of rattler has its own venom "recipe," and inject it in vastly different amounts.
Western Diamondbacks, for example, have relatively mild venom (as such things go), but are aggressive as hell and inject barrels of it. Statistically, they are America's most dangerous snake.
The Mojave Rattler is the opposite. Shy, retiring, medium-small in size, and reluctant to strike. When they do, though, they deliver a combination hemotoxic and neurotoxic venom that's an absolute bitch to treat. Chemically, they are America's most dangerous snake.
Pygmy rattlers fall in between. Hemotoxic, fairly aggressive, and often deliver multiple bites in quick succession. Venom volume is small enough they can't kill healthy humans, but it's punchy enough to cost you a finger or a chunk of muscle.
Glad he didn't get you Brad. Smoking a pipe with one hand wrapped in a ball of bandages while you're zonked on pain killers is tough.
Every species of rattler has its own venom "recipe," and inject it in vastly different amounts.
Western Diamondbacks, for example, have relatively mild venom (as such things go), but are aggressive as hell and inject barrels of it. Statistically, they are America's most dangerous snake.
The Mojave Rattler is the opposite. Shy, retiring, medium-small in size, and reluctant to strike. When they do, though, they deliver a combination hemotoxic and neurotoxic venom that's an absolute bitch to treat. Chemically, they are America's most dangerous snake.
Pygmy rattlers fall in between. Hemotoxic, fairly aggressive, and often deliver multiple bites in quick succession. Venom volume is small enough they can't kill healthy humans, but it's punchy enough to cost you a finger or a chunk of muscle.
Glad he didn't get you Brad. Smoking a pipe with one hand wrapped in a ball of bandages while you're zonked on pain killers is tough.
Had a pet King Snake in my Grandmaws old wash she'd. He kept the bad guys away, he was almost 6 ft. Son visiting went in washshed, heard him hollering, it as wrestling with him, he killed it, was bummed out but didn't tell Son I wish he hadn't if killed it. Ever since I've had to keep an eye out for snakes, like Cosmic I don't reach for anything with my bare hand, hoe or rake.
I live in Las Vegas and Mohave Greens are predominately just south along the Colorado. While on an excursion to Grapevine Canyon (amazing Indian pictographs) myself and my friend came across two teenagers throwing rocks into a bush. We asked what they were doing. Well they we throwing rocks at what turned out to be a five foot long Mohave Green.
We dispatched the snake (I like snakes alive, but this was a common trail with a highly agitated snake), took him home and ate him. My friend mounted the snake on a piece of Cedar and it’s proudly stretched out over his fireplace mantle. The rattle had 9 segments.
I’ve been near plenty of snakes in my outings. Never saw one as aggressive as that Green. Mind you, knuckleheads were throwing rocks at it.
We dispatched the snake (I like snakes alive, but this was a common trail with a highly agitated snake), took him home and ate him. My friend mounted the snake on a piece of Cedar and it’s proudly stretched out over his fireplace mantle. The rattle had 9 segments.
I’ve been near plenty of snakes in my outings. Never saw one as aggressive as that Green. Mind you, knuckleheads were throwing rocks at it.
55 percent of snakebite victims are males aged 17-27, and 85 percent of all snakebite victims are bitten on the hand or fingers. Stupidity at work!
I see snakes all the time here in Tucson, usually while hiking or mountain biking. Last year, there was even a Western Diamondback right outside my wife’s classroom (she teaches middle school, and many of the schools here have classrooms that open into courtyards).
A couple of weeks ago, I saw/heard a western diamondback, and a tiger rattler, both right off the trail and within 100 ft of each other. They were both NOT happy with my presence.
Here’s the latest snake sighting, from Monday’s bike ride. A nice, fat, black-tailed rattler! Overall it was a good encounter. I was chill, the snake was chill, and we both calmly went our separate ways.
Growing up we would run across a rattler once or twice a year. Generally left them alone and they left us alone. One day one was on the shoulder of our road and pickup swerved to run it over. He got out to throw the body in the back and was promptly bit. He was already not the sharpest tool in the shed and this just confirmed it.
My daughter lived in Phoenix for about 5 years and we went out to visit a couple of times. Everytime we were outside my head was like Linda Blair's in the Exorcist...spinning around looking for snakes and scorpions. They freak me out big time.
Damn. A five foot Mohave is as big as they get. I've never seen a truly pissed off one---they're usually spooky, in fact. Head for the hills when bothered rather than coil and strike. But cornered/trapped and with no other option, they doubtless go all-in like any other animal.
A solid hit from that five footer that far in the boonies (by time) could well have ended one of those kids. Even experienced pro handlers don't like dealing with them because of the double barreled venom.
As for eating rattlers, most people go "Ew!", but they can be pretty tasty if you know what you're doing.
Around here, it’s water moccasins, copperheads, and cane break rattlers (timber rattlers), with the occasional pygmy rattlers and eastern diamondbacks. Supposedly we have coral snakes, too, but I’ve been a hunter my whole life and never seen one.
Same thing here in Alabama.. Everyone always warns about them though.
Have you ever seen the king snake that mocks them?
Yeah, I’ve always heard “red and yellow, kill a fellow, red and black venom lack.” Supposedly coral snakes rarely ever bite though, and try to flee. At least that’s what I’ve heard. ?
I don't like snakes at all and apparently here in Aus we have 7 of the 10 most deadly in the world
You name it, Typan, Death Adder, King Brown, Tiger, Mulga. All different types of venom and several of these snakes are very aggressive. In my back yard (in Sydney) I have had several Red Belly Black snakes, which can kill, but are not as bad as those mentioned above
That being said I have seen a few rattlers in the US (Timber rattlers in the upper states and others in lower states) and they are scary snakes!
You name it, Typan, Death Adder, King Brown, Tiger, Mulga. All different types of venom and several of these snakes are very aggressive. In my back yard (in Sydney) I have had several Red Belly Black snakes, which can kill, but are not as bad as those mentioned above
That being said I have seen a few rattlers in the US (Timber rattlers in the upper states and others in lower states) and they are scary snakes!
The Western Coral is a small, shy, burrowing thing that's rarely seen and the only way it could bite you is (almost literally) if you stuck a finger in its mouth.
The Eastern variety is significantly bigger, and would probably bite if picked up, but otherwise is no danger to humans. Nothing like a rattler or moccasin. You leave it alone and it'll leave you alone. (Good thing, too. Their neurovenom is on par with a cobra's.)
The mimic is the Scarlet King Snake. Common and docile. Make great terrarium pets.
The warning thing is a black face/head. No touchee.
The Eastern variety is significantly bigger, and would probably bite if picked up, but otherwise is no danger to humans. Nothing like a rattler or moccasin. You leave it alone and it'll leave you alone. (Good thing, too. Their neurovenom is on par with a cobra's.)
The mimic is the Scarlet King Snake. Common and docile. Make great terrarium pets.
The warning thing is a black face/head. No touchee.
I get the Bothrops Jararaca at my house in Brazil. It's a pretty nasty pit viper.
The picture with the vegetation is one I almost picked up during yard work, thinking it was a stick. Nearly dropped my pipe!
Luckily it was cold and wet that day, so it didn't move.
The one in the bucket was from when I was at the BBQ on a rainy night and it came for me out of the jungle plants next to the terrace. It was a baby (note the white tail without the rattle yet), but I heard those are the worst.
The one in the jar was found in my bathroom adjoined to my bedroom. They're everywhere!
I just teach my son to know what to look for and come running if he sees one. He loves climbing in the trees with all of the jungle plants growing up the stems. Just need to be observant. And know where the local hospital with anti-venom is...
I never kill them. I either drive them to another part of the jungle or take them to the snake institute in Sao Paulo. They use them to milk for anti-venom. Not sure if the snakes prefer that over death, but some go on display too, which is maybe an ok life.
I'm more worried about the spiders.
The Brazilian wandering spider is one I see often enough.
I had one of these fuckers run across an entire terrace over the span of about 20 feet, straight for me while I was BBQ'n and having a good time.
Scared the living shit right out of me because those things can move and they can be rather large. And full of nasty venom that will mess you up before killing you quickly.
It had all the chance in the world to go somewhere else, but it made a b-line for me and it seemed to want to fight.
Luckily, I had a broom close by and dispatched it. In fact, I don't have any pictures of those spiders. I kill them all very, very quickly and violently, so it'd just be a picture of goo. They're terrifying.
Snakes... meh. Spiders... get the fuck out! It still gives me the willies just remembering that thing running full tilt for me over the span of about 20 feet. I mean, seriously, what the fuck does that?
In Canada, I am in bear and cougar country most of the time and I'll take on those any day, if I had to choose. Any day...
The picture with the vegetation is one I almost picked up during yard work, thinking it was a stick. Nearly dropped my pipe!
Luckily it was cold and wet that day, so it didn't move.
The one in the bucket was from when I was at the BBQ on a rainy night and it came for me out of the jungle plants next to the terrace. It was a baby (note the white tail without the rattle yet), but I heard those are the worst.
The one in the jar was found in my bathroom adjoined to my bedroom. They're everywhere!
I just teach my son to know what to look for and come running if he sees one. He loves climbing in the trees with all of the jungle plants growing up the stems. Just need to be observant. And know where the local hospital with anti-venom is...
I never kill them. I either drive them to another part of the jungle or take them to the snake institute in Sao Paulo. They use them to milk for anti-venom. Not sure if the snakes prefer that over death, but some go on display too, which is maybe an ok life.
I'm more worried about the spiders.
The Brazilian wandering spider is one I see often enough.
I had one of these fuckers run across an entire terrace over the span of about 20 feet, straight for me while I was BBQ'n and having a good time.
Scared the living shit right out of me because those things can move and they can be rather large. And full of nasty venom that will mess you up before killing you quickly.
It had all the chance in the world to go somewhere else, but it made a b-line for me and it seemed to want to fight.
Luckily, I had a broom close by and dispatched it. In fact, I don't have any pictures of those spiders. I kill them all very, very quickly and violently, so it'd just be a picture of goo. They're terrifying.
Snakes... meh. Spiders... get the fuck out! It still gives me the willies just remembering that thing running full tilt for me over the span of about 20 feet. I mean, seriously, what the fuck does that?
In Canada, I am in bear and cougar country most of the time and I'll take on those any day, if I had to choose. Any day...
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