Snake in the grass.....

Zeldman

Zeldman

Touchdown! Greaser!
Joined
Jun 13, 2014
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high desert NM
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Display name:
Billy
My wife walked out to the garage to get the car and run some errands. She called me and said those 7 words I hate to hear....

"There is a snake in the garage...."

So, I go out to the garage to see what the deal is all about. She points towards the area where she saw it. I walk over thinking the worse kind of snake is the one you don't see. I ask her again where she saw it. She covered her face with her hands and pointed again. I asked her to be a little more specific. She said under the garage door.

Ok.

And there it is.. A diamondback..!!! It has to be 6 to 8 long..!!!!

Crotalus_atrox_USFWS.jpg


Inches that is. (stock photo, not the snake my wife found)


This is the snake my wife found.

donna's_snake.jpg

Poor little guy was scared to death.. The snake I mean. My wife has the attitude that a good snake is a dead snake.

I get a broom and a small box and sweep it into the box. I took it across the road and about 100 feet up the road where I turned it loose into some bushes on the other side of the fence. Hopefully he grows up and helps reduce the prairie dog population.
 
I may or may not have contributed to my sisters fear of snakes by dumping a garter snake in her lap when we were kids.
 
You’re a better man than I. More than likely that snake would’ve met its demise via axe if it were on my property.

Black snakes I’ll leave alone, but copperheads or cottonmouths will get introduced to an axe or lawnmower blade.
 
Good on the OP. Snakes are a part of nature, we're the invaders. And yes, they eat things we don't like.
 
steingar said:
Good on the OP. Snakes are a part of nature, we're the invaders. And yes, they eat things we don't like.
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Some do. Others are a hazard to us humans who have been invaded by those predators.
 
Had two so far this year. Unless it has fangs, it gets left alone. Good call on letting it loose down range.
 
I found an odd snake on the steps this morning. The markings didn't seem quite right for any of the snakes we have around here, and it slithered into the rock wall before I could catch it to take a closer look.

It was probably either a young black racer or black rat snake, but it could have been a full-grown garter snake with unusual markings. Or maybe a hybrid. They can cross-breed.

Whatever it was, I left it alone, as I do with non-venomous snakes in general.

Rich
 
Can't see the tail but I know you are familiar with snakes and can ID a bull snake from a diamondback.
Newbie to our town just took some heat on FB for automatically killing a snake 'because it was a snake'. Pic showed it to be a bull snake.
 
steingar said:
Good on the OP. Snakes are a part of nature, we're the invaders. And yes, they eat things we don't like.
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We’re not invaders. We have as much right to be here as the snakes do. Personally, I like the little guys. I won’t share a house with them, but as long as they’re willing to be reasonable I’ll find them another place to hunt.
 
steingar said:
Good on the OP. Snakes are a part of nature, we're the invaders. And yes, they eat things we don't like.
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^^^^that!!!!^^^^

Poisonous or not, people who don't like snakes are puzzies!!!

I love snakes. All snakes.

I'll catch and play with snakes (as in just get a closer look and admire how freekin' cool they are!!) All snakes!

Most snakes are going the other way before you see them. Cottonmouths being the exception when you catch them out in the middle of a field, which is not their comfort zone.
 
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timwinters said:
^^^^that!!!!^^^^

Poisonous or not, people who don't like snakes are puzzies!!!

I love snakes. All snakes.

I'll catch and play with snakes (as in just get a closer look and admire how freekin' cool they are!!) All snakes!

Most snakes are going the other way before you see them. Cottonmouths being the exception when you catch them out in the middle of a field, which is not their comfort zone.
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I agree with the pro snake sentiment for the most part but I am all for killing as many as possible of the pythons in the Everglades and other non native ones like them that have been released into the wild in this country.
 
One of the nice things about western Washington is that we don't have any poisonous snakes. None. If you see a snake, leave it alone.

Now, when I lived in eastern Washington, I shot first and identified the remains later. Rattlesnakes are not uncommon. I remember one evening my girlfriend (now my wife of almost 45 years) and I were riding motorcycles up a gravel road from the Snake River and I saw a rattlesnake emerge from under the rear wheel of her motorcycle, just in time to run over it myself. A few hundred feet up the road and we ran over another one. They must have been soaking up the heat from the road. Oh well, a dead rattlesnake is a good rattlesnake.
 
Non-venemous I may relocate, especially if it's in the house (happened a few times), but otherwise leave alone. Venemous, OTOH, I kill. Not so much out of fear of snakes, but out of caution for our animals. The last thing I need is for a snake to nip a horse or barn cat or dog.

A neighbor's horse went nose to nose with a pigmy rattler a couple of years ago (horses can be stupidly curious) and got nailed on the nose, leading to vet bills and lots of hassle.
 
SkyDog58 said:
I agree with the pro snake sentiment for the most part but I am all for killing as many as possible of the pythons in the Everglades and other non native ones like them that have been released into the wild in this country.
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Oh, I agree with that one! Those aren't snakes, they are invasive species. Just like the Asian carp in our rivers.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Can't see the tail but I know you are familiar with snakes and can ID a bull snake from a diamondback.
Newbie to our town just took some heat on FB for automatically killing a snake 'because it was a snake'. Pic showed it to be a bull snake.
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At first I thought the little guy was a bull snake, until I got him into the sun and got a good look at his head. He did have one little button on his tail and he was a shakin' it like crazy. Plus he struck at the broom several times. Never had a bull snake do that. Every bull snake I have come across is very docile and either try to blend in with the back ground or takes off at high speed. This little guy got very aggressive and stood his ground as I was trying to get him in the box. He coiled up when I shook him out of the box.

So far I have relocated every snake I have found on the property. I prefer the no kill life. Except for certain conditions. And certain animals like mice.

Then again he might have been a prairie rattler. It is sometimes hard to tell when snakes are really young.

Rattlesnake-vs-Bull-Snake-identify-Pooper-Scooper-Boulder-Colorado.jpg
 
In your two pictures, I don't see a triangular head on the second snake that would indicate a pit viper. But it's a bit outa focus so maybe....

You talk about the head in your last post. Did you notice pits? With the photo being a little out of focus so it's hard to tell from Missouri! ;)

I could be a Gopher snake maybe? They're a desert SW snake and imitate rattlers by shaking their tail:

"Rat (Pantherophis sp.), king (Lampropeltis sp.) and gopher snakes (Pituophis sp.) and other closely related species are well-known for shaking their tail when confronted with a predator. It's not clear whether tail-shaking behavior in itself dissuades predators, or if it serves as a form of Batesian mimicry. In Batesian mimicry, a harmless or palatable species mimics a dangerous or distasteful species through behavior or morphology to protect itself. None of these species have well-developed tail-shaking muscles and cannot keep up the display very long."

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The markings of both your snake and this one look almost identical to the prairie rattlesnake though-and baby rattlers are born with only a button-so maybe?!?!

The key is definitely the triangular head, pits, and vertically slitted pupils instead of round.
 
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Good news is if it was a juvenile rattler its ability to envenom a human is quite limited. If it bit you'd have a bad day, but you wouldn't die. A baby rattlesnake might be able to kill a small dog.
 
Next time be sure you get a good look at his pupils, just to be sure.

Around here we have quite a few pigmy rattlers, and it would be a serious mistake to take them for a juvenile as their bite is quite dangerous. A neighbor was bitten by one a few years ago while doing yard work. She reached to grab a pine branch on the ground and didn't see the snake, and the snake never rattled.
 
Half Fast said:
Next time be sure you get a good look at his pupils, just to be sure.
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Har!

When I live on acreage, which I often do, I typically have a .22 slung over my shoulder if I'm out walking in the woods. They work great for catching and inspecting snakes. I simply pin pin the snake's head down gently with the butt of the rifle. The shoulder cup, especially if it's rubberized, works quite well to keep from injuring it. Then grab it right behind the head and have a long lookie loo before releasing it. They're really interesting creatures.

I've been struck a few times (of course) since I like f***ing with them. But, fortunately, every time it's been a dry strike with no venom released. Sometimes snakes will give a warning strike first to tell you to "leave me the f*** alone!!!" But definitely don't bank on that...and I'm referring to copperheads and rattlers (in the areas where I've screwed with them), can't speak to cottonmouths...I never messed with them much since they're typically more aggressive. Can't vouch for snakes (pit vipers) outside of the midwest either.

I certainly wouldn't advocate that you go out and be as stupid as I've been with snakes over the years, especially if you don't like them. But I find it great fun. I had a wonderful relationship with a 6' black rat snake when I had a farm just north of Branson back in the '90s. I fed him a mouse about once a week or so that I'd buy at the pet/food store ;). I'd come out on the back porch with it and, if he was around and heard me (and the mouse), he'd come get it. Sometimes it took two or three evenings to get him to do so. He'd literally take it out of my hand and slither away. It was freakin' cool. He'd also let me catch him, inspect him, and pet him. He'd hang with me on my lap as I'd sit out on the porch, drink a beer, and enjoy the wildlife; until he got tired of it then he'd slither away. He was pushing 7' by the time we sold that farm, and that was tensed up, he'd never relax when I'd stretch him out to measure him. He typically stayed in the trees right around the house, cleaning out the squirrel and bird's nests in the knotholes of the post (widowmaker) oaks.

That was a fun place and time.
 
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timwinters said:
In your two pictures, I don't see a triangular head on the second snake that would indicate a pit viper. But it's a bit outa focus so maybe....

You talk about the head in your last post. Did you notice pits? With the photo being a little out of focus so it's hard to tell from Missouri! ;)

I could be a Gopher snake maybe? They're a desert SW snake and imitate rattlers by shaking their tail:

"Rat (Pantherophis sp.), king (Lampropeltis sp.) and gopher snakes (Pituophis sp.) and other closely related species are well-known for shaking their tail when confronted with a predator. It's not clear whether tail-shaking behavior in itself dissuades predators, or if it serves as a form of Batesian mimicry. In Batesian mimicry, a harmless or palatable species mimics a dangerous or distasteful species through behavior or morphology to protect itself. None of these species have well-developed tail-shaking muscles and cannot keep up the display very long."

View attachment 63743

The markings of both your snake and this one look almost identical to the prairie rattlesnake though-and baby rattlers are born with only a button-so maybe?!?!

The key is definitely the triangular head, pits, and vertically slitted pupils instead of round.
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Looking at the shape of his head is where I guessed him to be a venomous snake. But the head was smaller than the end of my little finger, and I did not get on my hands and knees to inspect him that closely.... I was more afraid that a bigger one would be behind me and then the jokes in the emergency room would have been brutal...:lol:

I have warned my wife about reaching down under her plants without using her snake stick to look first. I noticed she had her stick in her hand this morning.

When I was a teenager I was out hunting and came up on 2 timber rattlers. The temp was in the mid 20s so they never rattled. I was on a knee looking at the winter grass trying to decide if it was deer or hogs eating the winter grass when I saw a slight movement about 5 feet to my left side. There was the first one, coiled up and ready to do business. I quickly moved back and stood up, all in one move. As I watched the first one, I heard the leaves crunch just to my right side. There was the second one, all coiled up and ready to rumble. That is probably when I had my first heart attack....

Because of the cold they probably did not feel me coming up, and they were moving slowly. I used my rifle to get a look at their tails. One had 19 rattles and the other had 21. Both were as big around as my thigh. As I left, I was more careful about what was right in front of me and I wasn't really looking for deer....:lol:
 
timwinters said:
Har!

When I live on acreage, which I often do, I typically have a .22 slung over my shoulder if I'm out walking in the woods. They work great for catching and inspecting snakes. I simply pin pin the snake's head down gently with the butt of the rifle. The shoulder cup, especially if it's rubberized, works quite well to keep from injuring it. Then grab it right behind the head and have a long lookie loo before releasing it. They're really interesting creatures.
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Yikes. :yikes:

I like snakes, but I'd NEVER do that with a snake that might be venomous. Harmless snakes like garters, rat snakes, blue racers, any day. Like you say, snakes are interesting and way cool. But I leave catching venomous snakes to the specialists (herpetologists).

That said, I've lived most of my life in an area where venomous snakes were common (Massassaugas, to be exact), and I've never seen a live one in the wild. I might change my tune somewhat if I'd encountered any, as I do find them fascinating. But catch one with my hands to examine it up close? I don't think so. :no:

I've been struck a few times (of course) since I like f***ing with them. But, fortunately, every time it's been a dry strike with no venom released. Sometimes snakes will give a warning strike first to tell you to "leave me the f*** alone!!!" But definitely don't bank on that...and I'm referring to copperheads and rattlers (in the areas where I've screwed with them), can't speak to cottonmouths...I never messed with them much since they're typically more aggressive. Can't vouch for snakes (pit vipers) outside of the midwest either.
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Holy crap, Tim. Yeah... of course. :rolleyes: I think that's crazy, on the same level as those lunatics in the snake cults that handle rattlers to test their faith. We all know how common it is for them to get bitten... I hope you don't end up losing a leg or arm or worse.
 
A) You live in the middle of a f***ing desert (as my friends from civilization tell me as well). No surprises to find a guest like that.
B) You could have made a nice pair of boots out of a 6-footer. :D
 
steingar said:
Good on the OP. Snakes are a part of nature, we're the invaders. And yes, they eat things we don't like.
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Man is part of nature too. So many people forget that we've been around pretty much as long as the snake has.

Snakes in the woods, good. Snakes in my house, dead. It's like they crawled into my cave.
 
azure said:
Holy crap, Tim. Yeah... of course. :rolleyes: I think that's crazy.
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Have I ever tried to assert here that I'm not? :)

Live life and let the chips fall where they may.

OBTW... A few decades back I volunteered for the Missouri Department of Conservation for about 5 years and one of the things we did was catch and tag snakes for tracking and studying. I learned how to catch, handle, and release them safely. So I might not be quite as crazy as I let on to be, but don't let my secret out. ;)
 
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Copperhead that me and Mr Hoe took out a few years ago.

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Zeldman said:
Looking at the shape of his head is where I guessed him to be a venomous snake. But the head was smaller than the end of my little finger, and I did not get on my hands and knees to inspect him that closely.... I was more afraid that a bigger one would be behind me and then the jokes in the emergency room would have been brutal...:lol:

I have warned my wife about reaching down under her plants without using her snake stick to look first. I noticed she had her stick in her hand this morning.

When I was a teenager I was out hunting and came up on 2 timber rattlers. The temp was in the mid 20s so they never rattled. I was on a knee looking at the winter grass trying to decide if it was deer or hogs eating the winter grass when I saw a slight movement about 5 feet to my left side. There was the first one, coiled up and ready to do business. I quickly moved back and stood up, all in one move. As I watched the first one, I heard the leaves crunch just to my right side. There was the second one, all coiled up and ready to rumble. That is probably when I had my first heart attack....

Because of the cold they probably did not feel me coming up, and they were moving slowly. I used my rifle to get a look at their tails. One had 19 rattles and the other had 21. Both were as big around as my thigh. As I left, I was more careful about what was right in front of me and I wasn't really looking for deer....:lol:
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Them make some mighty fine boots! :yesnod::yesnod:
 
gkainz said:
now THERE'S a career! Ear tagging snakes! :D
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You think that's bad then you should've been around when we were leg banding ruby throated hummingbirds. Seriously...itsy bitsy little bands on itsy bitsy little legs. Considering my lumbering and not so nimble hands, I'm really surprised we never had to provide some of those little suckers with toothpick prosthetics!

Oh, and here was my "garage snake buddy" when I had 160 acres outside of Cape Girardeau, MO. He's probably about 4.5'. Just a baby by comparison. He and I were good buds too because he kept the mice at bay and out of the dog food and bird seed stockpile.

house 005.jpg
 
We also had at least one bear. Never saw him but saw tracks in the snow and a few snags that had been stripped of bark to about 8' above the ground.
 
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