Posted on 05/11/2009 5:08:47 AM PDT by wolfcreek
THE HILL COUNTRY — This is a tale of two snakes, both rattlesnakes, crotalus atrox, and why they got to live.
One big reason they're still among the living is that they got lucky when they decided to crawl across the road as I was going by.
And although they acted somewhat differently — one was extremely shy and tried only to sneak away and hide; the other was slightly more aggressive and rattled as he slid into the rocks to disappear — neither of them wanted to bite anybody, and that saved their bacon.
(Excerpt) Read more at statesman.com ...
A few years back The Crocodile Hunter came to the US to play with our snakes. He was used to handling the more venomous but more docile Australian vipers. I had to laugh when he tried to get close to a huge Eastern Diamondback curled up on a stump. Couldn't even approach. Then it suddenly whipped backwards and went after the camera guy. The Croc Hunter's eyes were as big as saucers-- totally surprised, and they cut to a commercial. He was way out of his league and his experience.
*bless you*
same here...helps out if you actually look @ the snake.
LOL! Um, The Crocodile Hunter wasn't exactly a live broadcast. Crikey!
Easy to see why ...considering that they are the world's second longest venomous snake (up to 14 feet), is the world's fastest snake, one of the world's most aggressive snakes, has very toxic neurotoxic venom that it produces large volumes off, and when attacking will rear itself like a cobra (and large individuals can basically look you straight in the face). It was interesting to compare his handling of one with how he was handling the Australian Fierce Snake (on paper the most venomous snake) ...he once placed a Fierce Snake on his face, yet with a Mamba he was treating it like a live grenade.
Goes to show there is a big difference between the 'world's most venomous snake' on paper, and a snake that may not be as venomous as a Fierce Snake is, but will be FAR more likely to kill you (and anyways, in terms of venom toxicity, the Black Mamba is still extremely venomous, and is about 80 times more potent than a DiamondBack rattlesnake).
Ah, the little thing was shy and it moved across the road from the kids in the yard so no harm done. What an idiot. An hour later it could have moved back across to the yard and a kid would be in the hospital. The only good snake is a dead one.
Are you saying the Rattlesnakes in south Texas are Eastern Rattlers? I have seen some absolutely HUGE Rattlesnakes in S. Texas.
Yep; cute little hognose. They do act very dramatic, kind of funny. They’ll hood up and hiss and then roll over and play dead too. Very harmless.
Did I mention that I HATE SNAKES?
Non venomous snakes are welcome on our property as well. I have a very long (over 4 feet) black racer that suns on our porch occasionally. He just slithers off when we disturb him. The last rattler we saw was also at the edge of our porch. He went to meet his maker.
We don’t see too many rattlers or copperheads any more. They aren’t real fond of people activity, and tend to move on.
This week we are seeing box turtles on the move. They get moved out of the road by everybody around here if it is possible to stop. We just like them.
Your completely right. Most people can't identify snakes and just kill them because they don't like them or they think they are dangerous. Not that I am some expert but where I grew up in Houston (I lived next to the woods and a creek) there were plenty of them so you learn pretty quick what is what. That and I earned my reptile Boy Scout merit badge so I got that going for me, which is good.
Unfortuantely I killed many a snake in my younger years but as I got older I learn to respect them. The only snake I will kill now without hesitation is a coral snake. Very poisonous and their pretty colors could draw a kids interest, well at least one did to me when I was a kid.
I live in Houston next to Buffalo Bayou and we have snakes but not as many as when we lived on Oyster Creek in Brazoria County. that is when I really started hating snakes because I raised 3 children there and every snake I saw was either a Copperhead, a Water Moccasin, a Ground Rattler or a Coral Snake. South Texas is where I learned to fear snakes.
I know— they left that part in during editing.
I was raised in Spring, the creek near by was Spring Creek. Back in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s this area was beginning to be built out so development was displacing the snakes. My Dad killed 57 snakes the first summer in they house. I never saw a rattler out there but Copperheads and Water Moccasins were in abundance. Most of the parents killed any snake because of the kids, which I understand with the Coral, rattler, and WM but most snakes would rather flee than fight. Even the Copperhead is pretty much a wuss. The way I look at it now is as long as long as they don't endanger a kid then I am okay with with them. Hell they eat crickets and anything that can make those things shut up then I am a fan.
I have tree snakes, garden snakes, bull snakes, I love them because they eat all those cute little mice and gophers and other pests but when it comes to rattlesnakes I’m with you, they will die if they come on my property and I see them.
My son’s girlfriend got bitten by one and her hospital bill was over 200K! There is no reason to let them live.
Spetz,
Were you the guy who a few years ago posted a scenario of what would happen if a couple of mambas got loose in the U.S. and started recreating?
Scared the bejeepers out of me!
Is that a hog-nosed snake? They are so cool (harmless) — in addition to puffing up like cobras, they rattle their tails in the leaves to sound like rattlers, even though they have no actual rattles. If that doesn’t work, they roll over on their backs and play dead (although if you turn them over, they roll over on their backs again to prove their REALLY dead.)
I have never seen one in the wild. I envy you.
“8 or 10 inches? That would work out to about a 12 foot snake.
It makes a lot more sense to teach kids to be aware of dangers in the world than to attempt shielding them from reality. You will not be around to pave their way forever.
We have a snake here in central Texas call a Puffing adder that performs all the stunts you mentioned + change color.
This Eastern also has a milky musk it shoot out it's rear.
I didn't like it around our dogs so I scooted it into a bucket (fairly docile) and took it down to our greenbelt along the river.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.