Posted on 06/07/2012 11:58:28 PM PDT by Theoria
It's the talk of at least one part of Columbia and it all started Tuesday with a phone call from a concerned neighbor.
Heathwood resident Andrew Philson got a call about a snake in his backyard and thought he'd be finding a small garter or black snake, but got the shock of his life when he saw the beast slithering up one of his trees.
That snake has slithered his way into the national spotlight. First, WIS, then CNN, Fox, even the Drudge Report. Why? Well, it's a big snake and who knows how long it had been sneaking -- or snaking -- around in Philson's backyard?
One thing Philson does know, the darn thing was huge. "I'm saying 15 to 20 feet long," he said.
Philson lost track of the snake shortly after taking the pictures, which have now shown up on TV monitors and web sites all over the world. They've also led to some criticism from people including South Carolina Department of Natural Resources snake expert Steve Bennett.
Bennett says it's a rat snake, plain and simple -- a common and useful creature and one that as far as anyone knows, never gets anywhere close to the size claimed by Philson.
"What happens is when people see these things, they are so shocked and probably scared, it changes their whole way of thinking," Bennett said.
Philson does not seem like someone prone to panic, even in the presence of an oversized reptile. A former state trooper, Philson recently served a tour of military duty in Afghanistan.
"I know that when I testified in court in my previous job, that accuracy counts," Philson said.
"People who are otherwise fairly honest and you know, straightforward people, will see something like that and just automatically overestimate and exaggerate the size of it," Bennett said. "It's just human nature.
A wildlife removal company is planning to conduct an all-out search for the snake on Thursday.
Same here.
Last year, if I saw *3* ticks all summer, I was freaking out.
Now it’s more like 3 ticks a week.
We keep spraying with permethrin but the nearly continual cold rains wash it away.
Stupid “global warming”.
I’m about *thisclose* to blacktopping my backyard....:D
[oh...wait...it was 6 feet long...danged perpective thing]
Our 12 1/2 year old developed cancer. His liver, spleen and other internal organs all had multiple tumours. I don't know if there was any relationship between the cancer and the anti-tick application, but I'll never take the chance again. We had him put to sleep on Saturday. We are heartbroken.
I hear you about the blacktop.
My friend put BioSpot on her dog and within days his immune system was shot.
She kept him alive with extreme measures for a year but he recently lost the battle.
She too is heart broken.
I’ll never use that stuff on my dogs and I deeply resent vets constantly pushing it.
I’m very sorry about your dog.
There should be class action suits against all of it.
Don't write me anymore....all you do is talk Crapola and call me names.
Thank you, Salamander. I appreciate it.
You run straight into reality and still don’t know what smacked you upside the head.
Videos do not lie.
[or is only *your* self-serving video “true”?]
You got owned and you *know* it.
Too bad you’ve not the grace to admit it.
Your ‘snake friend’ is as ignorant as you are.
I feel sorry for any snakes in his care.
[and I’ll write to whomever I please, “Wannabe Witch”]
:-P
There are *tons* of support groups for those whose pets died from those pesticides.
Perhaps you can find comfort in them.
There are untold thousands of stories, just like yours, unfortunately.
:(
Perhaps you can find comfort in them.
There are untold thousands of stories, just like yours, unfortunately.
:(
********************************
Thanks, Salamander. You're very kind and that's a good suggestion.
I love critters and by association, the people who them.
I only wish that I could do more.
Edit...love them.
(goofy iPad)
You've done more than you know.
Actually, the very act of jumping up and down to play the “I, won, I won” game is a well known indication that one has lost the debate—because the first person to play it is typically someone who cannot continue the debate based on facts and data. It is the ploy of someone who is more desperate to *feel* like he or she has won than the person who is confident, based on the strength of his/her arguments, that he/she has won.
It is the argument of the five year old who supposes that volume makes up for lack of substance of argument. The five year old has an excuse-—being unable to understand analytical thought.
Suppositions and hysteria are not facts or data.
Where is your *data* that a rat snake has ever devoured a kitten?
Anecdotal evidence (most likely falsified) is not data.
Even if true, anecdotal evidence is not data.
Where is your data on rat snakes eating kittens?
More crapola with a defective premise. I presented facts. You’re whole post does not reflect me...but rather your counterpoint who likes to call names and spit out nonsense. Leave me be now, I have important things to do.
Like collecting the data which has been oddly missing from your posts?
I look forward to your return when you present actual data, not opinions or hysteria.
I asked you not to ping me anymore you ex-banned newbie. I mean it.
Seems our FRiend is unable to provide data. I think she’s busy licking the wounds of intellectual dishonesty.
Glad you found Alice, (will Alice Cooper be performing at your place to celebrate? ;-) ) though I do hope you will let him “freep” again someday.
I’m sorry...I got lost somewhere in the linguistic limbo between “You’re whole” and “ex-banned newbie”.
English is my native language so you can understand my confusion.
And don’t ping me any more. I mean it.
[Although what I could possibly do about it if you continue to do so remains an incredible mystery]
;]
I seriously doubt The Coop is gonna come over for a welcome back snake party.
LOL
[Data? We doan need no steenking data]
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.