Copper Head in the water

[dex3361]

Wow! I always consider copperheads to be terrestrial rather than water snakes. Do you suppose they hide by the stream so they can capture mice/rodents that come to drink? Do you see them in the water often, or do you think the snake was taking refuge in the water since it saw you and the tractor? That's a great picture, and there's no mistaking the hourglass pattern.

Hard to say but I was cutting for the express reason of removing their hiding places. I usually see them in Aug and Sept.

 

[Topkicker]

I used to kill copperheads all the time at our log home in MO. Found two tangled up together under the edge of the porch. Both of em were around three feet. The one on the right is missing about 8in due to a direct hit from the Moss 500 12 gauge.

 

[mmurphy]

I used to kill copperheads all the time at our log home in MO. Found two tangled up together under the edge of the porch. Both of em were around three feet. The one on the right is missing about 8in due to a direct hit from the Moss 500 12 gauge.

Best looking snake I have seen.

 

[dex3361]

The thing that bothers me about copperheads is that they don"t move. They will let you walk right up to them and step on them and then wham they bite. Every other snake that we have around here will flee from you as you approach. I don't bother black snakes or garter snakes or any other snake except for venomeous type which around here that is copperheads or rattle snakes. I have not seen the first rattle snake in the area since we have lived here.

 

[Jriffe108]

Down here in south Texas, we have a few different venomous species, with the most common by far being the rattlesnake.

These were taken last summer towards the end of a severe 3 year drought. They were coming up to the house to get water from the pool and the dogs bowl.

Notice the coral snakes, the first one is a record length, found on my back porch. Coral snakes usually don't get very big and have a very nasty hemotoxin, but small teeth.

The gator and culvert full of nasty was taken an hour from here in halletsville Texas, near Shiner where Shiner Bock is made.

Remember, red and yellow, kill a fellow, red and black venom lack, or friend of Jack.

 

[Bob Ha]

Last Saturday my brother was fixing a water leak. He reached down in a hole to move some dirt he couldn't remove with shovel and something bit him. He thought it was a snake but wasn稚 sure. After trying to get what ever it was from the hole with the shovel he decided to flood the hole with water and a Copper Head came out. After removing the head from the snake my dad rushed him to the hospital that was about 30 minutes away. He stopped twice at two different fire stations for help and both didn't have a clue except we'll call an ambulance. Dad told both too call a head and have the police stay out of his way. He said he had his Camry going about 110 mph with no interference from the law. The hospital kept him over night to make sure no internal bleeding and gave him four vials of antivenom. In the end everything is ok, he may loose the end of his finger where the bit occurred. He's not sure at this point.

We learned a lot about venomous creatures talking to the doctor. He said Copper Heads and Black Widows(we have an abundance of these) are not life threatening and don't risk injury too yourself or others rushing to the hospital. On the other hand he said get in ASAP when the bite is any kind of Rattler.

 

[beppington]

On my newly-acquired 60 acres, about 35 of it is pretty much swamp/ wet, & I've seen 5-6 black water moccassins in just a couple months.

Each time I've been up on my tractor bush hogging. The weeds were 4'-5' tall; I don't carry a gun & didn't really want to get off the tractor in the weeds to try to kill them. Plus, I figure I'm never going to be "hanging out" in this area, just bush hogging it every now & then. So I've kinda decided I probably wouldn't kill the moccassins even if I had something handy to do so. One of my friends thinks I'm nuts for not killing each & every one I see. My feeling is, with ~35 acres of this territory, would I really be doing any good anyway? As in, even if I killed 5 or 6, isn't there likely to be a bunch more?

What do you think ... Kill 'em or let 'em go??

 

[dex3361]

On my newly-acquired 60 acres, about 35 of it is pretty much swamp/ wet, & I've seen 5-6 black water moccassins in just a couple months.

Each time I've been up on my tractor bush hogging. The weeds were 4'-5' tall; I don't carry a gun & didn't really want to get off the tractor in the weeds to try to kill them. Plus, I figure I'm never going to be "hanging out" in this area, just bush hogging it every now & then. So I've kinda decided I probably wouldn't kill the moccassins even if I had something handy to do so. One of my friends thinks I'm nuts for not killing each & every one I see. My feeling is, with ~35 acres of this territory, would I really be doing any good anyway? As in, even if I killed 5 or 6, isn't there likely to be a bunch more?

What do you think ... Kill 'em or let 'em go??

I hate to think I would be seeing that many poisonous snakes around my place. What happens when you break down or get stuck in the thick stuff? Do you have kids that are roaming around that might get bit. I have to admit that I agree with your friend. I would thin them out a bit. The funny thing is when we first moved onto the place the neighbors said that the place was overrun with copperheads. Well I keep waiting and watching and never saw anything but water snakes. Then one day a neighbor stopped and said to come and look at the copperhead that he had killed and come to find out it was a water snake. I had to open its mouth and show him that itwas either a water snake or a fangless copperhead. I treat copperheads the same as yellow jackets, I take the scorched earth approach.:thumbsup:

 

[duggo]

Copperheads any good to eat?

 

[frogfish]

Notice the coral snakes, the first one is a record length, found on my back porch. Coral snakes usually don't get very big and have a very nasty hemotoxin, but small teeth.

actually coral snakes have a neurotoxin, rattlesnakes and copperheads are the hemotoxin