First Snake of the year

[Scott65]

You folks talking about living in places without these creatures, I wouldn't know what to do. Growing up all my life in west Texas, it's just a way of life I suppose. I've been fortunate enough to be in a rural setting much of my upbringing, and now later in life I've gotten married and purchased land and moved back to the middle of nowhere. Life is exciting when you know you might die from a 1/2 inch long squishy little bug, ha.

I don't have a picture of the first snake of the year. It was a foot long bull snake, laying in the window of the back door of the old farm house we're remodeling, with his tail draped over the doorknob. The second one was this one, sitting about 2 feet outside the front door of the motorhome (home while we're remodeling), on my way to work:



Pretty much all of the worst nasty creatures that people always talk about, they are everyday occurrences here. Black widows, brown recluse, wolf spiders, scorpions, cottonmouths (that the idiot kissed), rattlers by the thousands, skunks, porcupines, mountain lions... I guess we don't have bears though

I see nearly all of those, nearly every day. I love Texas.

The only reason I killed the one in the picture, as they eat other snakes, is my wife has 2 new young ankle biter dogs that are curious about everything. They would be scarred for life. I was late for work and didn't have time to relocate it, so it had to go.

 

[Scott65]

Oh and I forgot about these little fellas. Tons of these. Huntsman spiders. If you put one in the palm of your hand, it would come closer than you'd like to filling it up. But the most dangerous part about them is the human trying to get away in most cases. They like to live in the eaves of the house. I leave them be, they eat lots of things much worse than themselves.

Couldn't find my own pictures, here's one from Google. I'm on my phone, I don't know how it's going to look full size.


Edit: The glare in the picture reminds me of a cool fact. The eyes are so big that at night out in the fields you can shine a light around, especially with the new led lights flooding the market, and it twinkles with all of these spiders everywhere. One of these days I'll manage to get a good picture of it

 

[polkwrangler]

been killing water moccassins here in florida...over the weekend shot a fat 4 footer....never seen them like this before its a weekly thing

 

[Gary Fowler]

amazed at how much fuss grown men make over a snake. if it's venomous in your immediate living compound w/wife & children or grand children, sure kill it. but never understood the compulsion to kill them just because they are a snake. i find the attitude toward coyotes are the same. guess it's a guy thing i must have missed out in life....btw venom has many uses in medicine...but my attitude is among the minority, so i'll just play the devil's advocate. my feeling is that if something is not directly threatening you, just leave it alone.

That is the law abiding way at least here in Arkansas. It is illegal to kill any snake here including venomous unless you are in life and death situation with it. Kind of like a human intruder in your home, unless you fear for your life, leave him be.
I don't always follow the law when it comes to snakes.

 

[Wild Bill the 2nd]

Wife found this milk snake under the couch last week while looking for one of the kids Lego characters. She was not too fond of the freeloader.



He was wrapped up in the frame of the couch and I couldn't see his head. So I put on a silicone hot mit on and grabbed a plastic tote.



The snake wasn't impressed with my wrangling skills but he should be pleased that he's back outside to catch mice and other small vermin again.
Must have been 3 to 4 feet long. I didn't stretch him out to measure though.

 

[RDrancher]

I would have been buying a new couch...My wife would've unloaded the 12 gauge on it!

 

[Wild Bill the 2nd]

I could hear hear high pitched "calls" from the garage.
My co-workers are convinsed that I bought and planted the snake in order to be a hero. All that to put me in a good light in order to agree to me buying a new tractor.

Im not that smart to think of that, it just worked out that she agreed to the tractor purchase that night...

 

[big bubba]

That is the law abiding way at least here in Arkansas. It is illegal to kill any snake here including venomous unless you are in life and death situation with it. Kind of like a human intruder in your home, unless you fear for your life, leave him be.
I don't always follow the law when it comes to snakes.

didn't realize this thx for pointing this out in my own state. i completely understand someone doing away w/copperheads, rattlers & cottonmouths in their living space esp w/children,etc. just not shooting them for sport. wearing above ankle boots & being mindful turning things over, ect, can avoid a lot of hazard. although i'm careless when it comes to snakes, have never been bitten in all my years here, understand it is not a pleasant experience...

 

[FredH]

Rarely do We have any snakes around Our house anymore . Pretty much thinned out the nesting areas . But these 2 Non-poison garden variety types did not get the idea to stay away from next to Our House and in Our sprinkler valve box thus they were exterminated . Chased them twice out into the field last weekend and Early this morning , My 4 y.o. Grandson came off the end of the deck and there laid the biggest of the 2 . Dispatched him and then this afternoon , Same place , laid the other 1 . He was dispatched also and flung out into the field for the night critters to feed upon .
Usually , the non-poison type are just chased off , but these 2 did not get the idea , so Bye Bye . Although non-poison , can still bite , thus with My 4 y.o. Grandson here , No mercy .

Fred H.

 

[Dftodd]

Had to make a flying trip to the vets last night. My jack russell terrier got too close to the business end of a copper head. Poor little guy's face was so swollen