First Snake of the year

[txdon]

Dftod, hope your terrier is OK. What was the treatment for the bite?

My dog has been bitten 3 times by copperheads - always when the vet is closed. On the last bite her face swelling was down in less than 12 hours and gone in 24 hours. She does look pretty uncomfortable during this time and I need to keep something on hand.

 

[Dftodd]

Vet gave him a broad spectrum antibiotic and a steroid shot. Then sent home some prednisone. And said to keep dosing him with benedryl for a couple days after the swelling goes down.

He's actually swelled up a little more over night. Been drinking a lot, but not eating. He got popped right on the snout, and a couple on his cheek. Found six puntures all total. I think the one on his cheek went all the way through. He's been drooling a little pink occasionally. Neighbors are gonna check on him a little later on and let me know if he's improving or if I need to take him back in again

 

[dave1949]

First snake sighting of the year this morning while string trimming, two vicious looking garter snakes. They live and hang around some rocks. I try not to spank them with the trimmer.

 

[lakeside]

I'm so glad I live in a place where there are no venomous snakes or really bad spiders.

Ok so we get down to -33c (-29F) and have 3 m (10 ft) of snow (and that's in July!) :laughing: but the worst I have top worry about is my stupid cocker spaniel getting sprayed by a skunk. I never even think twice about sticking my hand into a hole of moving pieces of wood or rocks around. Mind we do have bears, black flies, deer flies and mosquitoes so big I swear they must be under air traffic control.

I did see one thing though two summers ago. Here's Kermit hopping like he%$% it across my lawn. I look to the side and here's this big garter snake booging along after the frog with it's head up, I swear it looked just like a king cobra. Even now, I'm getting the shivers.

 

[Scott65]

That would be a tough call for me lakeside. I don't necessarily enjoy dealing with numerous deadly creatures every day, but I guess I'm used to it. It's like driving a car I guess. Your taught not to run into things with it or there will be consequences. Sure, stuff happens sometimes. But it's engrained into you, so no thought is given to consciously not running into things. I don't step outside and really have to think, or be afraid of the dangerous creatures here, it's just subconsciously automatic.

Now that nasty cold your talking about, I'd have a hard time with. My extremities start shutting down around the 40's (above zero). I'm used to my 110 degree summers.

Here's a rattler I came across while mowing the bar ditches a week ago. I didn't have a gun or shovel and the loader was off for easier mowing, but I sure had a tractor tire. I smooshed him. And again. And again...

 

[Depmandog]

South of Springfield Missouri a man was bitten by a suspected cottonmouth twice while wading in the James River. He refused to seek medical help, died in his sleep. Man reportedly dies of venomous snake bite

My boss is from Nixa, where this happened. Word has it he didn't have medical insurance or the money to pay the hospital bill.

 

[Gafn]

but I sure had a tractor tire. I smooshed him. And again. And again...
View attachment 426890

I guess that snake could not read the warning signs on the cutter.. or he was busy reading the signs when you run him over.... either way - that is now a "Good" snake

 

[McREBEL]

I will be checking underneath my seat before I hop on from now on. This dude was coiled up underneath my seat this past Friday. By the time I got the camera he had moved down just above the transmission. I walked around the tractor to put the camera down then walked back around to get a better look but he was nowhere to be found. I don't think it is a poisonous one but I am no snake expert.

 

[Gafn]

McRebel - that is one **** of a security system you got for your tractor....
At least you won't have mice chewing on the wires
That would give whole new meaning to the phase "Pain in the *****"

 

[McREBEL]

McRebel - that is one **** of a security system you got for your tractor...."

Ha! Maybe I should have posted this in the "how to keep a tractor from getting stolen" thread.