Rattle Snake

[Safinsp]

That blacksnake would scare the #$@! out of me! We have mainly bull snakes, gartersnakes, a few red-racers and of course rattlers. But on the bright side, the nice thing about living in the country, is that dealing with snakes and critters sure beats having to put of with some of the humans that could be around us in the city these days. Thanks for the kind words about the pet. That heeler had a hard life. He survived a gunshot years ago, and all kinds of cuts and injuries in his 10 years, but this snake finally did him in. We sure miss him.

 

[hans2]

Grandparents were bringing the children home at dusk after a day on the town and from their car saw this rattler on the sidewalk between the driveway and front door. They called from their cell phone. The snake coiled up and started to rattle when I came outside. While we were discussing which tool to use for killing (awfully close to the house for shotgun), the cat walked within 8" of the snake (twice!) and the Lab within 18". The cat and the dog did not acknowledge the snake's presence or my hollering at them to COME HERE nor did the snake seem to care about the pets. I thought that was very strange. Shotgun was chosen; snake was 45".

 

[oliver28472]

Driving home from breakfast I saw a hawk near the road ditch. He was flopping around and I was not sure if he had something or was injured. I turned around and drove back to where he was just in time to see him fly off with a live black snake. Man I wished I had my camera. They went about 50 yards and landed. The snake was trying to get away and striking the hawk too. The snake was about 5' long.

 

[Big_Cajun]

I've come across several cane-break rattlers (timber rattlers to some) and have noticed that they are very docile. Cottonmouths are of a completely different disposition. What really stinks about them is that they like to climb to get sun. I've known of people to be struck in the thighs/hips from cottonmouths sunning on palmettos and on foliage. Very unfriendly critters. I hope God gives me the opportunity to always see them before they see me.

BC

 

[lively1]

We have the usual gardener snake, black snakes, water snakes, mocs and copperheads (very rare), but we do have some rattlers in the bluffs near the river and heavy timber. I have seen a number of black snakes around the house. My wife got friendly with one when she was working in the landscaping one day. She screamed bloody murder and I came running... I was able to catch the black snake and took him to the timber. Black snakes are really helpfull eliminating varmits. I have attached a pic of a black snake my sister-in-law saw at our house this summer. I've seen sheds near the house that are over 6'. They must eat very well.

 

[3RRL]

Man,
Snakes are so creepy.

 

[jlangton]

Man,
Snakes are so creepy.

I'm with you...
JL

 

[AndyMA]

I found this interesting site on snakes in Mass. I find this line particularly interesting: "The overwhelming majority of reports of encounters with poisonous snakes in New England are nothing more than cases of mistaken identity."

Reality

Andy

 

[ccsial]

From the site Andy posted:
"Hog-nose snake sometimes called the "puff adder," this habitual eater of toads will inflate its body, hiss loudly, lunge about ferociously and spread a surprising cobra-like hood."

Around here they are also called blow snakes.

I encountered one of these while walking through the pines many years ago. It was about 6 feet from me. I thought a cobra got loose from a zoo for a second. Talk about a loud hiss, and then there was that hood. It is an encounter I'll never forget. My heart skipped a few beats. It was lucky I was unarmed. I didn't know what kind it was but the farmer next door told me about their behavior. Have not seen once since.

 

[mjarrels]

When I was a kid, we had a fence post with a hole in it and I had to look inside that hole... biggest black snake I ever saw eye to eye.

mark