Tell me how to be safe if I encounter a snake (semi rural Texas)

[deserteagle71]

Ok so staying in single digits for snake sightings these past few months, I called the HVAC guy to my house. He opened up the compressor and found this snake inside....

Of course he did not complete the job, it was right inside and then hid for a bit.

Is this a copperhead?

On a related note, what happens if a contractor on my property gets bit by a snake (assuming its a wild snake on the property)....we are in Texas...since I know laws differ by state.

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Must be something about a/c units that attracts them! A couple years ago one fine June day I came home to see this sticking out of my a/c:

Luckily the a/c unit didn't turn on or the fan would have chopped the snake (a harmless gopher snake) up and I'd had a mess to clean up. Darn thing was wedged in there pretty solidly. I needed to remove the top of the a/c unit and pry apart the fins to get it out of there. After I set it free I admonished it to not go there again!

 

[Deleted member 314313]

I'd guess southwestern rat snake.

Marked like a SW Rat snake.

 

[vvanders]

You're in Australia. Everything there apparently wants to kill you. You have the only venomous mammal on earth.

OTOH I have European friends that are afraid to visit the U.S. because they're afraid they'll instantly be bitten by Black Widow Spiders and Rattlesnakes, when in fact most Americans have probably never seen either one. OTOH as much as I love Australians (best people, really) your Sydney Funnel Web spiders make that a big NO for me. You're welcome to visit me though, and I promise to protect you from our rampant Grizzly Bears and Copperheads.

Totally depends on where you live, growing up east of San Diego just about every underground plumbing fixture had a couple black widows and can't count the number of times I'd run into a rattlesnake on the road and/or trail. Unless they're near the house best to leave them alone, otherwise a shovel works pretty well.

 

[Turbys_1700]

Around here if it is a black snake I let him be. If it is a king snake I let him be. It it is a copper head he is handled with a long handled hoe or a shotgun.