Snake Identification?

[lisamariewillbe 1]

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Bullshit.

ALL Poisonous Snakes (Atleast in my part of the country) are Pit Vipers and Have a distinct Arrowhead shaped head. Some other NON-Venomous snake will try to Look like Pit Vipers by flattening themselves out to make their heads look more a Pit Viper when threatened.

Like I said: Step one in identifying a snake: Separate it into Lots of little pieces. Especially if it has an arrowhead shaped head. Better safe than sorry.

First off theres only one poisonous snake, and they live in Asia, others are venomous (or , big difference.

Additionally, although a pit viper does have a arrow shaped head it is very much a myth that its a way to identify a venomous snake from a nonvenomous one. Many non venomous have broad shaped heads

Being safe is fine but to kill an animal simply because you have taken little time to educate yourself is a sorry excuse to advise others to kill one.

BTW the pictures on this page of those snakes are not venomous. And even if they were leave them be, messing with a snake without knowing how is about as smart as owning a gun for protection without knowing how to use it.

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[squirrel 0]

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Kill first, Identify later.

I'm just not into killing things, even snakes. They aren't bothering anyone out there, and it's me that's in their territory. So why should I, as the intruder, kill them on their home turf? Besides, I can take pictures and use those to identify them later, so no killing is necessary.

I came across a crew clearing vegetation from a pipeline, and asked them how often they saw snakes. He said they kill about 8 or 10 per day. I started to ask why they kill them, but then decided to let it pass. Some people just automatically kill all snakes, and there's no point trying to reason with that mindset. Especially when they've got a giant machine wielding three large circular saw blades that cuts through the forest like something from outer space.

i agree.

but if i did take the "Kill first, identify later" attitude, i would probably be in jail...there are ALOT of scary (and just plain f*cked up) people out there.

lets put it this way. while I would go across a street to move a snake off the road, i probably would not walk across the stress to piss on a car fire burning some idiot. know what I mean?

________________________________
Where is Darwin when you need him?

[bluheelrtx 0]

Without seeing the stripe around the eyes you can't tell. There are a lot of water snakes that look and act very similar, but only the cottonmouth that is actually poisonous.

I keep, and enjoy having, all of them on my property. Great neighbors as long as you keep an eye out for them and let them flee rather than force them to go into defensive mode.

--
Jason
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Some people never go crazy. What truly boring lives they must lead.

[The_Don 0]

You're picking quotes that you like.
You miss his point.

If the snake is in MY turf= DEAD SNAKE.

Simple as that ...

I am NOT being loud.
I'm being enthusiastic!

[happythoughts 0]

In Florida, the way to build a road through a swamp is to dragline dirt out of a ditch and pile it in the middle.

When I was a kid, we went fishing in the ditches on the side of the road. There were a huge amount of snakes, so it was acceptable to carry a pistol when fishing.

I remember once when the Fish and Game officer stopped and asked to see my fishing license. He checked it and drove off, not even caring that I was wearing a shoulder holster on the outside of my tshirt.


If you think there are moccasins, stay away from the waters edge at night.

[BIGUN 1,053]

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Fuck the whole Good Snake, Bad Snake crap.

I have a rule: If it doesn't have shoulders; it dies.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[jcd11235 0]

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Could you get close enough for pupil ID? Vertical slit pupil v. round? From what I understand a vertical is poisonous, round......not so much.

Anyone verify this?....I don't have time to Google....Drink beer yes.......Google no.

I learned the same thing when I was a kid, in a class given by my state conservation department.

My experience is that the info is less than useful with snakes in the wild, but useful when looking at snakes in cages.

Math tutoring available. Only $6! per hour! First lesson: Factorials!

[RhondaLea 3]

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Maybe it just takes seeing what these snakes can do to change one’s opinion. Watching your 8 old cousin in the hospital for weeks till finally decide they are going to have to amputate their leg tends to leave an impression.

I am sorry about your cousin, and I hope you will not take this in a way I do not intend, but...

Maybe it just takes seeing what skydiving can do to change one's opinion about skydiving.

Most snakebites in this country are from non-venomous snakes. Here are some statistics:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_bite#Frequency_and_statistics

I've kept non-venomous snakes, and I have friends who have kept venomous snakes (all with permits). Snakes are not eager to bite people, and they will leave people alone unless they are surprised or harassed.

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If there is any possibility that the snake could be poisonous and it is near somewhere People may accidentally sneak up on it, KILL IT.

In some places, that could get you fined and possibly jailed, unless there is an immediate, life-threatening danger.

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I do not advocate "Hunting" these snakes in their natural habitat unless it is encroaching on Human Habitat or vise versa.

They haven't encroached on human habitat; we've encroached on their habitat.

I hope you do not take this as a hostile response to your post, because I do understand you have good reasons for feeling the way you do, but the benefits of snakes far outweigh their dangers to human beings, and given the overwhelming "kill" response in this thread, someone needs to speak for the reptiles.

If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

[JohnRich 4]

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Here are some Texas snakes

1) Yellow bellied watersnake, non-poisonous
2) Diamond back waternsake, non-poisonous
3) Western Cottonmouth (aka water moccasin), poisonous.

Keep in mind: These grey/black snakes tend to get darker as they age. In older snakes they might look just black.

By gosh, I think you've identified all three! Thanks! That diamond-back water snake is the most difficult. The markings are very faint, but I understand that those can fade with age, and whether or not they've just shed their skin. But I think you've nailed 'em.

This makes me more comfortable knowing that only one of the three types I saw could kill me. The problem is, the moc's were the most common.

And they can be very hard to spot (see the first two attached photos). The grass is often knee high such that you can't even see the ground. Furthermore, there are spider webs everywhere containing huge spiders, so my attention is divided between looking ahead for spiders, and looking down for snakes.

And then there are the giant man-eating snails... (see photo #3)

[JohnRich 4]

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Could you get close enough for pupil ID? Vertical slit pupil v. round? From what I understand a vertical is poisonous, round......not so much.

Attached: good close-up head shot of the yellow-bellied water snake.

For the diamondback water snake, no, I wasn't going to get my hands that close to him to get that kind of photo. That one really scared me - he was big and mean. And he wasn't very cooperative in posing.

And I didn't really know to look for that kind of thing in my personal observations. I do now.

[JohnRich 4]

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First off theres only one poisonous snake, and they live in Asia, others are venomous (or , big difference.

Okay, please explain the difference. I take it that a "venomous" snake is one that injects the poison with fangs. But that's still poison, so I'm not sure I see the distinction you are making.

And which one is "poisonous"? The spitting cobra, which sprays the poison rather than injecting it?

[JohnRich 4]

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There are a lot of water snakes that look and act very similar, but only the cottonmouth that is actually poisonous. I keep, and enjoy having, all of them on my property. Great neighbors as long as you keep an eye out for them and let them flee rather than force them to go into defensive mode.

How do you keep the moc's from biting your dogs?

[shropshire 0]

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Sure, John. Allow me to assist:


#1: Scary

#2: Scary, but not so scary as #1

#3: Scary as FUCK.


Hope that helps.

besist answer yet and all I need to know - ta.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[shropshire 0]

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How do you keep the moc's from biting your dogs?

I saw an episode of the "Dog Wisperer" and he took his dogs to a guy that trained them to keep away from snakes.
He put a shock collor on the dogs (I don't like them but it was just for training and if it saves the dog's life).
Anyway, he had some snakes in a cage and whne the dog become too curious, he shocked it... didn't take long for the dogs to know to keep clear.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[futuredivot 0]

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How do you keep the moc's from biting your dogs?

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And i don't kill snakes out of hand-but I've never seen a snake that I like as much as I like my dogs

You are only as strong as the prey you devour

[pilot-one 0]

I fucking hate ALL snakes. Identification is pointless for me. I don't care if they're venomous or not. If I saw one of those I'd run like a mo fo.

[Slappie 9]

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I fucking hate ALL snakes. Identification is pointless for me. I don't care if they're venomous or not. If I saw one of those I'd run like a mo fo.

wuss!

"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them."

[cloudseeker2001 0]

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How do you keep the moc's from biting your dogs?

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And i don't kill snakes out of hand-but I've never seen a snake that I like as much as I like my dogs

Best post yet!!!!!!!!

A few years ago my male Boxer (the one in the avtar) saved me from a snake that was creeping up on me while sitting on a park bench......but, the snake lived that day and Speer got a new toy and chew bone!

"Some call it heavenly in it's brilliance,
others mean and rueful of the western dream"

[cloudseeker2001 0]

Water moccasins usually have a very musky scent as well.

"Some call it heavenly in it's brilliance,
others mean and rueful of the western dream"

[Erroll 49]

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Many non venomous have broad shaped heads....

And some very dangerous snakes have 'pointy' heads.

Attached is a pic of a South African boomslang (literally tree snake), one of the deadliest snakes in the world.

[lisamariewillbe 1]

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First off theres only one poisonous snake, and they live in Asia, others are venomous (or , big difference.

Okay, please explain the difference. I take it that a "venomous" snake is one that injects the poison with fangs. But that's still poison, so I'm not sure I see the distinction you are making.

And which one is "poisonous"? The spitting cobra, which sprays the poison rather than injecting it?

Poison is ingested or inhaled, venom is injected...if you eat or smell a snake you are not going to die. The one in Asia , I can not remember the name (not a cobra) , but his poison is from his food, he eats a toad and stores the poison. Funny enough the snake itself is non-venomous.

Edit to add... heres an article on the poisonous snake I just found for ya ...I still cant pronounce his name http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070130184641.htm

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[shropshire 0]

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Poison is ingested or inhaled, venom is injected...if you eat or smell a snake you are not going to die. The one in Asia , I can not remember the name (not a cobra) , but his poison is from his food, he eats a toad and stores the poison. Funny enough the snake itself is non-venomous.

Interesting how the Science article gets it wrong

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ScienceDaily (Jan. 31, 2007) — Most snakes are born with poisonous bites they use for defense. But what can non-poisonous snakes do to ward off predators?

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[lisamariewillbe 1]

Yea I noticed that to, but hey alot of old herp keepers do to. It annoys the crap out of me though.

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[Remster 24]

Here's a repeat of a little fellow I almost stepped on while hicking in a busy trail in Tucson. It hissed and rattled. My identification skills told me it was a snake I didnt want to play with.

Remster

[agent_lead 0]

if you can see the snake...and the snake can see you..your probably safe unless you antagonize it...its the times that you dont see them and you step on them and you get tagged so fast you dont know whats happened...

i say forget hiking thru those woods man...its only a matter of time before you step on one and get tagged..

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