In appreciation of snakes

[Micro]

I took some pics of my pet snakes tonight for another website and figured I'd post some here, too. I'm a snake nut. Hunting for snakes is my "other"' hobby.

Here is my Corn Snake. She is the offspring of two corn snakes caught in Shennandoah County, Virginia. She's a killer and can dispatch a large live mouse in well under 1 minute.

Here is a pic of my "little" Eastern King Snake. She's the offspring of a Newport News, Virginia and Hampton, Virginia eastern king snake. She's little, but lightning quick. She's a messy eater and routinely chews her mice to disgusting pulp befoe she eats it.

Here is my other Eastern King Snake. I caught her in Hampton, Virginia. When I found her she was in bad shape. She had been attacked by something which tore two large gashes into her side. She had a skin infection and was malnourished. I took her in, treated her for mites, parasites, skin problems and wounds. She has gained a considerable amount of weigth since I've had her, her wounds have completely healed, and she is strong as a horse.

For those who never really appreciated snakes, here are a few facts:

1) Kingsnakes (and Milksnakes) have a particular blood serum that neutralizes the toxic properties of rattlesnakes, copperheads and cottonmouths. They are immune to the venom of these snakes and routinely prey on on them.

Kingsnake attacking a Copperhead

2) If you have ever taken high blood pressure medication, or recovered from a stroke (or know someone who has), thank a snake. The primary medication for these maladies were derived from snake venom. In fact, the first stroke medication was made directly from snake venom. Today, snake venom has significant medical importance. The neurotoxic properties of snakes like cobras and coral snakes show promise in helping Parkinson Disease sufferers. The hemotoxic properties of pit vipers like rattlesnakes and copperheads may yield medication to destroy tumors or reduce blood lipids (cholestrol).

3) Most bites from venomous snakes in the United States are "dry," meaning they inject no venom. However, injection of pit-viper venom (rattlesnake, cottonmouth, copperhead) into the human body can produce astonishingly severe wounds. Rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, and certain subspecies of Copperheads have venom with hemolytic and myolytic properties - they destroy blood cells, connective tissue, molecular bonding chemicals and muscle tissue. You can quite literally "melt" as a result of a severe bite. Deaths are rare, but severe scarring, loss of limbs or function is common. With Cottonmouths, secondary infections such as gangrene are real concerns. Additionally, snake bites produce some of the most expensive injuries you can incur. Antivenom (aka antivenin) called "Crofab" costs as much as $2,500 per vile. Even a minor bite will sometimes require 4 vials of the stuff, and severe bites may require up to 20 or more. Treatment for severe snakebites can leave you $300,000 poorer.

Snakebite pictures (not for the feint of heart)

http://www.venomousreptiles.org/libraries/Snakebite%20Photos/0

4) There is no such thing as a "Water Moccassin." Water Moccassin is a popular nickname for any snake in or around water. Usually, it is intended to refer to cottonmouths, which are highly venoumous. Many non-venous water snakes are killed each year in the mistaken belief that they are venomous cottonmouths. If you see a snake in the water, be careful. However, there are ways to tell to a good degree whether a snake in the water is a cottonmouth of some other harmless species. Water snakes will with their bodies mosty submerged with their head out of the water:

http://www.learnnc.org/lp/media/collections/fieldguide/medium/northernwatersnake.jpg

Cottonmouths swim with their bodies mostly above the surface of the water:

http://www.fws.gov/backbay/images/Images%20For%20Web/cottonmouth.jpg

If you are unsure, and you live in areas of the coutry where there are cottonmouths, be careful with any aquatic snake.

Please be kind to snakes. They really are amazing animals.

[Bassboy15]

Your a real brave man...

[BassHunter69]

i have a question for our resident snake man here. in being hearing impaired and near deaf when im fishing off the bank what are sure fire signs in detecting these snakes so i wont get bit? what type of area's should i avoid since my hearing is poor and limited? also isnt the color of the snake an indicator of what type of snake it is? if so what colors should i avoid that are native to the alabama area? i'm hoping you'll know these things, also can you post more pics so i can learn to recinize which species are what i belive this is an interesting thred that could actually help save lives in the future.

David

[Raul]

i have a question for our resident snake man here. in being hearing impaired and near deaf when im fishing off the bank what are sure fire signs in detecting these snakes so i wont get bit? what type of area's should i avoid since my hearing is poor and limited? also isnt the color of the snake an indicator of what type of snake it is? if so what colors should i avoid that are native to the alabama area? i'm hoping you'll know these things, also can you post more pics so i can learn to recinize which species are what i belive this is an interesting thred that could actually help save lives in the future.

David

Looks can be deceiving, if it 's red, black and yellow be careful it can be a coral snake, there 's an old say: if red touches black ---> venom lack ( harmless, false coral snake ), if red touches yellow ---> kill a fellow ( poisonous, true coral snake ) but I don 't think I 'm going to stay there if I see the color scheme in depth detail.

What else you should avoid ----> anything that has rattles on the other end of the tail.

Where I live there are a lot of poisonous animals: rattlesnakes, scorpions, black widow spiders, those really nasty red/orange stripped wasps with more firepower than an Apache helicopter with attitude, those big black bumble bees and to round up the hot critter family the fire ants.

Learn to move along the banks and always be careful where you step, don 't ever jump over a fallen tree, a rattlesnake can be undernearth it and bite you when you land on the other side. Step on the tree, take a look and then step down from the tree, use a cane where you are walking along grassy banks, sweep the grass in front of you with it, if there 's a snake it will either crawl away or take defensive position and you will be able to see it.

[JiggaMan512]

cool snakes man. if you got anymore pet snakes, post up some more pics!!

[grimlin]

i avoid snakes at all cost...simple because i can't tell a poisonous one from a harmless one.

Closest i came to a snake was my brother's old red tail boa.

Being from TX cottonmouths were common in the water.

[BassHunter69]

i have a question for our resident snake man here. in being hearing impaired and near deaf when im fishing off the bank what are sure fire signs in detecting these snakes so i wont get bit? what type of area's should i avoid since my hearing is poor and limited? also isnt the color of the snake an indicator of what type of snake it is? if so what colors should i avoid that are native to the alabama area? i'm hoping you'll know these things, also can you post more pics so i can learn to recinize which species are what i belive this is an interesting thred that could actually help save lives in the future.

David

Looks can be deceiving, if it 's red, black and yellow be careful it can be a coral snake, there 's an old say: if red touches black ---> venom lack ( harmless, false coral snake ), if red touches yellow ---> kill a fellow ( poisonous, true coral snake ) but I don 't think I 'm going to stay there if I see the color scheme in depth detail.

What else you should avoid ----> anything that has rattles on the other end of the tail.

Where I live there are a lot of poisonous animals: rattlesnakes, scorpions, black widow spiders, those really nasty red/orange stripped wasps with more firepower than an Apache helicopter with attitude, those big black bumble bees and to round up the hot critter family the fire ants.

Learn to move along the banks and always be careful where you step, don 't ever jump over a fallen tree, a rattlesnake can be undernearth it and bite you when you land on the other side. Step on the tree, take a look and then step down from the tree, use a cane where you are walking along grassy banks, sweep the grass in front of you with it, if there 's a snake it will either crawl away or take defensive position and you will be able to see it.

thanks raul for that advise Hmmm in seeing red i keep thinking red plastic snake lures for some reason. i most definately avoid rattles or any brown looking snakes im not really scared of snakes but i'm not going to be stupid either. i know down here alot of snakes are in the rocks and under the bridges so i avoid those areas no matter how productive the fishing is. but with my hearing thats why i try so hard to get someone to go fishing with me when i wade or bank fish

besides cottonmouths are far more common in alabama then many people realize,as are king snakes and those posionous red ones

[JCrzy4Bass]

Hey man I own a corn snake, named him Raydin after Street Fighter. He is a year old on Sept 18th. Feed him two thawed mice about every week and a half to two weeks. He's an albino (amel), no hets or anything. Picked him up from those stupid people at Petco who don't know how to take good care of their snakes. I was gonna get one of the only snow's they had but they looked real thin and in bad shape and god knows whether I could have gotten them to eat or not. Mine is pretty cool, haven't been feeding him a lot lately so he has prob lost some of his bulk, but speaking of I'ma give em' a good feedin' tonight. Should start bulkin' the poor guy back up. Haven't measured him in forever, but if you want perspective as of about January 06 (5 months old)... check these out.

I'll take more pics tonight or on Sunday and post the progression so you can see the difference that 6-7 months makes in these guys. Plus he just shed so he will be perty!

Anyway, awesome lookin' corn.  And I love that kingsnake.  I always wanted to get a black mexican king.  Those things look beast, especially the ones that have BARELY any yellow in them.  Hard to come by (at least the ones that are that perfectly black).  Later dude.

[JCrzy4Bass]

One more...

[BassHunter69]

One more...

thats a pretty snake

[Raul]

Very nice albino morph JC.

[jdw174]

I work on a golf course in West TN and snakes are a common occurrence.  We have a ton of the King Snakes and black racers.  Blue racers are not real common, but I've found a couple of them in the back yard.  Cottonmouths are common on the lake and we've "dispatched" two of the biggest Copperheads I've ever seen this year on the course.  Those buggers have a real temper, BTW.

[JCrzy4Bass]

Thanks Basshunter and Raul.  The show that they hold at the Prince William Fairgrounds here in NOVA every 3-4 months has some awesome python, cornsnake, and kingsnake morphs.  Plus many others.  All the Beardies you could dream of, all sorts of turtles and tortoises.  Really cool and informative show.  Many of the breeders are really cool there.  If anyone is around Manassas and interested in reptiles and hasn't heard about it, they should check it out.  Like I said I'll have pics up later of the progression Raydin has had.  Now that he's a year old you will definately be able to see how much brighter the oranges get in the main body color, and how much thicker and clearer the white outline on the saddles becomes.  Albinos make for very pretty snakes later on.  Eventually someday when I get my new apartment after January I will get a Lavender, Pewter, or Silver Queen Ghost for a new tank.  Put em' side by side, then start breeding years down the road.  That was my goal eventually.  There is only one other close breeder here in NOVA and I know that this is a fairly decent market for these guys if you know how to setup a decent web page and pay system.  Anyway, later guys.

Good link for those who love corn snakes.  I haven't been on in forever but these people know their stuff.  I think the forum on cornsnakes is just as well done as here:

www.cornsnakes.com

Enjoy.

[BassHunter69]

since were mentioning snakes ive been looking for those life like rubber /plastic snakes in the 6 to 10 inch area and cant find them anywhere. used to use them as a kid when fishing would like to do so again.

[preach4bass]

i have a question for our resident snake man here. in being hearing impaired and near deaf when im fishing off the bank what are sure fire signs in detecting these snakes so i wont get bit? what type of area's should i avoid since my hearing is poor and limited? also isnt the color of the snake an indicator of what type of snake it is? if so what colors should i avoid that are native to the alabama area? i'm hoping you'll know these things, also can you post more pics so i can learn to recinize which species are what i belive this is an interesting thred that could actually help save lives in the future.

David

If I did a lot of bank fishing in snakey areas I'd get a pair of snake chaps and one of those little snake pistols that they advertise (or at least used to advertise) in Bassmaster Mag.  The chaps will most likely protect you from getting bitten.  Those pistols shoot a .410 shotgun shell, perfect for a snake.

[JCrzy4Bass]

since were mentioning snakes ive been looking for those life like rubber /plastic snakes in the 6 to 10 inch area and cant find them anywhere. used to use them as a kid when fishing would like to do so again.

Hey Basshunter, if your referring to the "topwater" snakes.  Take a look at Doug Hannon's site.  Some cool video footage of him catching BIG BASS on these.  They cost 40.00 a pack though.  Only buy them if there are indeed LUNKER or HOG Bass in your area.  Little bass or even average size bass will HIGHLY unlikely take one of these lures.  Make sure you have the right gear to throw them as well as I hear they can be difficult to cast.  You may want to take a look in the tackle section and look for threads about Doug Hannon's snakes before you decide to purchase and see if it is worth it for you.  Later bud.

[BassHunter69]

a friend of mine got some of those snakes and they were junk they melted on him, nor would the hooks stay in. personally i like doug hannon just not his snake product which is why im looking into alternatives

[slomoe]

J, I JUST got rid of my corn snake that looked just like yours. I didn't have a whole lot of time to handle it, and it started getting aggressive. but they're fun little things. yours it a beaut, just make sure you give it the time it deserves.

[JCrzy4Bass]

Yea I gotta admit I've been slackin' lately, I think I held it twice last month lol.  I need to take that thing out more so it doesn't get aggressive.  It's never EVER bitten me and even if it did I heard it doesn't hurt at all unless they are adult size.  Example: Adult cornsnake bite = equivalent of baby python or boa bite.

Anyway, yea I'm gonna focus more on it.  It's been hard with the wedding, work, spending time with friends, family.  Fishing.  All that.  So seein' this thread kinda reminds me, hey the snake needs time too lol.  Well, hopefully you guys will enjoy the pics later.  Like I said, give me til' tonight and I'll have some good ones up!

[Micro]

i have a question for our resident snake man here. in being hearing impaired and near deaf when im fishing off the bank what are sure fire signs in detecting these snakes so i wont get bit? what type of area's should i avoid since my hearing is poor and limited? also isnt the color of the snake an indicator of what type of snake it is? if so what colors should i avoid that are native to the alabama area? i'm hoping you'll know these things, also can you post more pics so i can learn to recinize which species are what i belive this is an interesting thred that could actually help save lives in the future.

David

David,

Alabama is a great state for snakes. At least I think so.

Fortunately, hearing is not the primary human sense for detecting snakes. Snakes are notoriously quiet. Even rattlers are sometimes known not to rattle. Snakes, by the way, are deaf.

The best way to detect a snake is to keep your eyes open. If you live in an area where snakes are common, avoid placing your hands into areas that could harbor a snake. If you have to walk in areas where you can't see what you are stepping on (like high grass, especially near water), I recommend and good pair of ankle high hiking or work boots. Heavy leather is usually enough to stop a bite from most indigenous venomous snakes. And most bites to the lower extremities occur to the foot or ankle, not higher. Also, avoid walking around barefoot at night. Studies have shown that the most common snake-bite victim is young, male, and under the influence of alcohol (< true, not a joke).

I have a lot of exerience with snakes. I've been hunting, catching, keeping and releasing wild snakes for around 30 years. My experience is that snakes want to avoid human contact. I can assure you, if you spend time outside, you are nearer to more snakes than you'll ever know. For every 1 you see, you probably walk past 10 and never know it. They simply don't want anything to do with you.

In my experience, venomous snakes aren't really anymore aggressive than non-venomous snakes. Some of the nastiest, ill-tempered snakes I've ever handled were various species of non-venomous watersnakes and racers. But they were always aggressive because I caught them or messed with them. Northern Black Racers, very common in Virginia, will sometimes stand their ground and fight you.

Snakes with bad reputations, like cottonmouths, are sometimes aggressive. But I've seen some that were downright placid. We have a reservoir here in Newport news, Virginia with a very large and healthy population of Cottonmouths. I've seen many cottonmouths there, and caught a few. I've walked next to them, nearly stepped on them, and accidently squatted over one that I didn't see (a real heart stopper). None acted aggressively. Most will lie motionless until they know they are discovered. At that point, they usually try and move away. Some will stand their ground and display an open mouth. However, they can and will bite. Studies have shown that the hotter it is outside, the more aggressive a snake may be.

We don't have a lot of rattlers around my part of Virginia. Our Canebrake Rattlesnake (a coastal variety of the Timber Rattler) is endangered in southeastern Virginia. We do have some, but they are rare. Of course, they sometimes rattle, sometimes not. But you aren't at a disadvantage by having poor hearing if you simply keep your eyes open. Rattlers live in the same habitat as many other snakes. Just keep you eyes open if you believe snakes can be present.

Copperheads are neat snakes. They are the least venoumous of the North American pit vipers. They are pretty snakes, and pretty easy to identify. They are usually more of an upland snake and usually avoid wet areas. Keep you eyes open, and never mess with a snake you can't identify.

The only snakes that can be confused with venomous Coral Snakes are certain species of non-venomous Milksnakes. I'm not sure you have any varieties of Milksnake in Alabama that look like Coral Snakes. If you see a snake in Alabama that looks like a Coral Snake, it's probably a Coral Snake. Avoid it. They are highly venomous. Unlike pit vipers, they have a neurotoxic venom that can cause paralysis of breathing and heart.

Alabama is a great state for snakes. Attached is a chart showing the various snakes found in southeastern states. Note that the snakes are listed by common name (ie Common Kingsnake). However, the common name may be the common name for several subspecies (ie Common Kingsnake includes: Eastern Kingsnake, Outer Banks Kingsnake, Florida Kingsnake, Speckled Kingsnake, Black Kingsnake, etc). Also, any snake listed for your state may not exist throughout the entire state. Some snakes have limited ranges within a state, and limited further by the proper habitat.

[Micro]

Good link for those who love corn snakes. I haven't been on in forever but these people know their stuff. I think the forum on cornsnakes is just as well done as here:

www.cornsnakes.com

Enjoy.

I'm a member of that site.  I'm "SkyChimp" there.

[Micro]

If I did a lot of bank fishing in snakey areas I'd get a pair of snake chaps and one of those little snake pistols that they advertise (or at least used to advertise) in Bassmaster Mag. The chaps will most likely protect you from getting bitten. Those pistols shoot a .410 shotgun shell, perfect for a snake.

A simple pair of leather hiking boots will protect you from most venomous snakes.  The vast majority of bites to the lower extremities occur to the feet below the ankle, or at ankle.  Only if you are wading, or being careless are bites above the ankles really a serious concern.  The notable exception is big rattlers.  But you'll probably detect those before you step on one.  

If bites to the legs are a concern, I recommend snake-proof gaiters you can wear with your hiking boots.  You can buy them at Bass Pro Shops.  They are made of several layers of cordura nylon and wrap around your calf using velcro.   They are snake-proof against the biggest North American pit viper, Eastern Diamondbacks, so they will easily protect you against copperheads and cottonmouths.   The best part of these gaiters is that you can take them off when you don't need them - a real plus on a hot day.  I have a pair and prefer them to my snake-boots for that very reason.

One thing I would like to ask is that you don't kill snakes.  I'm not preaching, but they really are neat animals.  Our snakes, venomous snakes in particular, are starting to decline in numbers.  They are part of our natural heritage and help make up the character of the part of the country you call home.  Can you imagine a southern swamp without cottonmouths?  Or an Alabama savannah without Diamondbacks?  I can't.  I think something very special would be lost if these very American animals were killed off out of irrational fear.  

[JCrzy4Bass]

New and most recent pictures of Raydin at one year old (in 4 days):

[JCrzy4Bass]

Pic 2: Raydin decided to give me a tude' check out that tongue action!

[BassHunter69]

now thats some most excellent snake info. i never knew snakes where deaf thats fasinateing. only snakes ive ever handled personally were garden snakes, and a few species of boas. i like them but if i dont know what species a snake is i wont mess with them. when i lived in california i did have a rattler chase after me once for a fat guy i moved pretty quick to  ;D he didnt get me but he came very very close. whew i break out in a sweat just thinking of it. ive no idea why he went after me to this very day.

i do enjoy learning about them however, they are just interesting creatures.