Met my first... (house, neighborhood, inspection)

[RamblinRoseRanch]

snake out here in the way beyond. My son took the dog out the front door on Wednesday and flew back in the back door. He heard a hiss and was scared to death. I went out with the pellet gun to see what I could see. All I found was a squished black bug on the mat. I thought perhaps that's what he heard? My neighbor in front had told me about dispatching a rattler a few weeks ago from his front yard. I'd seen the guy behind me carrying a live snake off behind my place on the end of stick a few times.



Within a few minutes, we pointed the truck towards the ungraveled part of our circular drive on the way to town and there he was. I didn't stop to ask after his gender, orientation, mood or type- I floored it and ran him over mulitple times. (Steve-o is damning me to hell as I type this- I can FEEL it) Yes, overkill maybe- but I couldn't tell how dead he was from inside the truck. I figured a really dead snake was better than a really pissed off one.

Upon further inspection, it was a gopher snake, of the bullsnake family. Apparently, their method of defense is to mimic the rattler- flattening his head, coiling and striking and moving his tail against underbrush to sound like a rattler. Non venemous, but is known to bite people- only deadly if you're a gopher, I guess.

Below are a few pics. If you don't like snakes, or don't like what a set of 275/70/17s do to one, please feel free to pass 'em by.

































I figure taking into account the bit of curling, he still made at least six feet long.

[GregW]

As a general policy I only kill things that are actually threatening me or are attacking. I no longer fire on noise, vague annoyance or mere suspicion. Gopher snakes eat small rodents and keep the place cleaner. They are our friends.

Please look before you crush. Needless killing can screw up your karma and get you a favorite pest controller award from the resident mice and rats.

[RamblinRoseRanch]

I consider a hissing snake a threat and honestly, had I inspected and seen him in threat mode, I wouldn't have looked for rattles anyway. As stated before, I have children, pets and horses to worry about and unless a snake is immediately identifed as harmless ( don't know if y'all have black snakes here or not, but we did in TN), it's a goner. Sorry.

I think my karma is doing just fine with those banked pluses from my years in equine rescue. But thanks for worrying about it.

[mike0421]

I wouldn't have done it. I don't know if you live in a town, but most have animal control that remove wildlife. Maybe you live in an unincorporated area. I understand your fear, though, I really do.

Most people in panic mode aren't going to consider it, but the head of a pit viper is going to be larger. The snake's head in the above picture was about the size of the rest of its body. That's part of the reason you know if it is not a rattler or a copperhead.

I think the coral snake is an exception. Their heads are not larger, but they are very lethal. However, they stand out. I believe they are multi-colored.

[lalahartma]

[RamblinRoseRanch]

Mike- we're out in the country. According to some, waaaay out in the country.

As a child I nearly stepped on copperheads multiple times. I lost pets to their bites as well.
Isn't the coral snake the one with rings? I believe we had a discussion about which rings touching which identified the snake.

For those of you condemning me- knowing that there had been rattlers killed in yards next to you, knowing you have horses and a dog outside (kenneled and corralled, but still) and kids that live to play outside- if your ten year old son had come into the house, white as a sheet saying he heard hissing coming from under the front steps, would you have nonchalantly strolled out to the front yard to inspect the noise? I'm sorry- between a snake and my family, the snake is going to lose everytime.

I stop to let lizards cross the road, feed the yard bunnies, let all manners of critters cross the road AND release dragonflies caught inside the house (and this is all just since moving here) I WILL NOT apologize for killing a snake. Or a coyote, should one enter my yard. But that's another reason to look down upon me altogether, I suppose.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by RamblinRoseRanch

I consider a hissing snake a threat and honestly, had I inspected and seen him in threat mode, I wouldn't have looked for rattles anyway. As stated before, I have children, pets and horses to worry about and unless a snake is immediately identifed as harmless ( don't know if y'all have black snakes here or not, but we did in TN), it's a goner. Sorry.

I think my karma is doing just fine with those banked pluses from my years in equine rescue. But thanks for worrying about it.

I would have done the same thing:sometimes we don't have time to examine and make sure of what we have...

Nita

[mike0421]

Originally Posted by RamblinRoseRanch

Mike- we're out in the country. According to some, waaaay out in the country.

As a child I nearly stepped on copperheads multiple times. I lost pets to their bites as well.
Isn't the coral snake the one with rings? I believe we had a discussion about which rings touching which identified the snake.

For those of you condemning me- knowing that there had been rattlers killed in yards next to you, knowing you have horses and a dog outside (kenneled and corralled, but still) and kids that live to play outside- if your ten year old son had come into the house, white as a sheet saying he heard hissing coming from under the front steps, would you have nonchalantly strolled out to the front yard to inspect the noise? I'm sorry- between a snake and my family, the snake is going to lose everytime.

I stop to let lizards cross the road, feed the yard bunnies, let all manners of critters cross the road AND release dragonflies caught inside the house (and this is all just since moving here) I WILL NOT apologize for killing a snake. Or a coyote, should one enter my yard. But that's another reason to look down upon me altogether, I suppose.

Of course, now I had to go onto Wikipedia to research it. There's two very similar looking snakes, the coral and the scarlet king snake. The coral, the dangerous one, looks like it is only present in NM in Hidalgo County:

Coral snake - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The scarlet king snake has probably met many a death, because people didn't want to count the rings.

Scarlet Kingsnake - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

According to the Wikipedia article, it's best you don't get bit by a Coral. It seems as though the FDA can't find a replacement carrier for the anti-venom.

[lisdol]

My husband carried a 3.5 ft bullsnake out of our yard on Friday, at my request. My 7yo went out to play and came upon him on our garage apron, right near where their bikes and wiffle bats and balls etc are. He had his head down a rodent hole, and my husband of course was grumbling later about how he could have gotten the gopher or mole or whatever it was that lived in that hole. While they are not venomous, their bites can hurt and do damage, so I'd rather not have one hanging around where my kids play, so I understand why you wanted it out.

I am not brave enough to do it, but my husband and neighbor have both used long rake handles or long sticks to move the bullsnakes away from our yard and into the empty lots surrounding our home (where frankly, the snakes have more prey anyway). My husband threw a shirt over it first before he scooped it up. The one time I have had to get rid of one myself I chased it out of the yard.

Just an FYI -To whoever wondered why RRR didn't call animal control or the appropriate agency - she'd get laughed off of the phone if she called about a snake. They are everywhere around here and its really rural. It would be pretty much equivalent to calling about a little lizard in the city.

[ABQConvict]

I would rather have a snake in my yard than hantavirus or the bubonic plague. please don't kill the snakes in my neighborhood.


ABQConvict