[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by btoverdrive

I have seen lots of cottonmouths swimming in rivers and lakes and just stay from them.

They were probably harmless water snakes of the Nerodia genus. Unless you got close enough to notice the vertically eliptical pupils common of North American venomous snakes.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by magrack

Please don't work yourself up if folks don't see eye to eye with you.

Sorry, but hearing about people shooting snakes out of ignorance gets my blood going. Heck, I cannot stand pit bulls, I think theyre vile dogs. But I know that theyre mostly decent dogs with a few that wouldnt hesitate to kill me on sight. Does that give me the right to pull out a gun and blow away any pit bull I see? If I did, Id be branded a "murderer" from the pit-bull/dog crowd. But if someone kills a neighborhood snake (venomous or non-venomous), theyre "heroes"? Cmon, wheres the logic in that? I LOVE snakes, theyre great creatures with a undeserved bad rep. So when I hear about people encouraging others to shoot at will, of course Ill get angry. Different loves for different people, right? My love happens to be snakes, Ill defend them every chance I can get.

Here is one of my kingsnakes, Linus. Nicest animal youd ever meet. But if I were to let him loose in the neighborhood, he'd be trampled at first site, out of fear and ignorance. Take the time to learn about snakes, people. It will only do you and the snakes good.




Here is me with my baby desert kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula splendida):


Here is a desert horned viper (Cerastes cerastes), from the Saharan Desert. Note the vertically eliptical pupils. Thats a good way to tell venomous from non-venomous snakes here in the USA:


Here is a little brown snake in Illinois (Storeria dekayi):


Me holding a red-belly snake on the Illinois prairie:


A beautiful Queen snake (Regina septemvittata) that let me get inches from its face to photograph her. Note the round pupils, signifying non-venomous (in the states only):

[applegate]

I really dont care what the law says, if it does not have arms and I have a shovel it is belly up. the law be darned. They have to catch me first, and I practice the three S shoot shovel and shutup. I dispatch all things that anoy. coons,possum,snakes,squirls, if it bugs me it eats lead.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by applegate

I really dont care what the law says, if it does not have arms and I have a shovel it is belly up. the law be darned. They have to catch me first, and I practice the three S shoot shovel and shutup. I dispatch all things that anoy. coons,possum,snakes,squirls, if it bugs me it eats lead.

Not owning a gun I certainly wouldn't shoot one and I have seen a couple of snakes that I really sorta enjoyed watching, but I do not want them wandering around my property if I can help it. Ok, so I am ignorant about them, and yes, I know the eat rodents, I still am deathly afraid of most of them. I am not about to get close enough to decide if it is a harmless one or one that might bite. NIta

[ram0589]

We might only see one or two snakes on our property each summer. I have more problems with mice and roaches, BIG roaches! And I better never see a rat in the house. I will freak out! Our house is too small to be sharing it with mice, roaches or rats! lol

[Cali BassMan]

There is just way to many myths about snakes! Once, while riding horses through Briones Park in Northern California, I watched as my wife rode right over a 6 ft long rattlesnake, Boy, that snake was trying to get out of the way of those hooves! So we watched the snake slither away and got to wondering what the horses would do if the snake rattled. We threw a stick next to the snake and he starts rattling away, all the horses did was look that way to see what the noise was!!!!!! Seen plenty of Rattlesnakes in California, dont have a clue about Water Moccisans (sp) or Cottonmouths. Any info or picks would be helpfull (Steve-O)
By the way Steve-O if you were to start kiliing PitBulls you'd have to get traded from the Blackhawks to the Falcons (Bad Joke I know)

[arguy1973]

cotton mouth

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by Cali BassMan

There is just way to many myths about snakes! Once, while riding horses through Briones Park in Northern California, I watched as my wife rode right over a 6 ft long rattlesnake, Boy, that snake was trying to get out of the way of those hooves! So we watched the snake slither away and got to wondering what the horses would do if the snake rattled. We threw a stick next to the snake and he starts rattling away, all the horses did was look that way to see what the noise was!!!!!! Seen plenty of Rattlesnakes in California, dont have a clue about Water Moccisans (sp) or Cottonmouths. Any info or picks would be helpfull (Steve-O)
By the way Steve-O if you were to start kiliing PitBulls you'd have to get traded from the Blackhawks to the Falcons (Bad Joke I know)

Arguy added a cottonmouth pick. Theyre very similar looking to harmless Nerodia species, but they have the vertically eliptical pupils, and when you get close, they will sit there and expose the white lining of their mouths, hence their names. If you want more info and pics, Google "Agkistrodon piscivorous".

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by applegate

I really dont care what the law says, if it does not have arms and I have a shovel it is belly up. the law be darned. They have to catch me first, and I practice the three S shoot shovel and shutup. I dispatch all things that anoy. coons,possum,snakes,squirls, if it bugs me it eats lead.

Brilliant. Just brilliant.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Cali BassMan

There is just way to many myths about snakes! Once, while riding horses through Briones Park in Northern California, I watched as my wife rode right over a 6 ft long rattlesnake, Boy, that snake was trying to get out of the way of those hooves! So we watched the snake slither away and got to wondering what the horses would do if the snake rattled. We threw a stick next to the snake and he starts rattling away, all the horses did was look that way to see what the noise was!!!!!! Seen plenty of Rattlesnakes in California, dont have a clue about Water Moccisans (sp) or Cottonmouths. Any info or picks would be helpfull (Steve-O)
By the way Steve-O if you were to start kiliing PitBulls you'd have to get traded from the Blackhawks to the Falcons (Bad Joke I know)

Bad joke ok, but still pretty funny....

Nita