Alligators and Snakes in Jax or St. Augustine (Yulee, Okeechobee: buy, scorpion)

[HParr]

Originally Posted by cellson

Wow...I believe you read my post the wrong way. I'm certain you, your husband and your children are fine people...it was not my intention to challenge anyone's ethics or character and the first words of my post were that I did not intend to dismiss anyone's fears.

You're right cellson, I'm sorry, I've just been under a little bit of stress lately with the move, and that's no excuse for such a short fuse. My apologies. I didn't mean to go overboard. I re-read what you wrote and it doesn't sound like anything grouchy at all, on the contrary I've been the grouchy one!!! I guess that I better get up on the right side of the bed in the morning! I hope that you don't hold my response against me, please just forget about it and have a great evening. At this point, I'm so thankful for any information about Florida that I can get from anybody and I thank you for your input.

[riveree]

Originally Posted by nj2fla

I think the saying goes something like this, red and yellow you're a dead fellow...

When I saw that snake, I immediately called my husband and he said the same thing.

So I said "What if you're wrong? What if you don't have the rhyme right? What if it's white & red and now you're dead??!!"

He loves getting these calls from me .

[kwilli]

I think coral snakes are the least of your concerns. They do not have fangs, only little teeth and have to chew on you for a while. Bites are often between the fingers and caused by someone playing with them. One big concern should be don't just stick your hand in your pool skimmer to clean it! Small florida rattlers sometime fall in the pool water and can't get out, the skimmer makes a good hiding place.

Alligator mind their own business and I doubt you could find a true incidence where an alligator chased someone down on land! They do like dogs hanging around by the water, don't get between them.

Driving a motor vehicle is the most dangerous thing most people do!

[HParr]

Originally Posted by kwilli

I think coral snakes are the least of your concerns. They do not have fangs, only little teeth and have to chew on you for a while. Bites are often between the fingers and caused by someone playing with them. One big concern should be don't just stick your hand in your pool skimmer to clean it! Small florida rattlers sometime fall in the pool water and can't get out, the skimmer makes a good hiding place.

Alligator mind their own business and I doubt you could find a true incidence where an alligator chased someone down on land! They do like dogs hanging around by the water, don't get between them.

Driving a motor vehicle is the most dangerous thing most people do!

Thanks kwilli,
I appreciate your info, I will remember the pool skimmer warning, that's good to know. As you can see I am completely ignorant when it comes to knowing about snakes and alligators, but I am learning so much from this post. I should be an expert about them before long!

[riveree]

Originally Posted by kwilli

I think coral snakes are the least of your concerns. They do not have fangs, only little teeth and have to chew on you for a while. Bites are often between the fingers and caused by someone playing with them.

Thanks for the coral snake info .

The incident with my friend's dog that I spoke of earlier in this thread is the first time I've personally known anyone to encounter them here. I thought it was unusual that the snake appeared in a regular suburban neighborhood, but there you go .

[joninclay]

There are four types of poisonous snakes in FL:

1. Water moccasins (aka cottonmouths).
2. Copperheads
3. Coral snakes
4. Rattlesnakes

Copperheads are easy to identify, as are rattlesnakes. In the case of a pygmy rattlesnake, many of them don't have a fully-developed rattle, so if you see a dark gray snake with small black flaky spots but a tell-tale yellow tail, it's a pygmy rattler.

Coral snakes are easy to identify because of their bright red, yellow, and black bands. While king snakes look almost exactly like them, folks are correct when they say "Red on yellow kills a fellow." That's a bit of an exaggeration, since as was mentioned, coral snakes have very small fangs in the back of their mouths, and they have to chew in order to inject venom. But their red bands are bordered by yellow bands, thus the saying. King snakes have red bands bordered by black ones: "Red on black, venom lack."

Some folks confuse water snakes (non-poisonous) with water moccasins (quite poisonous). Water moccasins have colors that can vary slightly. Details here.

I've seen snakes growing up, so I'm not that scared of them. Heck, I even saw a copperhead in my yard in TN when I was cutting the grass as a teen. But once I can identify what kind it is, I respond accordingly: kill it or ignore it. If you're not that keen on trying to identify it, I'd just get away from it, if I were you.

[HParr]

Originally Posted by joninclay

There are four types of poisonous snakes in FL:

1. Water moccasins (aka cottonmouths).
2. Copperheads
3. Coral snakes
4. Rattlesnakes

Copperheads are easy to identify, as are rattlesnakes. In the case of a pygmy rattlesnake, many of them don't have a fully-developed rattle, so if you see a dark gray snake with small black flaky spots but a tell-tale yellow tail, it's a pygmy rattler.

Coral snakes are easy to identify because of their bright red, yellow, and black bands. While king snakes look almost exactly like them, folks are correct when they say "Red on yellow kills a fellow." That's a bit of an exaggeration, since as was mentioned, coral snakes have very small fangs in the back of their mouths, and they have to chew in order to inject venom. But their red bands are bordered by yellow bands, thus the saying. King snakes have red bands bordered by black ones: "Red on black, venom lack."

Some folks confuse water snakes (non-poisonous) with water moccasins (quite poisonous). Water moccasins have colors that can vary slightly. Details here.

I've seen snakes growing up, so I'm not that scared of them. Heck, I even saw a copperhead in my yard in TN when I was cutting the grass as a teen. But once I can identify what kind it is, I respond accordingly: kill it or ignore it. If you're not that keen on trying to identify it, I'd just get away from it, if I were you.

Thanks so much for the great information. I just read it outloud to my 9 year old incase he comes face to face with one outside while he's playing! Thank you!!!

[HIF]

Great info Jon. I've never seen a Coral or King snake, but have shared this info with my son, same as Hparr.

[riveree]

Thanks Joninclay .

I'm not afraid of snakes, but the Cottonmouth is one I hope to never see .

[phlashman]

This ones easy...just head slowly into another direction...BTW no gator attacks in NE Fl in years...as far as snakes go...given the option, they'll slither off away from you.