[CASTLE333]

Ever Since I Was A Little Girl Ive Feared Them And Honestly I Think It Has To Do With My Older Brother He Would Scare The Crap Out Of Me With Them So I Think Thats Why I Have Issues

I Remember Once In 6th Grade (mannnnnny) Years Ago A Classmate Brought A Huge One In Class And While Everyone Was Crowed Over It I Was The One Freaked Out In The Corner Of The Class The Only One So Ive Always Been Scared Of The Poison As Well, When There In Movies I Cover My Eyes Thats Sad But That Me..

[Buzz123]

Well, another thing to keep in mind is that very few people ever die from the poisonous snakes in this country. There was an extremely drunk guy out at Lake Mead one time that tried to pick up a rattlesnake and when it bit him, he sat down under a tree and went to sleep instead of getting help. With all the alcohol in him, I guess it made it worse, and he died. In Arizona, and maybe even extreme southern Nevada, you'll find coral snakes. I understand that if you're bitten you might die if not treated almost immediately. But, to get bitten by one you pretty much have to be handling it. They don't strike like a rattler, they have to chew on you long enough to get the poison in your system. Same thing with the only poisonous lizard, the Gila Monster, also found in parts of the local desert. But again, in 43 years I've never seen one. You gotta be pretty dumb to be poisoned by either one, so the chances are slim and none and Slim's outta town.

You didn't tell me where you're from, so I'm betting that wherever you're from you have way more creepy crawly things than we do. That's one of the nice things about Las Vegas...very few pests...except the human kind.

[Buzz123]

There was a funny story in the RJ many years ago that sounds like urban legend, but they reported it as the gospel truth. A guy was riding his dirt bike off road in Eldorado Canyon when he supposedly blew a tire and went head first over the handlebars, and landed on a sidewinder. Of course the snake bit him but he was wearing a gun so he got it out to shoot the snake, and shot himself in the foot. I think they said he also broke his arm in the fall. The snake probably died laughing.

[Buzz123]

Oh yeah; Coral snakes (poisonous) and King snakes (non-poisonous) both have red, yellow, and black bands around their bodies. They look like large, colorful, worms. But on the King snake, the red and black bands are side by side, and on the Coral snake, the red and yellow bands are together. So there's a saying people use to tell them apart which is: Red and black, friend of Jack; red and yellow, kill a fellow.

[Birdhouse]

Been here in Las Vegas for 13 years and not once have I seen a snake. If you walk the surrounding desert you may see plenty of snake holes, but have never actually seen one in the city.

[heretolong]

Snake everywhere I'm not talking about the reptile but the the way business is done here I've been here since 79 I can say one thing if you want to lose you health wealth and mind MOVE here I know more than anyone want's be to reviled medical, legal abuse is totally legal no home owner rights DON'T think I'm kidding I know first hand there are no laws protecting home owners if you are harmed in any way by Serria health care NO ATTORNEY will help you they don't want to rock the boat The bar [legal] is not regulated by the state it's a country club Like the doctor they regulate themselfs move here maybe you'll be as lucky as my family we have had every thing we ever worked for stolen no help from any attorney. Been mistreated by so many drs. we now have Leulemia been through Mortgage fraud for 7 years bought a home that took 6 years to get clear title this is just the tip of the iceburg we want out so bad we are willing to live in a box as long as it has no neighbors or heat If anyone wants the whole story give me a note It might save your life Have a great day

[cjski21]

Originally Posted by Buzz123

CASTLE333 I totally understand where you are coming from. I was once afraid to step off the pavement for fear of snakes laying in the grass waiting to eat me. It is an unfounded fear and experience will prove it to you.

That said, I have seen snakes up in the mountains and out in the desert, but a long ways from town, and none were threatening at all...Well, sort of. Back in the old days a friend and I were poking around the old gold and silver mines down in El Dorado Canyon, near the Colorado River. I told him I'd go first because the first guy warns the snake, then it bites the second guy. I had never seen a buzzworm before, let alone heard one rattle. As I was looking in a mine shaft I heard that sound that I knew instinctively was a rattlesnake, and it was right by my foot. Without even looking I leaped backwards about six feet and drew my pistol before my feet hit the ground. I don't know how I did that as my hand was shaking so hard, but I pointed it at the snake and tried to fire but it wasn't cocked. Shaking like a leaf I got it cocked and tried again but it was on safety. By the time I got myself unflustered and the gun off safety the snake had crawled under a piece of tin. I shot a couple of rounds in the tin but wasn't about to lift it up and look. My buddy, in the meantime, was practically rolling on the ground laughing his head off, and I think the snake probably was too. Either that or I scared him to death with all that jumping around.

Gotta be careful doing that. I was in the desert hunting rattlesnakes and coyotes (the indians paid for the snake skins and ranchers paid per coyote hide) one afternoon and my buddy stepped in a hole by accident. We heard
the snake rattle and he was startled, being his first time. He jumped out of the hole, turned the shotgun and fired. Needless to say, I was to his right and about 15 pellets went into my leg. They are steel, I say "are" because the doctors left them in, instead of risking surgery. It is actually a little funny when I explain to airport security why my leg sets off the metal detector. But to answer the OP question, I do not live in LV yet but I did live in Tempe, and you actually have to look for the snakes in order to see one. So rest assured, you will be fine.

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by cjski21

Gotta be careful doing that. I was in the desert hunting rattlesnakes and coyotes (the indians paid for the snake skins and ranchers paid per coyote hide) one afternoon and my buddy stepped in a hole by accident. We heard
the snake rattle and he was startled, being his first time. He jumped out of the hole, turned the shotgun and fired. Needless to say, I was to his right and about 15 pellets went into my leg. They are steel, I say "are" because the doctors left them in, instead of risking surgery. It is actually a little funny when I explain to airport security why my leg sets off the metal detector. But to answer the OP question, I do not live in LV yet but I did live in Tempe, and you actually have to look for the snakes in order to see one. So rest assured, you will be fine.

So you were out hunting with Dick Chaney one day and...

Up at the Cold Creek camp ground one time I watched two California King snakes doing a dance that looked like they were mating. They stood up and coiled around one another weaving back and forth. Very sensuous. They are pretty black and white snakes. Non venomous, so harmless. I see snakes and other critters out in the wild all the time. I must have an eye for it because other people totally miss them and I usually spot them first.

[Steve-o]

Snakes are super cryptic, you could be standing next to a Mojave rattler and not even know it unless it moved or rattled. LV is home to several species of rattlesnake (Crotalidae), but unless you really look for them, you probably wont see one. Then again Ive heard of several people in LV whove found rattlers in their yards.

[ParkTwain]

I saw an immature rattlesnake while walking in the open on a trail at Red Rocks, but otherwise have not seen a snake in any residential neighborhood in LV in the last 4 years. I have seen a coyote crossing a street at night in my immediate neighborhood (the Vistas in Summerlin). That was cool.