| Author | Message | ||
     Whistler |
We've had daytime highs in the seventies the last week or so but it still seems early for the first Copperhead kill of the season. Got the sneaky so-and-so yesterday afternoon. We average four to five kills per year on our property/area with a record total of twelve in 2009. Surprisingly we had zero Copperhead kills last year (a couple escaped me), with only one coral snake killed. I got no truck with the non-poisonous kind but the venomous guys better watch their six. As usual I put his mangled carcass in a prominent location so his family and friends can get a good look. Here we go, fight's on. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
what do they eat? I was having a problem with snakes a couple of years ago. Turns out, I had a pretty good field mice population under my shed, wood pile and a few other places. Put out a few poison baits and got rid of the mice..... and the snakes moved on | ||
| Whistler |
Copperheads eat mice, birds, small snakes, frogs, and insects. I try to keep my couple of acres free of mice and insects as well as removing rotten wood and leaves. We live in the piney woods of East Texas so this is Copperhead heaven. Everyone around here has a snake story or two. I've got a couple of interesting ones. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
I've got a few of those myself.... like have a bonfire... its late and pitch black... a little drunk... going to the wood pile to grab a arm full of wood and getting a hold of one. That'll sober ya quick! | ||
| Fast1075 |
As usual....a musical tribute...this is Travis Tritt with his rendition of "Copperhead Road"...yah gotta love that 12 string mandolin... And by the way...our version of copperhead is the water moccasin...same snake adapted to different environment. The only snake I ever saw that will chase you if you piss it off.. | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
Yep, snakes are out in sunny Florida too. Low 80's already, can smell summer in the air, Our friendly black racer was sunning himself on the sidewalk this morning as we ventured outside to do some more yardwork. Knock on wood, have only seen one poisonous one, a pigmy rattler, in the yard during the eight or so years we've been here. The racer's buddy got dismembered in a hedge trimming incident a few weeks back. Hubby felt bad , locals say it's good to have the racers around, they keep the bad ones away. Hope the weather holds for y'all heading to Daytona! | ||
| Britchri10 |
Cats are good at deterring snake invasions,as they prey on the same food sources as the snakes. I once watched our (now deceased) black tom beating the S#@t out of a Moccasin in our back yard. Our rotweiler cross was bitten by a moccasin in our back yard. The vet used anti venom on her & she survived. her heart was affected by the venom though. | ||
| Dfishman |
Fast.That tune is about moonshine,not snakes.But too much of either is painful.A few years ago a friend of mine got bit in the finger by a copperhead & was in the hospital for 4 days getting antivenom.Natsy looking finger for awhile.He made a full recovery,but the scar on the finger is permanent. | ||
| R100rs |
}New World coral snakes possess the most potent venom of any North American snake, followed closely by the Mojave rattlesnake. A coral snake must only administer 3–5 mg of venom to be fatal to the average adult human; the Mojave rattlesnake must inject 10–15 mg to be lethal. Most venomous snakes must inject between 75–100 mg of venom to be fatal.[5] However, relatively few bites are recorded due to their reclusive nature and the fact they generally inhabit sparsely populated areas. According to the National Institutes of Health, there are an average of only 15-25 coral snake bites nation-wide each year.[6] When confronted by humans, coral snakes will almost always attempt to flee, and bite only as a last resort. In addition, coral snakes have short fangs (proteroglyph dentition) that cannot penetrate thick leather clothing. Any skin penetration however, is a medical emergency that requires immediate attention. Coral snakes have a powerful neurotoxin that paralyzes the breathing muscles; mechanical or artificial respiration, along with large doses of antivenin, are often required to save a victim's life. There is usually only mild pain associated with a bite, but respiratory failure can occur within hours. The bite of a coral snake may soon become increasingly more dangerous, ironically because of the relatively few bites each year. Production of coral snake antivenin in the United States has ceased because it is not profitable. According to Pfizer, the owner of the company that used to make Coralmyn, it would take over $5–$10 million to put toward researching a new synthetic antivenin. The cost was just too large for the small number of cases presented each year. The current antivenin stock is scheduled to expire in 2010, after two consecutive expiration date extensions approved by the FDA. Foreign pharmaceutical manufacturers have produced other coral snake antivenins, but the costs associated with licensing them in the United States have stalled availability (see above).[7] thought you might be interested in this bit of trivia  (Message edited by R100rs on February 22, 2011) | ||
| Danger_dave |
Us Aussies are used to a lot of snakes too. Red-belly blacks around my last place. But the Spiders are worse. Another reason I like living in NZ. No snakes or deadly spiders. Top of the native food chain is a Hawk. | ||
| Stirz007 |
One of them got ahold of me when I was about 14 - my own damn fault - I stepped on it. Still got a nifty scar. And where I grew up, copperheads were not they ones that you worried about (they are somewhat non-agressive). We had moccasins, pygmy and eastern diamondbacks, and a few corals thrown in, too. The cottonmouths would try to get in the boat with you, and the EDB's you just want to stay away from. Ya learn to watch where you step. | ||
| Sayitaintso |
Yep copperheads and rattlers were not the ones we worried about, it was the cotton mouths, mean bastards they are. | ||
| Fast1075 |
I saw a special on TV about the Aussie spiders...look exactly like our Black Widow spider except the colour of the "hourglass"...but deadly. I learned my woodsmanship in the Green Swamp and other local bay heads...good fishing in some of the 'gator holes and ponds...not many coral snakes this far south...but plenty of moccasins and gators. (gators are "lunch inna suitcase"). Just don't piss off a Sow with babies, or go near a Bull in heat...good way to get dead... My scout troop raised money for the trip to Philmont by catching snakes and taking them to the Ross Allen Reptile Institute at Silver springs...they paid good money, would "milk" them for venom to make antivenom from...We could catch 30 or 40 rattlesnakes on a good day working the palmetto scrub... Take care not to harm an indigo (black racer) snake. They are non venomous and a prime food are other snakes...they also eat mice and other vermin...good to have around...and they are beautiful snakes. (Message edited by fast1075 on February 22, 2011) | ||
| Skinstains |
Maybe Dirty Jersey ain't all that bad after all... | ||
| Ulyranger |
Yup, them Copperheads is nasty. Only snake I ever had chase me....for a good ten-fifteen feet. Very impressive aggression behavior, considering the size difference and all. The only other venomous snakes we have are Eastern Timber Rattlesnakes and they are pussy-cats in comparison. I've stepped right over them w/o response. | ||
| 86129squids |
Here ya go, a little Ray Wylie Hubbard... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jNWPUFNA2U | ||
| Finmars |
Fast1075. The Black widow,Australia's Redback and New Zealand's Katipo are all basically the same genus Lactrodectus, comb footed spiders, their populations separated by continental drift. Here endeth the lesson.  | ||
| Blake |
I never gave venomous snakes much thought, until a big fat three foot copperhead showed up on the driveway right at nightfall as we were unloading the truck from a short getaway last Summer. It could have been a very bad scene. I was inside unloading when I heard Michele exclaim, "there's a copperhead on the driveway!" I'm thinking ya right, probably just a king snake or other harmless variety. But there it was in all its glory--copperheads are flat out gorgeous snakes, really beautiful-- stopped mid-slither with its head turned towards and looking at us as we stood on the adjoining concrete patio. I could swear it had a sincere "oh shit, you're back" look on its face. It was headed down towards the street. Just a little later and it would have been in perfect position to be unknowingly under-foot next to the truck. Michele grabbed Darrell, our fearless Catahoula Leopard Dog, as he was headed past straight for the snake. I urgently looked around for something, anything, with which to dispatch the unfortunate critter. All I could see was a 5' long walking stick carved from a pine sapling. Not very substantial, but better than nothing. As I headed for it, the Copperhead figured it was time to seek cover, like quick! Smart snake. As it was halfway over the railroad-tie curbing heading into the dense holly bushes and leaf mulch, I gave it my best Tiger Woods impression, sending it skimming down the drive about forty feet out of sight into the darkness. Yeah, just past where the truck was parked. The truck still needed unloading. Quick inspection via flashlight didn't turn it up. It had escaped. The next day I tore out all the old railroad tie curbing that was hollowed out from age and rot, dismantled the woodpile and removed the pallet it was set on, poked, prodded, searched meticulously all over the place anywhere a snake might like. Nothing. This is in the middle of a pretty densely populated neighborhood. But there is a small creek across the street that runs alongside the road. Maybe both of us learned a good lesson that night. The encounter got me curious about copperhead behavior, territory, and such. After living here in Kilgore for 20 years, I'm now less oblivious to the threat. Harry (Fast1075), >>> our version of copperhead is the water moccasin...same snake adapted to different environment. We have 'em both. They are entirely different snake species. Water Moccasin aka Cottonmouth is a deadly venomous aquatic snake, very aggro, and can grow to six feet. Copperhead is dangerous but not usually deadly. Not aquatic like the moccasin, and grows to 4 feet. Copperheads are very beautiful snakes. Moccasins, not so much. (Message edited by Blake on February 23, 2011) | ||
| Fast1075 |
Thank you Blake. My mentors must have been mistaken about the snakes. (edited) Ahh...same genus, different species...but several confusing name references such as "highland moccasin" and of course my education came from old timers when I was a youngster and THAT was some time ago. I have seen my uncles smack moccasins with a push pole to keep them out of the pirough we were in headed to a favorite fishing hole when I was visiting in Lousiana... Here in Florida we have quite a few non native species that are doing quite well in addition to the normal rattlesnakes, moccasins and coral snakes (plus of course many harmless species)...python (and other large constrictor) sightings are becoming commonplace, as are the disappearance of small pets.... (Message edited by fast1075 on February 23, 2011) (Message edited by fast1075 on February 23, 2011) |
