One Story…
in 14 years of Florida hiking and kayaking. I’ve seen the major players concerned, the rattlers, moccasins, and coral snakes.
Hiking in the Apalachins I’ve seen the copperhead.
Just like the alligators, treat them with respect, and keep your distance.
One of my friends, an older retired judge, went to investigate when a fisherman asked him if he could identify a water moccasin. The judge paddled over and asked the man where it was…as the current moved him toward the horizontal tree.
“About a foot from your head.” replies the fisherman.
As he hastily paddled away, the Judge asked me, “Tom, did you see that moccasin?”
Sure did, Judge, just didn’t need to see it that close.
could be. Or the trail of poo I left!
Good story!
We don’t need to be asking them questions! One correction though, from what I’ve read, the poisonous ones are not in trees. But poisonous or not, I don’t want a snake falling into my boat.
Actually, the may see yellow as
a different color. The eyes are not well developed for color reception, they see it but not to the depth we and other mammals do. Yellow may not appear yellow as they tend to block out yellow to protect against UV.
With adult snakes, it may not be the
venom that gets you but the bacteria on the fangs. Many times, the most serious conditions caused by snake bite have to do with infection. Adults don’t use as much venom when biting. In that regard, young snakes are more dangerous.
I may never go kayaking
again! Just kidding! Wild horses and venomous snakes couldn’t keep me out of the water.
When did you see the snake?
Most this time of the year are huddled up trying to stay warm. Metabolism is almost nil. That’s especially true in your part of NC. They may come out on warm days, but once the temps get into the 50’s, you rarely see a snake. Probably, there’s more potential for an encounter where you launch and retrieve.
I saw him in November.
If I remember correctly, it was the day before Thanksgiving. Our temperatures that day were approaching the 70’s. I remember I had on a long sleeve t-shirt and was thinking that I’d overdressed. With those temperatures, snakes could still be active.
there are not two legitimate camps…
there are those of us that work with them and understand where they fit in the big scheme of things…and those that are basing knowledge on myth, superstition, and ignorance of snakes.
Are you sure that you are not looking for opinions that support your view of snakes? Seriously. You do not look like food in the least… let them be.
you were attacked… sure you were…
Joemess — quite right
I do like your take on all of his. …come to think of it, of the numerous times I have been bitten (all non-poisonous), I always had a hand FIRMLY GRASPING the snake …just not well enough placed to avoid the old “swing-around-and-chomp.”
By the way, should you get bitten, first - you likely deserved it, second - squeeze like crazy, the anticoagulant in many snakes makes it bleed really well (impresses people) and it cleans out the cut. I know of no one who got infected from the many bites I’ve seen.
Looking at a statistical study of rattlesnake bite deaths in the U.S. — Over 90% of deaths — male, ages 18-25; drunk at time of bite (the male, not the snake); in contact with the snake for over ½ hour … in other words “he was play’in with it and it upped en bit’em”.
I like snakes…especially
when I have my 12ga. The myth about a rattle snake “rattling” before a strike is bull. My sister was on Lake Folsom (near Sacramento) a few years back and was struck by a large rattler on her thigh…no rattle and he tried a second bite, but missed. She spent 2 days in the hospital (where she works) and it took a year or so for her to completely heal. He leg by day 5 looked like a over ripe banana in color.
We own mt. property on the south fork of the Kaweah River (central cal.) and have lost 2 dogs to bites and have had 3 others bitten with a $800.-$1000. vet bill each time. Nasty critters.
ahhh, spoke like a true…
…well this is the nice board so I will not say “pinhead”
No reason to kill them.
When I was a Kid…
…you couldn’t keep me away from snakes. Today the give me the willies/
It is best to carry a lucky rabbit’s foot - better yet, four.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E_SxwbotS0
cottonmouths surface swim…
– Last Updated: Jan-24-08 10:51 PM EST –
watersnakes swim with a submerged body. I have watched this myself several times. I also spent 10 minutes on a log at the buffalo river with a cottonmouth right behind me. Had plenty of chance to bite.....and didn't even strike when I got close for pictures.....just showed the white open mouth.
Excerpt below:
Within their range, cottonmouths have a reputation as being aggressive snakes. However, in tests designed to measure the suite of behavioral responses by free-ranging cottonmouths to encounters with humans, 51 percent of the test subjects tried to escape and 78 percent used threat displays or other defensive tactics. Only when the snakes were picked up with a mechanical hand were they likely to bite. [8]
A. p. conanti (Florida Cottonmouth), swimming. Unlike non-venomous species, much of the body floats above the surface (found in over 12 U.S. states).
In addition, many of the snakes that did bite did not inject venom. Such a "dry" bite could also be another, more serious threat display. Unlike most snakes, including the copperhead, when startled the cottonmouth often will stand its ground and open its mouth ("gape" or "smile") to warn predators to stay away. That behavior is many times seen as aggressive, but if left alone they will leave.
These snakes are semi-aquatic, spending almost all their time close to permanent water sources. They swim with much of their bodies floating above the surface distinguishing them from water snakes, which tend to swim mostly below the surface, sometimes with their heads protruding.
That rabbit’s dynamite!
Better bring out the holy hand grenade!
Like people…
…I don’t hurt them anymore unless I’m in
immediate danger with no escape.
Which hasn’t happened yet.
I do have to admit, however, that copperheads and
rattlesnakes are quite tasty.
just once
My daughter has been bitten by rattlers so many times she cannot remember them all.
I’ve seen exactly 2 snakes in the wild.
One, a large rattler while hiking (he was more scared of me than me of him) and another smaller snake in the water.
I wanted a pic of him swimming so I grabbed his tail and pulled him to a better spot and the snake bit me!
My own fault! He was shedding and probably had really really itchy skin.
so you never know.
snakes and I have an arrangement
I stay away from them and they stay away from me-- occasionally find smaller non venemous ones in the shed I keep my kayak in—just shoo them out. Lucky for me I live in Maine and have no contact with the poisonous ones.
We’ve got a lot
For a long time after its discovery Galveston was called “Isla de Culebras” because of its snake population. Lots of water moccasins. I’ve seen many. I would be worried if I were swimming in water and a moccasin swam towards me, but in a boat it wouldn’t worry me too much. They really aren’t as aggressive as people say unless you catch them when they are about to shed. No beating of the snake with a paddle would be necessary, it it gets too close to comfort, you could just gently push it away with the paddle.