View Full Version : What am I?
Kyobanim
08-20-2005, 05:18
Identify this snake.
Location of picture - Central Florida, 100 feet from a creek
time - early morning
Snake moved in an exagerated S type movement, slightly sideways. Ask for more details. (I've adjusted the brightness on this picture to enhance the patterns)
NO GOOGLING!!
Looks similiar to a banded Water Snake or it could be a red Rat Snake.
both non-venomous
Kyobanim
08-20-2005, 07:09
6 feet from where the snake was found was a 6" rat, slightly convulsing with labored breathing
The Reaper
08-20-2005, 07:45
Head doesn't look large enough to be a pit viper, but based on your hints and ignoring the photo, I am going to guess a water moccassin.
TR
Cool thread. Snakes are my favourite predator.
On a tangent, when cooking a venomous snake to eat, do you remove the venom sacks or will the heat of the fire render the venom null?
Team Sergeant
08-20-2005, 08:16
I'm with TR and your picture sucks, get closer!!!! :cool:
Kyobanim
08-20-2005, 08:17
Cool thread. Snakes are my favourite predator.
On a tangent, when cooking a venomous snake to eat, do you remove the venom sacks or will the heat of the fire render the venom null?
That would depend on the snake. Moccasin meat is "poison" according to the manuals.
Ambush Master
08-20-2005, 08:19
With the exception of the Coral Snake, the eyes of all indigenous venemous snakes in the US have eliptical pupils (like a cat) and non-venemous are round. Can you get me a shot of it's eyes ?? :D
Kyobanim
08-20-2005, 08:20
I'm with TR and your picture sucks, get closer!!!! :cool:
Granted, the angle of the shot isn't the best but then again, getting closer to this thing didn't look to be in my best interest.
Team Sergeant
08-20-2005, 08:33
Granted, the angle of the shot isn't the best but then again, getting closer to this thing didn't look to be in my best interest.
We didn't say anything concerning your best interest, now get out there and show that snake who's boss!!!!!! :D
alphamale
08-20-2005, 08:33
With the exception of the Coral Snake, the eyes of all indigenous venemous snakes in the US have eliptical pupils (like a cat) and non-venemous are round. WOW !!
Didn't know that Ambush !! Thanks!
(Didn't know that because we femme's are made of sugar and spice and everything nice :) .... and you XY's, well, you know how the saying goes...)
FrontSight
That would depend on the snake. Moccasin meat is "poison" according to the manuals.
Interesting.
Having no snakes here, I find it difficult to go out, catch, cook and find out which snakes will kill me after death. ;)
Bill Harsey
08-20-2005, 08:42
WOW !!
Didn't know that Ambush !! Thanks!
(Didn't know that because we femme's are made of sugar and spice and everything nice :) .... and you XY's, well, you know how the saying goes...)
FrontSight
Puppy Dog tails???
I can't ID the snake. Get the macro lens out.
Team Sergeant
08-20-2005, 08:47
I can't ID the snake. Get the macro lens out.
See, Bill can't see it either!
Just think KYO, if he's already bit the rat he's probably out of venom…….. (if you’re having a hard time thinking like a real redneck we’ll help you! :munchin )
Kyobanim
08-20-2005, 09:10
Okay, so I suck at photography. Normally I take a pretty good picture but snakes scare the shit out of me. I had no intentions of getting any closer to the bastard.
I'm 80% sure of the identity. When I kill the bastard and cut off its head I'll know for sure.
Kudos to Dan. Banded water snake. This one is usually confused with the cotton mouth. The body shapes are the same, that's what threw me initially. The head is also slightly triangle shaped. The rat was most likely constricted, as this snake is non-venomous. That would jive with the labored breathing and such.
This is what he looked like to me at 630 this morning. Very similar to a cotton mouth. I have killed a couple of those around the house.
Peregrino
08-20-2005, 09:16
I'm with the TS & TR - get closer and use some of those expensive photo skills to get a better picture. My vote is Coral Snake based on what I can distinguish of the color stripes and head shape. Red & black, venom lack; red & yellow, kill a fellow. The next best guess is Dan's, simply because most coral snakes I've seen aren't that dark (your picture ****s :D ). My .02 - Peregrino
ETA: That's what I get for typing so slow - and going with a color enhanced photo. :rolleyes: Maybe that's why lawyers get so excited about not having the negatives for the court cases.
Ambush Master
08-20-2005, 09:21
Okay, so I suck at photography. Normally I take a pretty good picture but snakes scare the shit out of me. I had no intentions of getting any closer to the bastard.
I'm 80% sure of the identity. When I kill the bastard and cut off its head I'll know for sure.
Kudos to Dan. Banded water snake. This one is usually confused with the cotton mouth. The body shapes are the same, that's what threw me initially. The head is also slightly triangle shaped. The rat was most likely constricted, as this snake is non-venomous. That would jive with the labored breathing and such.
This is what he looked like to me at 630 this morning. Very similar to a cotton mouth. I have killed a couple of those around the house.
He's a constrictor, the rat had probably been near death when you scared the snake and he let it go. That last pic clearly shows the Round Pupils !! Leave it alone, he'll keep the rodents in check and keep other snakes away !!
The Reaper
08-20-2005, 09:42
AM:
I know about the eye shape technique as well, but that requires getting too close to the business end of the snake.
Huey, just go over to Australia, they have a great selection.
The latest pic shows a non-poisonous head shape. If you see one and he opens his mouth, and it is white, that is definitely a moccasin.
Way too fat for a coral snake.
I did see a great show on either NG or the Discovery Channel this week with some guys looking for a Loch Ness type monster in a lake in the Congo.
They ran across a Gaboon Viper with a head the size of a large fist, and it was so well camoflaged, if it was not moving, you cound not see it at arms length, knowing where it was. Huge fangs, but appeared relatively passive. Very impressive.
TR
alphamale
08-20-2005, 09:45
Geez, Kyobanim !!!! That last pic was WAYYYYYYYYYYY TOO CLOSE !!!
ICK !!! I'd be screamin' my head off.
FrontSight
Kyobanim
08-20-2005, 09:54
The last pic wasn't mine. I found that one. I'd never get that close to a snake unless his head was separated from the body. :eek:
The Reaper
08-20-2005, 10:03
Geez, Kyobanim !!!! That last pic was WAYYYYYYYYYYY TOO CLOSE !!!
ICK !!! I'd be screamin' my head off.
FrontSight
I thought that was normal behavior for you?
TR
Team Sergeant
08-20-2005, 12:24
Geez, Kyobanim !!!! That last pic was WAYYYYYYYYYYY TOO CLOSE !!!
ICK !!! I'd be screamin' my head off.
FrontSight
Meet my little friend......
Yes this is the Team Sergeant holding the snakes head. I'm very afraid of snakes, not.
Oh and this guy was captured wild, in the jungle.
Kyo, tell me you're not going to kill the best pest control device known to man?????? :rolleyes:
Spartan359
08-20-2005, 13:18
AM: They ran across a Gaboon Viper with a head the size of a large fist, and it was so well camoflaged, if it was not moving, you cound not see it at arms length, knowing where it was. Huge fangs, but appeared relatively passive. Very impressive.
TR
I just googled that snake and damn! That thing is huge! :eek:
fusion94
08-20-2005, 15:36
Gaboon Vipers are very cool snakes. They for the most part are relatively placid but are still really dangerous as while they seem slow moving they are some of the fastest strikers around. They also have some of the longest fangs at up to 2" in length and prefer to "hang onto" their dinner. I was working on a project for the California Academy of Sciences a few years ago and got to handle one. They are very beautiful snakes IMO.
Like TS snakes don't bother me, that said, spiders scare the crap out of me. I really wish I knew why.
Like TS snakes don't bother me, that said, spiders scare the crap out of me. I really wish I knew why.
Nice pics of the snakes...even though they scare the bejezus out of me. TS, how big was that snake?
Long ago I had a roommate who was a body builder/tough guy type. He'd scream for me like a little girl when he'd find a spider in his bedroom. :D If they were small enough I'd smash them with my fist...just to really freak him out. :p
CoLawman
08-20-2005, 22:30
Well I want to be a part of this very unscientific poll!
There is no photograph of me holding a snake. There is no picture of me in the vicinity of a snake. There is not a snake fast enough to keep up with me as I run from said snake during a photo op!
For the life of me I do not understand how people can touch those things!
Now spiders and bugs don't bother me! But Snakes....I even gets chills when I turn a page of a book and unexpectedly see one!
And a little secret......I didn't even enlarge those pics posted by TS and others!
Okay back to my little world of being a really really brave tough guy! :p
Snakes to me are the most fascinating animals on the planet. The size to deadlyness ratio on some of them is staggering.
There's a guy, a Saffie (South African) who hunts them out and takes photos of them from less than a metre away...including King Cobras and Black Mambas. Ballsy guy, name's Austin someone.
He's like the Steve Irwin of snakes, but much much less of a wanker. I hate Irwin (but that's another thread).
Team Sergeant
08-21-2005, 06:55
Nice pics of the snakes...even though they scare the bejezus out of me. TS, how big was that snake?
I think it was like 33 feet long.... :D
Trust me, some of the guys in the platoon thought so!
10 feet maybe???
TS
I did see a great show on either NG or the Discovery Channel this week with some guys looking for a Loch Ness type monster in a lake in the Congo. TR
I saw that show. That snake was something else. The first shot of it in the trail showed how hard it was to see it in the leaf litter. On the move all day, wore out, a touch dehydrated and you could step on one of them real easy.
A Black Mamba was discovered under one of the cots on one of our trips to Africa. Andy Anderson (aren't they all Andy, I knew at least four of them) dragged it out and held it up for all to see. The locals were impressed but stood well back. The snake was quickly dispatched set upon the fire to grill and small pieces passed around for one and all. After one of the Scouts ate a piece the other locals quickly downed their's. All agreed that it was OK.
There are also no pictures of me holding a living snake. I only pick up snakes when they are dead and gone. And at that time, after some cooking they go well with some salt and pepper.
Bill Harsey
08-21-2005, 22:08
I saw that show. That snake was something else. The first shot of it in the trail showed how hard it was to see it in the leaf litter. On the move all day, wore out, a touch dehydrated and you could step on one of them real easy.
A Black Mamba was discovered under one of the cots on one of our trips to Africa. Andy Anderson (aren't they all Andy, I knew at least four of them) dragged it out and held it up for all to see. The locals were impressed but stood well back. The snake was quickly dispatched set upon the fire to grill and small pieces passed around for one and all. After one of the Scouts ate a piece the other locals quickly downed their's. All agreed that it was OK.
There are also no pictures of me holding a living snake. I only pick up snakes when they are dead and gone. And at that time, after some cooking they go well with some salt and pepper.
Pete, Great snake story. My 15 year old daughter was standing right behind me reading this as I did.
She said in reference to Andy in the above text and I quote, "Don't these guys
have to pass an IQ test or something?"
LOL, (at least me...)
Airbornelawyer
08-22-2005, 11:00
Okay, so I suck at photography. Normally I take a pretty good picture but snakes scare the shit out of me. I had no intentions of getting any closer to the bastard.
I'm 80% sure of the identity. When I kill the bastard and cut off its head I'll know for sure.
Kudos to Dan. Banded water snake. This one is usually confused with the cotton mouth. The body shapes are the same, that's what threw me initially. The head is also slightly triangle shaped. The rat was most likely constricted, as this snake is non-venomous. That would jive with the labored breathing and such.
This is what he looked like to me at 630 this morning. Very similar to a cotton mouth. I have killed a couple of those around the house.
Why would you kill it?
Banded water snakes are harmless to humans. And are you sure the rat's death wasn't a coincidence? Banded water snakes don't generally eat rats; they prefer water-dwelling food like fish, frogs and crawdads.
Also, how big was the one you saw? From the coloring of the bands, I'd say it was little more than a baby. Baby-killer! :cool:
I grew up in Florida. Florida is great for snakes; we've got both tropical and temperate climate ones. There is no reason but irrational fear or sadism to kill a snake that isn't harmful to humans, and many reasons not to (the most important being pest, especially rodent, control). Kill a rabbit before you kill a snake; rabbits are far more of a pest. Note that this isn't coming from sentimental snake-love: kill any rattler, water mocassin, cottonmouth or coral snake you come across.
The Reaper
08-22-2005, 20:08
kill any rattler, water mocassin, cottonmouth or coral snake you come across.
Isn't a water moccasin and a cottonmouth the same snake?
TR
CoLawman
08-22-2005, 20:24
Isn't a water moccasin and a cottonmouth the same snake?
TR
Yep!
Airbornelawyer
08-22-2005, 20:30
You're right. Copperhead was the other "C" one I meant.
ghuinness
08-22-2005, 21:45
Why would you kill it?
Banded water snakes are harmless to humans. And are you sure the rat's death wasn't a coincidence? Banded water snakes don't generally eat rats; they prefer water-dwelling food like fish, frogs and crawdads.
Also, how big was the one you saw? From the coloring of the bands, I'd say it was little more than a baby. Baby-killer! :cool:
I grew up in Florida. Florida is great for snakes; we've got both tropical and temperate climate ones. There is no reason but irrational fear or sadism to kill a snake that isn't harmful to humans, and many reasons not to (the most important being pest, especially rodent, control). Kill a rabbit before you kill a snake; rabbits are far more of a pest. Note that this isn't coming from sentimental snake-love: kill any rattler, water mocassin, cottonmouth or coral snake you come across.
Agree with you. We picked up some rat snakes for the farm because poison just wasn't working.
The snakes are now 6' long and very happy :D. I hate rats.
Banded water snake - that must have been what I disturbed the other day. Reddish-brown and yellow bands. He wouldn't go away; had to poke him with a longeing whip.
Roguish Lawyer
08-23-2005, 10:55
K-
Your pictures suck. Not only is it hard to see the eyes, but you need one from above or some other angle where you can see the shape of the head.
Kyobanim
08-23-2005, 12:05
Next time I'll ask the fooking snake to pose :p
Isn't a water moccasin and a cottonmouth the same snake?
Its worth killing twice.
Jack Moroney (RIP)
08-23-2005, 14:32
K-
Your pictures suck. Not only is it hard to see the eyes, but you need one from above or some other angle where you can see the shape of the head.
Come on RL, tell us how you really feel about his photographic ability. Seems that I recall an event with a video cam not to long ago that produced mixed results, but then I am getting old and am probably confusing that episode with someone else :D
Roguish Lawyer
08-23-2005, 15:41
Come on RL, tell us how you really feel about his photographic ability. Seems that I recall an event with a video cam not to long ago that produced mixed results, but then I am getting old and am probably confusing that episode with someone else :D
And no one gave me a hard time about it either.
No one complained about the still photos I took -- those are easy compared to 24-hour digital recording to a hard drive! :lifter
Brother Rat
08-23-2005, 21:32
While we're all posting photos and stories of snakes, I caught this one that my mom found in her garden. Little baby copperhead. :lifter
[img=http://img400.imageshack.us/img400/5642/10001879ft.th.jpg] (http://img400.imageshack.us/my.php?image=10001879ft.jpg)
Take Care,
BR