# SSSSSNAKES



## Andy (May 30, 2009)

This is a Cottonmouth, VENOMOUS DANGER DANGER!!!!






They're mostly confused with the Water Snake. (their colors and patterns resemble each others the most)

Northern Water Snake. (Non venomous)





Notice how different the heads are of the water snake vs the cottonmouth. Cottonmouths heads are more triangular vs the more oval of the water snake. Allthough some snakes will flatten out some when threatened making their heads more triangular (to mimick venomous snakes). Cottonmouths will swim with most of their body on top of water, like they're stuffed with styrofoam, water snakes swim more submerged. Cottonmouths have cat like pupils, water snakes pupils are round. Cottonmouths will have a pit between their eye and nostril on both sides of it's head, water snakes don't have pits. Sometimes, not always the cottonmouth will display with an open mouth when it feels threatened showing the "cotton" in it's mouth and will strike when threatened. Water snakes will generally try to run away rather than try to strike at you allthough they will strike. All snakes can strike 1/2 or more their body lenghth. And 85% of snake bites are on hands and forearms from people playing with or trying to catch snakes. So when in doubt back out....

PLEASE, take a little time and do some research to get familiar with snakes in your area. Atleast the venomous ones since there are fewer to remember. I'm by no means an expert on snakes, but just want to give some "peice of mind" info incase you or someone you're around has an encounter and you could possibly help them out..

:beer:


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## Zum (May 30, 2009)

I have all kinds of piece of mind,only 3 types of snakes here,all garder snakes,no poison


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## FishinsMyLife (May 30, 2009)

Hard to tell the difference to me so I give most of them a pass, unless little kids are around.


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## Captain Ahab (May 30, 2009)

And do not kill the snakes, even the venomous ones - they do far more good then harm in controlling pests and, even more important, are an important part of food chain 

Lots of snakes = VERY big bass. they make a great meal for a bass and make the bass get bigggggg!


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## Popeye (May 31, 2009)

I'll give them all a wide berth because I'm not wanting to get close enuff to see their pupils. I'm not gonna kill any of those that stay in the water, but if he tries to get in my boat... All bets are off, and I'm gonna have a new belt (or at least a new hat band)


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## poolie (May 31, 2009)

Captain Ahab said:


> And do not kill the snakes, even the venomous ones - they do far more good then harm in controlling pests and, even more important, are an important part of food chain
> 
> Lots of snakes = VERY big bass. they make a great meal for a bass and make the bass get bigggggg!



I totally agree. I don't particularly like snakes, but I know they serve an important role so I try and let them go their own way. Last year late evening my wife and I were out in the pool in the deep in and my wife says, what's that moving in the shallow end? A flipping three foot long water snake (like the second picture above) had come up from the woods for a swim. Honestly it was a little crowded in the pool for three of us but I managed to get it in the net and returned it to the woods never to be seen again. We have the neighborhood retention pond and a creek in the back part of the yard. Not sure why it wondered up to the pool. I find all kinds of strange critters in the skimmers.


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## nozzleman (May 31, 2009)

If they leave me alone, i'll leave them alone.


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## KMixson (May 31, 2009)

Captain Ahab said:


> And do not kill the snakes, even the venomous ones - they do far more good then harm in controlling pests and, even more important, are an important part of food chain
> 
> Lots of snakes = VERY big bass. they make a great meal for a bass and make the bass get bigggggg!



I agree. Birds also benefit from the snakes. I also agree that is is beneficial to learn what kinds of wildlife are in the the area you are going to be in. I wonder how the explorers treked into new territory not knowing if this little bug is deadly or this gigantic animal that looks like a maneater is harmless.


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## Andy (May 31, 2009)

KMixson said:


> I wonder how the explorers treked into new territory not knowing if this little bug is deadly or this gigantic animal that looks like a maneater is harmless.



I'd imagine they were kind of skiddish. LOL


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## Quackrstackr (Jun 1, 2009)

Cottonmouths are not a widely distributed species so the encounters with them are probably fairly rare in most places.

They are extremely plentiful in my area, however. The ones around here are also extremely aggressive. I have seen them charge boats and pedestrians unprovoked (sometimes from quite a distance) more times than I can count.






Cottonmouths get whacked, water snakes get a pass (unless they are trying to board the boat or climb up my leg). I know several people that have been nailed by unseen cottonmouths while fishing or working on duck blinds. It doesn't bother me in the least to lessen the population.


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## thudpucker (Jun 1, 2009)

Not all Moccasins are marked like that first photo. The ones I ran across in Louisiana are very dark and the surface dont reflect much light.

One other good marker between Poisonous and non-poisonous is the long shape of the body.
The Constrictors are long slender evenly taperd to the tail.
The Poisonous snakes are a thick body with a fairly short taper to the tail.
I have convinced my grandchildren to watch for Copperheads and smell for them too. Moccasins will almost smell as strong as a Skunk when you get close to him.


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## Andy (Jun 1, 2009)

thudpucker said:


> Not all Moccasins are marked like that first photo. The ones I ran across in Louisiana are very dark and the surface dont reflect much light.
> 
> One other good marker between Poisonous and non-poisonous is the long shape of the body.
> The Constrictors are long slender evenly taperd to the tail.
> ...



You are right about the colors being darker or lighter on some than in the pic I posted. Garter Snakes and Water Snakes are the only two non venomous snakes that I have experience with that will release a "musky" smell as a defence when threatened there may be more?. I'm pretty sure that if you're close enough to smell the snake, you're ALOT closer than you want to be.

COTTONMOUTH





I also want to add, In the Eastern U.S The VENOMOUS Coral Snake has ROUND pupils. VERY similar to the non venomous Red Milk Snake and Scarlet King Snake.
All other venomous snakes in the U.S will have "cat like" pupils. Easy way to remember the Coral Snake is.

Red next to black is a friend to Jack. Red next to yellow will kill a fellow.






Non venomous Red Milk Snake.


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## PavChaos (Jun 3, 2009)

red and black ..friendly jack, red and yellow .. deadly fellow  with that said I hope Im right hahaha would hate to be bitten by the wrong snake..

and WITH THAT said I just hate snakes period. Freak my out and make the hair on my neck stand up even when I see a small garden snake or something.


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## Cheeseball (Jun 9, 2009)

Personally, I never kill snakes poisonous or not. I've spent much of my time on this earth out in the wilds and have seen many snakes and have never seen a snake go out of its way to attack a human. But then again I've never seen a cottonmouth either. But still have to I meet such reports with much skepticism. 

Last week a neighbor of mine came up the street parading around a beheaded garter snake on her shovel. She was beaming like she slayed the devil herself. I just shook my head in disgust. Next week she will no doubt be complaining about other vermin invading "her property" due to the snakes absence.


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## Popeye (Jun 9, 2009)

Well I don't know what it's intentions were (as some snakes can't talk) but the snake (90% sure it was a cottonmouth) that kept trying to get in the boat with me and my buddy in Florida was very persistant in his endevors. We flipped him away with the paddle several times and he just came straight back and tried again. Not like we were in his "spot", as we were trolling the shore line. The only other time I've encountered a water moccasin was when we were cutting the grass at my Father-in-Law's place along the Guadalupe River in Texas and a 2 footer come chasing after my wife. He died of heavy metal poisoning from a mixture of copper and lead injected at about 1100 FPS.


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## Cheeseball (Jun 10, 2009)

Popeye said:


> Well I don't know what it's intentions were (as some snakes can't talk) but the snake (90% sure it was a cottonmouth) that kept trying to get in the boat with me and my buddy in Florida was very persistant in his endevors. We flipped him away with the paddle several times and he just came straight back and tried again. Not like we were in his "spot", as we were trolling the shore line. The only other time I've encountered a water moccasin was when we were cutting the grass at my Father-in-Law's place along the Guadalupe River in Texas and a 2 footer come chasing after my wife. He died of heavy metal poisoning from a mixture of copper and lead injected at about 1100 FPS.



Interesting... I've also heard that they have a nasty habit of falling out of trees and into boats. Some say intentionally, some say they get startled and just happen to land in the boat.


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## BassAddict (Jun 10, 2009)

Quackrstackr said:


> Cottonmouths are not a widely distributed species so the encounters with them are probably fairly rare in most places.
> 
> They are extremely plentiful in my area, however. The ones around here are also extremely aggressive. I have seen them charge boats and pedestrians unprovoked (sometimes from quite a distance) more times than I can count.
> 
> Cottonmouths get whacked, water snakes get a pass (unless they are trying to board the boat or climb up my leg). I know several people that have been nailed by unseen cottonmouths while fishing or working on duck blinds.





Same thing here but i have only heard of them chasing you if you are around their nests, if one should happen to be sunning itsself in the backyard where kate can be bit it will be killed


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## Quackrstackr (Jun 10, 2009)

Cheeseball said:


> I've spent much of my time on this earth out in the wilds and have seen many snakes and have never seen a snake go out of its way to attack a human. But then again I've never seen a cottonmouth either. But still have to I meet such reports with much skepticism.



If you are ever in western KY and want to experience it for yourself, look me up. I can arrange a confirmation for you within about 30 minutes. :lol: 

I live within a half hour of what is supposed by biologists to be the two highest concentrations of water moccassins in the US.


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