¡Snek!

[TwiceHorn 31987]

Nerodia, I hope, on the mtb trail.  Either that or me and a moc had a little tete a tete.

 

[4th and 5 4997]

Plain bellied water snake 

[TwiceHorn 31987]

Most of the time when I see a snek, it's scurrying off away from me about as fast as it can go.  Sometimes on a parallel path, but diverging.

Two or three times now I have encountered a snek (the above nerodia and what I believe to have been a rat snek) stretched out across the trail and going nowhere on my approach and taking quite a bit of coaxing to get moving.  All of these have been when it's pretty hot, so cold lethargy not really an explanation.  No evidence of injury.

The copperheads, which I see most frequently, tend not to do this.  If they don't haul ass on approach, they will with some dirt or a stick tossed toward them.  Which is nice, because I wouldn't want to have to go around them like I did Mr. Nerodia.

Is there some explanation I'm not thinking of?

 

Edited June 28, 2020 by TwiceHorn

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

I think some species are very reliant on camouflage and rather than take their chances fleeing a potential predator decide to stay still in the hope not be scene. That’s my guess. I am obviously anthropomorphizing a bit.

[Braff Zacklin 13675]

Could be the snake had just eaten and is using the radiant warmth to expedite digestion.

Quote

This is one of the most important factors that affect the digestive process in snakes. Their internal body temperature is affected by the atmospheric temperature, and they require warm temperature for proper digestion. This is the reason why snakes are found basking in the Sun after having a very large meal. Another technique is to coil up the body to conserve heat. It is said that a temperature range of 28 to 30°C (82 to 86°F) is ideal for digestion in snakes. Sometimes, the snake may expel the swallowed prey, if the temperature is very low. It has been observed that a considerable drop in temperature may be the reason for fasting, practiced by some snakes from late fall to early spring.

https://animalsake.com/how-snakes-digest-their-food

[hullabelew 3730]

Copperhead loses.

[Buzzrock 15115]

That’s badass Hulla.

Neighbor’s boa shed:

[Dbeasy 15526]

King snake? Where?

[Pescado_Rojo 19558]

13 minutes ago, Buzzrock said:

That’s badass Hulla.

Neighbor’s boa shed:

Where'd that guy get one of my condoms? 

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

Copperhead loses.

Fuck yeah

[hullabelew 3730]

King snake? Where?

Yep. King snake in Atlanta suburb.

[Braff Zacklin 13675]

That is bad ass, @hullabelew.

King snake isn't gonna need to eat for months--that copperhead looks at least as big as it!

[TwiceHorn 31987]

18 minutes ago, Braff Zacklin said:

That is bad ass, @hullabelew.

King snake isn't gonna need to eat for months--that copperhead looks at least as big as it!

Which prompts a question.  How does snek eat snek of near-equal length?  Have mom cut it into pieces?

[HOOKEM4 5151]

This is a complete csb, but I had a badass picture on a game cam from one of the RANCH water troughs. It was a giant coachwhip. The water trough is 6' long and the snake was laying on the rim almost the entire length with another foot in the water drinking/chilling. It was by far the biggest coachwhip I have seen. There are several I have seen but shit this thing was awesome. I assumed nobody would delete the pictures after I told them to save them and let them go through the rest of the pictures. Alas, I have a wife and we have a stupid shit wives do thread for a reason.

Edited June 29, 2020 by HOOKEM4

[Buzzrock 15115]

Which prompts a question.  How does snek eat snek of near-equal length?  Have mom cut it into pieces?

Stretchy snek?

[TwiceHorn 31987]

Welp, saw a rough green scampering off the trail on today's ride and thought of Swayze.  The more usual snek encounter for me.

I am on pretty high alert for snek these days since I have come across two that I could have run over stretched out and immobile on the trail.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

Welp, saw a rough green scampering off the trail on today's ride and thought of Swayze.  The more usual snek encounter for me.
I am on pretty high alert for snek these days since I have come across two that I could have run over stretched out and immobile on the trail.

Nice!

I always think they are cool to see. The vibrant green makes seem like something from the tropics.

[TwiceHorn 31987]

First time I saw a rough green I thought it was a green mamba or something.

I see a lot more lizards in daily life.  Quite a number of spiny lizards on the limestone-y trails with cedar, as well as horned lizards.  Also a lot of anoles around the house.  The anoles have a habit of getting on the car, in the cowl I think, and making their presence known as I am going down the street, on the windshield.  Sometimes they just jump or are blown off.  Once I stopped to disembark my passenger and he bit me.  DIdn't hurt much, but was kind of surprising and it made it difficult to deposit him on land.

Like most of the snek, the lizards are usually scurrying away from me at pretty high speed.

Edited June 30, 2020 by TwiceHorn

[retsevlys 408]

Caught while jugging a couple weekends ago.

 

Edited July 2, 2020 by retsevlys

[thunderlounge 8318]

56 minutes ago, retsevlys said:

Caught while jugging

 

Oh, you're one of them types...

 

[SimonBolivar 11031]

On 6/29/2020 at 10:37 PM, Patricio Swayze said:

Nice!

I always think they are cool to see. The vibrant green makes seem like something from the tropics.

That's usually the problem. I've only seen 2 in the last couple of years because their camo is usually so on point. One happened to be swaying a bit odd on a bush and the 2nd was somehow spotted by the dog about 20 ft away that was perfectly in tune with it's surrondings. Luckily I enventually saw it and kept the dog away or else it would've been a quick trophy kill for him.

[Samson's Wig 3222]

Kid (around 14) on the block was bitten on the foot by a coral snake last night.  Ambulance hauled him off around 9:30.  Was given antivenin and last word from his mom he's on his way to ICU for intubation and ventilator. Tons of kiddos on this block.  Also tons of copperheads and corals.  Scary shit.

[Jerry Callo 8952]

45 minutes ago, Samson's Wig said:

Kid (around 14) on the block was bitten on the foot by a coral snake last night.  Ambulance hauled him off around 9:30.  Was given antivenin and last word from his mom he's on his way to ICU for intubation and ventilator. Tons of kiddos on this block.  Also tons of copperheads and corals.  Scary shit.

Scary yes, but I don't think any person has died of a coral snake bite in Texas since the development of the antivenin.  I hope the ICU stuff is just a precaution.

[smwhorn 484]

3 hours ago, Samson's Wig said:

Kid (around 14) on the block was bitten on the foot by a coral snake last night.  Ambulance hauled him off around 9:30.  Was given antivenin and last word from his mom he's on his way to ICU for intubation and ventilator. Tons of kiddos on this block.  Also tons of copperheads and corals.  Scary shit.

First I've heard of a coral bite in a long time.  Copperhead, well, no.  Hope he's ok.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

Interesting day today.  I went to the Katy Prairie hoping to see a few snakes and birds.  First I came up on a ringneck crossing the dirty road.  Only my second I have seen, I took a few quick pics and put him in the ditch he was headed towards.

Then I came upon a Red-Tailed Hawk on the ground eating something.  He let me get pretty close but I couldn't see what it was.  A truck drove by and scared him off, so I went to take a look, sure enough, it was a snake.  But I was bummed because it was a Prairie Kingsnake and I have yet to catch one to take photos of.  I am thinking it got hit by a car and the hawk took advantage of that.  I drove down the road to give him some time to come back to his meal.  When I came back he was munching away.

I also saw this freshly run over ribbon snake. 

I love this one mile stretch of road.  So far 8 species just cruising it.  Should be a lot of action in the fall and spring.

 

[4th and 5 4997]

California king tearing up some baby birds. There’s 4. She got a few pinned underneath her.

She ate them all and was looking for more.  
 

 

[3shot 139]

On 7/2/2020 at 1:07 PM, Samson's Wig said:

Kid (around 14) on the block was bitten on the foot by a coral snake last night.  Ambulance hauled him off around 9:30.  Was given antivenin and last word from his mom he's on his way to ICU for intubation and ventilator.

Do you know how the kid is doing?  

[Samson's Wig 3222]

13 hours ago, 3shot said:

Do you know how the kid is doing?  

He's recovering well, thank goodness.  Was only in ICU for a couple of days, back home now.  Won't be walking anywhere anytime soon, but he's still got his leg. 

The following morning we gathered the men on the block and had a snake hunt (all catch and release) in their yard and the yards along their side of the street which back up to a large green belt.  We rounded up 8 copperheads, 5 corals, 0 rattlers.  A couple of big ass rat snakes watched our work from the trees, laughing to themselves I'm sure. 

I wish there was a way to get rid of cicadas, which would send the copperheads elsewhere most likely.  I don't know what the corals are feeding on.  The ratters are after birds eggs and I guess squirrels.  Happy to have them around, especially if they eliminate the squirrels.  

[TwiceHorn 31987]

2 minutes ago, Samson's Wig said:

He's recovering well, thank goodness.  Was only in ICU for a couple of days, back home now.  Won't be walking anywhere anytime soon, but he's still got his leg. 

The following morning we gathered the men on the block and had a snake hunt (all catch and release) in their yard and the yards along their side of the street which back up to a large green belt.  We rounded up 8 copperheads, 5 corals, 0 rattlers.  A couple of big ass rat snakes watched our work from the trees, laughing to themselves I'm sure. 

I wish there was a way to get rid of cicadas, which would send the copperheads elsewhere most likely.  I don't know what the corals are feeding on.  The ratters are after birds eggs and I guess squirrels.  Happy to have them around, especially if they eliminate the squirrels.  

Must be a good-sized yard.  Kudos on the catch and release.

I was of the impression that a coral snake had trouble injecting venom on a human bite, where they tend to get knocked off pretty quick.  Also understand that it doesn't take much.

[Samson's Wig 3222]

5 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Must be a good-sized yard.  Kudos on the catch and release.

I was of the impression that a coral snake had trouble injecting venom on a human bite, where they tend to get knocked off pretty quick.  Also understand that it doesn't take much.

That was in a combined 7 yards along that side of the block.   We went ahead and searched them all.  Probably missed a few, but they all back up to large forested area.

I think, based on the amount of antivenin and how long he was in ICU, that it must have been a relatively small dose of venom.  His mom showed my a pic of the marks on his leg and the venom made it about halfway up his thigh from his foot, so that caused a lot of concern.  In the end they didn't have to cut him open to drain anything so it could have been much worse.  He's also a teenager, so his insistence that it was a coral snake could be wrong (hell anyone at any age might see ghosts in that scenario I suppose) and it could have been a copperhead.  There were plenty of both around, and we did nab one rather large and uncharacteristically aggressive copperhead.

[TwiceHorn 31987]

5 minutes ago, Samson's Wig said:

That was in a combined 7 yards along that side of the block.   We went ahead and searched them all.  Probably missed a few, but they all back up to large forested area.

I think, based on the amount of antivenin and how long he was in ICU, that it must have been a relatively small dose of venom.  His mom showed my a pic of the marks on his leg and the venom made it about halfway up his thigh from his foot, so that caused a lot of concern.  In the end they didn't have to cut him open to drain anything so it could have been much worse.  He's also a teenager, so his insistence that it was a coral snake could be wrong (hell anyone at any age might see ghosts in that scenario I suppose) and it could have been a copperhead.  There were plenty of both around, and we did nab one rather large and uncharacteristically aggressive copperhead.

Well if it was coral snake antivenin, then I guess it was a coral snake.  The venoms of coral snakes and pit vipers are very different, as are the antivenins.

I could be wrong, but I don't think coral snake venom causes the kind of swelling and necrosis that pit viper does.  But I also understand that about half the danger from a viper bite, with the punctures, is simply infection.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

He's recovering well, thank goodness.  Was only in ICU for a couple of days, back home now.  Won't be walking anywhere anytime soon, but he's still got his leg. 
The following morning we gathered the men on the block and had a snake hunt (all catch and release) in their yard and the yards along their side of the street which back up to a large green belt.  We rounded up 8 copperheads, 5 corals, 0 rattlers.  A couple of big ass rat snakes watched our work from the trees, laughing to themselves I'm sure. 
I wish there was a way to get rid of cicadas, which would send the copperheads elsewhere most likely.  I don't know what the corals are feeding on.  The ratters are after birds eggs and I guess squirrels.  Happy to have them around, especially if they eliminate the squirrels.  

Awesome that y’all did catch and release. Especially after a bite. So it is appropriate you said “men”.

I imagine the coral snakes are eating lizards and frogs.

[TwiceHorn 31987]

Also raises the question, how did you capture them and what did you put them in in order to relocate?

I have to confess that I would probably be a bit reluctant to grab a good-sized, pissed off copperhead.  They quick.

[Samson's Wig 3222]

9 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

Awesome that y’all did catch and release. Especially after a bite. So it is appropriate you said “men”.

I imagine the coral snakes are eating lizards and frogs.

That makes sense.  We have a ton of lizards up here.    

We have one guy on the block that will kill any venomous snake he sees, but as the rest of us don't agree with that approach he stayed inside while we dealt with it.   For those who live up in the River Place area outside of Austin, don't worry we dumped the entire bucket of death right next to your 'hood.

[Samson's Wig 3222]

2 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

Also raises the question, how did you capture them and what did you put them in in order to relocate?

I have to confess that I would probably be a bit reluctant to grab a good-sized, pissed off copperhead.  They quick.

We get so many snakes up here that most of us have snake handling tools (the ones with the grabber arm on a four foot pole).  I'm not as tough as Swayze and wouldn't reach down and grab them with my hands.    We had a "death bucket" that we put them all in, just a 5 gallon plastic bucket with a lid.  They all calmed down quickly after going in.  I didn't go on the journey for the release (it wasn't really at River Place in case anyone took that seriously earlier).  Lots of undeveloped land in this are so I assume somewhere in the woods out there.

[TwiceHorn 31987]

Hell, even that chonky nerodia I posted on the MTB thread, who was moving slow af otherwise, was pretty dang quick when he decided to strike.

If I had tried to grab him with gloves, I would have gone slow and he would have ended up with a mouthful of me.

[msucolt45 4213]

No dry aquariums for household enjoyment?

[msucolt45 4213]

JK - that’s torture to a reptile that needs to move about and live. If they’re poisonous- they have got to go, by any means/measures, especially inside a residential area with kids.

[4th and 5 4997]

4 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Well if it was coral snake antivenin, then I guess it was a coral snake.  The venoms of coral snakes and pit vipers are very different, as are the antivenins.

I could be wrong, but I don't think coral snake venom causes the kind of swelling and necrosis that pit viper does.  But I also understand that about half the danger from a viper bite, with the punctures, is simply infection.

Pit vipers are hemotoxic, coral snakes (elapids) are neurotoxic.

 

4 hours ago, Patricio Swayze said:

Awesome that y’all did catch and release. Especially after a bite. So it is appropriate you said “men”.

I imagine the coral snakes are eating lizards and frogs.

Lizards of all types (anoles, skinks, spiny lizards) frogs and toads, and they also eat other snakes frequently. Baby mammals and birds as well.

[HOOKEM4 5151]

On 7/9/2020 at 6:58 PM, msucolt45 said:

JK - that’s torture to a reptile that needs to move about and live. If they’re poisonous- they have got to go, by any means/measures, especially inside a residential area with kids.

I hate poisonous snakes. Much deadlier than venomous.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

Saw a couple of ribbon snakes and one of the largest Texas Rat Snakes I have ever seen while driving around the Katy prairie today. He got away from me and quickly climbed a tree.

[Zepol87 9308]

Friend got bit today up by in Plano walking around the neighborhood. Scary shiy but so far seems like a dry bite after some blood tests


Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

Did she step on it or what?

[Jerry Callo 8952]

I can't imagine the scenario where he gets bit on the outside of his right foot and inside of left leg.

[thunderlounge 8318]

44 minutes ago, Jerry Callo said:

I can't imagine the scenario where he gets bit on the outside of his right foot and inside of left leg.

Not really that difficult. Snek attacks from the right, perpendicular. nails outside right and inside left in two, quicker than you know what just happened, strikes.

 

[Reagan1k 3040]

I didn’t think that there was any coral snake anti-venom available in the U.S.anymore?  I know it quit being made many years ago and they kept extending the usability of current stock past the expiration date but I think even that finally played out. Maybe it still hasn’t been totally exhausted. 

Can’t recall the specifics but I think there have been something like fewer than 5 total deaths by coral bites in the last 50 years combined (in the US). 

Very rarely fatal even without anti-venom but that’s like calling a heart attack minor - easy for the doc to say. 

Whatever bit him, I hope he’s OK.

My 1st cousin’s daughter got tagged by a copperhead 3-4 weeks ago.  Lot of swelling and painful but the docs did not resort to anti-venom.  As is normal with copperheads, she was walking around some trees at dusk.  No doubt snake was there for the cicada buffet. 

 

[Jerry Callo 8952]

Not really that difficult. Snek attacks from the right, perpendicular. nails outside right and inside left in two, quicker than you know what just happened, strikes.
 

No, I don't think that's it. I think he stepped on the snake with right foot about halfway down the snake; snake moving from right to left, but not quite perpendicular - slightly askew; snake his left ankle mid-step and then spins around over the top of the right foot.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

Edited July 13, 2020 by Patricio Swayze

[Zepol87 9308]

16 hours ago, Patricio Swayze said:

Did she step on it or what?

Not sure she said it didn't even hurt that bad for about 30 seconds then a fuck ton of pain and looked down an saw blood. Foot is swollen and hurts with any pressure on it but Dr said thats the worst of it 

[thunderlounge 8318]

11 hours ago, Jerry Callo said:

20 hours ago, thunderlounge said:

Not really that difficult. Snek attacks from the right, perpendicular. nails outside right and inside left in two, quicker than you know what just happened, strikes.
 

No, I don't think that's it. I think he stepped on the snake with right foot about halfway down the snake; snake moving from right to left, but not quite perpendicular - slightly askew; snake his left ankle mid-step and then spins around over the top of the right foot.

 

Also plausible.