I went out to get a Zucchini today and a flash of bright orange over by the fence caught my eye. A few feet from it, I thought, OMG, it's a huge Corn Snake. I dearly love Corn Snakes, they are so beautiful and gentle. They make great pets. And they are getting rare here, because idiots always think any orange snake is a Copperhead and get the axe or gun. I crept up on him to get a good look and my feet were nearly touching his tail. I crouched down at his level and saw.........his head.
He had vemon slits and his neck was constricted. Fuck me. I was sitting on top of a four and half foot long, big fat Copperhead snake. You can understand my mistake, but, not my stupidity. I know. But, the thing is, Copperheads are so damn rare here. I have not seen a Copperhead in 15 years and never in town. The last one I saw was deep in Missouri and it was a little skinny thing. Doh me. It was a totally amature move and I am embarrassed to tell you about it. But, I did it. I won't do it again, no matter how excited I get.
I crouched there because he stopped. That means he noticed me. I didn't move. They don't see well and they're deaf. We both waited. I was well aware they can strike half their length and I was in his strike zone. Something only a fool would do on purpose. He finally decided I was not threat and started moving again. I stayed put until he was well away. I ran into the house to get the camera and came back and he was gone. Damn, he was absolutely magnificent though and so docile! He's still out there somewhere. I have never seen anything like that around here, ever. I guess I'd better take a stick to poke ahead on my way to the garden. It hasn't been mowed out there in awhile. It's pretty wild. Gonna take my camera every time too. I'd better tell the kids not to go back there anymore. Good. I hate them back there in my garden anyhow. All they do is tear shit up.
Well, I never did get my Zucchinni, but, I got a close up look at a big giant Copperhead! How was your day?
Post script..Timothy Levins a Missouri man died this week from a Copperhead bite. He knew it was a Copperhead. He identified it and then, wanting to show it to his son, he picked up the small snake. It bit him, it must have felt threatened. As Frimmy explained to me, a young snake can not control his venom like an older snake. Copperheads carry and amazing amount of venom. RIP Mr. Levins. But, I have to ask, why, why, why would you pick up a venomous snake just to show it to someone?
26 comments:
Yikes! I was in Florida last week and woke up to a baby corn snake on the back of the toilet. I don't mind snakes, but that one made me shudder, especially since I didn't see it until "after". :/
Are they common there? They used to be here, but, not now. It's sad.
Jeez, I would have crapped myself right there!!
I think so. My son saw two, at separate times, on the trail. It was in the Florida panhandle. We have a lot of copperheads here in Georgia. I've seen 2 adults and a baby. Like you, I got waaaaay too close to one. I didn't realize their strike distance at the time.
Where I lived, we had a lot copperheads. And I know how much you love them---that's how much I hate them. Even though we tried to plug every hole we could find, they were always getting into the attic to shed. We found some big sheds in that attic.
We found one (3') in the a/c closet. And one day when I was getting out of bed, I put my foot down and before it was down all the way, I knew what it was. I can move fast when I did to.
And I know this will upset you, but those snakes did not live. I figure it this way, I don't go to their place to shed, they don't need to come to mine. Not to mention, I have a very big fear of snakes.
Yikes. That's enough to scare me into staying inside for a few days, right there.
It's bad enough that we have garter snakes, but to have a large venomous snake in your backyard is just too creepy.
I'm really glad you are okay, and I don't wish the snake to be injured, I just don't want them anywhere near me or anyone I care about.
You'd think they would go for a deal like that, huh? But, noooooooooo. . .
Christina
Did you know venomous snakes can control whether they release venom with their bite? It takes a lot of resources to make it so they learn to use it only when it counts. Most snake bites are from juvenile snakes who haven't learned to bite 'dry'. I read a story about a snake photographer who was bitten by a black mamba and not only did he live to tell about it he accidentally caught it on camera and didn't even realize he had been bitten. Fortunately for him it was a dry bite because one black mamba can take down an elephant. Why it has that much power I'll never understand. Can it get an elephant into its mouth? Can any snake unhinge its jaws that much? Talk about overkill. Literally.
Briezy, when I saw your pic of the snake on the back of the toilet, all curled up in a heart shape, I assumed you saw it "before". Ahahaha!! It was probably cringing there the whole time hoping you didn't notice it.
Jane, I get it. Speaking of sheds, I have found so many this year. Draped over the outside faucets and furniture. It's weird.
Frimmy, that's very interesting. The more I know, the more I learn. Mambas really scare me shitless. Not that I've actually seen one, but, you know. I don't know why. Anacondas also scare me. I find those two snakes gross for unknown reasons. Most of them, I have such a desire to pet. I love the feel of them. Casey posted an interesting one she has a work. I'll repost it.
Christina, I don't want him here. In fact, I'd really like to safely capture and relocate him. Now that I'm aware of him, I think it can be done. He's gentle enough and I can be careful. He shouldn't be around the kids. I will probably never see him again. He didn't get to be that size by going public. I felt really privaliged to see him and though I was startled for a second, I felt no real fear. He showed no aggression.
For all I know, he was just passing through on his way to the river. It's only a couple blocks away.
I was on a ranch practicing herding in the arena area when I looked and saw a rattle snake slithering across from 1 side to the field on the other side. Oh shit. The natural behavior of the dog and the sheep is to move, and move fast, and here I was trying to keep them confined in a small area not moving until the snake had cleared out. Totally going against their nature, not ez, but I sure didn't want any of them bit, especially my dog.
Border, that would have been scary with all the panicked animals! Was it a side winder? I have some experience with them. They're cool, but, on a whole, can be territorial and down right mean. Easy to rile, much like our Cotton Mouths. I'm a little scared of the Cotton Mouths. They're a rattler with no rattle, so no warning. The only true rattler we have here is the reclusive Timber. You'd be damn lucky (or unlucky) to ever see one in a life time.
I just re-read my post and laughed. 'idiots think orange corn snakes are copperheads.' I guess there are idiots who think copperheads are corn snakes. LOL.
Copperheads in your house, Jane? I'd have a nervous breakdown. How'd you catch them?
I didn't catch them. My husband and son took care of them. I think the one in the a/c was batted with a broom and then some how put is a box and then "disposed" of. The one that was in my bedroom was smaller. They held it down with the broom handle and my husband caught it with a welding glove.
Broom come in handy sometimes.
You actually put your foot on a copperhead?? Holy moly. If you had pressed down, he might have..omg. You had better check the hole and crack plugs again. I'm worried about the crack in my door and don't know how to fix it. I'm sure glad my new house has good old solid doors. Since it will be empty soon, I can fill the hell out of any cracks I find. I'll do the basement too. You know..I haven't even seen the basement yet. Oh my.
My mum used to catch rattlesnakes when she was a teen, milk the venom and sell it to anti-venom makers. As there are no snakes in Ireland, she spent a load of time taking me about and educating me on snakes whenever I would visit Illinois. Hol-eee crap, some of the stories I learned and the healthy respect I developed from coming across some venomous snakes in the woods made my already curly hair curlier. We never went out without a buck-knife and at least a 4-foot, forked branch or stick. That sucker comes in handy. I love snakes but those suckers will knock you on your ass, if not kill you. YOU WERE LUCKY! Had Mr. Copperhead been in a pissy mood, wow. (shudder). My mom kept her favorite "huntin' poker" from her youth and after she died, I had it shellacked and use it as a decoration.
The people here in the Hamptons are such idiots that it breaks my heart whenever I see someone freak out and drop, like, a lawn chair on a helpless Garter snake and smooshing the life out the poor creature. I rescue those little cuties and explain the worst that can happen to me is salmonella if I don't wash my hands. Although there are (very) few harmful snakes out here, if anyone gets pegged off while traipsing through the woods or paths, I figure it will just thin the herd of stupidity.
Tangent: Don't even get me started on turtles. Box turtle, good. Snapper turtle, bad. Rescue the Boxes from the road. Rescue the Snapper, too, but you can kick those resilient hockey pucks to the side of the road with a healthy sweep off the side of your shoe (never barefoot- those necks stretch). It's pathetic to see people either scream and run away in fear of their appendages or immediatly want to destroy it out of ignorance. Duh, Snappers usually stay by the water! Look for the ENORMOUS BEAK THAT YOU CAN USE AS A CAN OPENER, dummy. And the two don't even look alike (to me, anyway). I rescue about 4-5 turtles a summer off these back roads, and next time I should take a pic. In fact, rescued one the other day at work, Pat, I think you saw it on my FB.
Holy shit. Can I see your mom's poker stick??
I agree with everything you said and love it. I know them snappers look NOTHING like a box. How are people confused? Snappers are ugly and mean too. I do not like them. I wouldn't kill one, unless they were killing my birds or something, but, I stay well clear of them. You are such a good soul for rescuing snakes and turtles. Blessings to you for that!
ps..you ever have the shit scared out of you by a hissing bull snake? It's happened to me and I've been down diggin' plants or something when they've reared up right next to me. OMG, they make you piss yourself, they look and sound like a pissed off rattler. Then you realize and feel really stupid and mad at the snake for fucking with your head. LOL. Those fuckers.
HAHAHA Yes I have. I squealed and jumped and actually tried to climb a sapling tree like a bear on a twig. All the while my mom and uncle were laughing their asses off. They pointed out the differences but told me, "better to be cautious than stupid and dead".
I'll take a pic of my mom's stick. It's at my father's house (no one lives there at the moment) the next time I go up the island to check on it.
Ha. I know. Those fat suckers make a rattle noise in their mouth. I don't know how they do it, but, man, you're sittin' on the grass, digging away, minding your own and POW! Them big head bastards come right up off the ground. Come to think of it, I've never seen a venomous snake act that crazy really.
Anyway, yeah, I've love a photo of the stick next time you 'get to the island'. You DO know how that sounds to a hick stuck in Guntown Ioway? LMAO!
Only snakes I've seen are those small garden snakes. I'll take those over Briezy’s palmetto bugs anytime. Then again, I'm glad i live in Western Washington. Holy shit with all the stories I'm reading.
Re: sidewinders, I've only seen them in the real desert. But the rattlers are surviving very well all over and the most successful ones have no rattles anymore. Evolution evidence. The ones with rattlers who rattle a lot get killed while the ones who have few to no rattles and don't give a display are the ones who survive to breed. Bummer, I always liked the sense of fair play the snake gave you warning before a strike. Of course as the one in the arena was on the move, he wasn't coiled at the time but they can sure move into a good coil to deliver a strike.
My husband used to be oblivious to danger when taking the dogs out where there were rocks aplenty. He thought nothing of them running up and down like mountain goats while I always pictured a basking snake. When I was toddler I plucked one out the of the laundry basket containing clothes fresh from the line. I was saying "pretty copper snake" while the adults yelled and ran around.
Sorry, it's a habit. Long Island is just that.....long. If you live on the East End (i.e. the Hamptons) the local lingo is "UP the Island" to all points west and eventually Manhattan. Makes no sense and yet, we all say it.
Pat;
You haven't seen the BASEMENT?
You probably already covered this and I just can't remember, but did you feel anything/one over there?
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