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Barnyard Buddies:  Our neighborhood snake...  |
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KansasFarmMomma
True Blue Farmgirl
91 Posts
91 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 29 2012 : 05:20:01 AM
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Last night I was sitting at the computer and my husband runs inside yelling "come here!" He took me outside because he needed me to confirm that it was not a massive rattlesnake sitting under my pickup. I am SOOO thankful I have him trained to ask questions first, shoot later. :-D
Out here most snakes are dead on sight because farmers don't care if they are venomous or not, they have a blind fear that grips them when they see ANY snake. This one was a bull snake. They are completely harmless, however if you get to close they WILL strike at you in defense. They have a unique ability to fill themselves up with air and then exhale it very rapidly through a special opening in their head making a very very loud hissing/rattling sound.
I'm pretty sure this is the same snake I found in my yard a few weeks ago. My dogs were barking like crazy so I stepped outside and hear the rattling. I came back in & grabbed a shotgun because as much as I love rattlesnakes, I cannot have my child & dogs at risk of getting bit and there was no safe place to shoo a snake off to that would not also put my cattle & horses at risk(we've had a cow get bit in the face by a rattlesnake before). Once I realized it was a bull snake, I brought the dogs inside and waited for him to take off. This time he was cornered by one of the cats.
I think they are absolutely BEAUTIFUL snakes! I love having them around.
Nicole
Farmgirl # 4209
www.bearpawphotography.weebly.com
www.KShappyhomemaker.wordpress.com |
Edited by - KansasFarmMomma on Jun 29 2012 3:34:58 PM |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2012 : 05:23:22 AM
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They are great to have around to keep burrowing rodents under control. We had one at our cabin for a long time- I sure wish he was still there!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
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texdane
Farmgirl Legend Chapter Leader Chapter Guru
4658 Posts
Nicole
Sandy Hook
CT
USA
4658 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2012 : 05:52:07 AM
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Wow! He's a big one!
Nicole
Farmgirl Sister #1155
KNITTER, JAM-MAKER AND MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE
Chapter Leader, Connecticut Simpler Life Sisters
Suburban Farmgirl Blogger
http://sfgblog.maryjanesfarm.org/ |
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princesspatches
True Blue Farmgirl
431 Posts
arttie
iron mountain
michigan
USA
431 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2012 : 11:47:58 AM
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We discovered a large pine snake in the garden the other day. Although they are harmless and really don't like people, I am not over fond of snakes. But hubby says that he is good to have around. I have been ver hesitant going out to the garden and am not wandering the woods as usual. I am sure I'll get over it, but I don't like being startled by the snake.
Arttie
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oldbittyhen
True Blue Farmgirl
1511 Posts
tina
quartz hill
ca
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2012 : 1:54:55 PM
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1st off, thank you for not killing a harmless non-poisenous snake, sooo many people do, and then complain about the rodents, I too have no choice with the rattlers, but most all others are free rodent control and I thank them for it....the differance between poisenous and non-poisenous is always the shape of their heads, trianglular with eyes on the top side is bad, oval with eyes on sides is good, and yes , many with imitate a rattler...
"Knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" |
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KansasFarmMomma
True Blue Farmgirl
91 Posts
91 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2012 : 3:34:26 PM
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I went to school to study herpetology. I am not going to knowingly kill something that I know the use & purpose of. :-)
I would be careful handing out advice as absolute when it comes to if a snake is venomous or not. I'm not positive about CA because I've never studied there, however the shape of the head & location of the eyes CANNOT be used as the only way of identifying in many parts of this country. There are venomous snakes that have oval heads & non-venomous snakes that have triangle shaped head. Plus it can be hard to see heads from a distance and getting close enough to look at the head in detail can be dangerous. Also(and this is something I have personally come across), there are snakes not even native to this country that can be venomous that may have been an escaped pet from someone. More & more non-native species are being introduced every day. It's really sad because of the damage it does.
Nicole
Farmgirl # 4209
www.bearpawphotography.weebly.com
www.KShappyhomemaker.wordpress.com |
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oldbittyhen
True Blue Farmgirl
1511 Posts
tina
quartz hill
ca
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - Jun 29 2012 : 4:40:46 PM
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nicole, you are right, I should have thought better before opening my mouth, and I was not saying you do not know, but alot of people don't...here where I live we have Mojave Green Rattlesnakes, they are considered the most poisonous this side of the Miss river, they are considered one of the most in this country, they carry both toxins, hemo and nuero, very aggreeive and are live bearers with an almost non excistint mortality rate at birth, they are deadly at birth, have large clutches at an average of 10, they stay within a mile of birth all of their lives, the only animal that is immune to them is a snake, the California King, and they will kill the rattlers, so we worship them,lol...
"Knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2012 : 5:48:34 PM
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Great photo!
Never heard of that kind before!
Great that someone else bothers to look first! We need our benificials for sure |
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Megan
True Blue Farmgirl
155 Posts
Megan
Hudson
South Dakota
USA
155 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2012 : 7:09:52 PM
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we love our wild snakes! we have 2 bull snakes that are just huge a little under 6 ft. until they are found eating eggs they are welcome after that its a road trip.
www.rockriverexoticsandkennel.net |
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prariehawk
True Blue Farmgirl
2914 Posts
Cindy
2914 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2012 : 8:40:26 PM
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He's a beautiful snake. The biggest I've ever seen around here is when I was hiking near the river and saw what i thought was a tire. I got closer and realized it was a snake. He was coiled up but must have been about six feet long. I looked it up and discovered it was a broad-banded water snake. Had never heard of them before.
Cindy
"Vast floods can't quench love, no matter what love did/ Rivers can't drown love, no matter where love's hid"--Sinead O'Connor
"In many ways, you don't just live in the country, it lives inside you"--Ellen Eilers
Visit my blog at http://www.farmerinthebelle.blogspot.com/ |
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rough start farmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
3331 Posts
marianne
The Beautiful Pacific NW
Washington State
USA
3331 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2012 : 03:59:58 AM
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Snakes can be startling to find. But, as you said, just treat them with the respect any living thing deserves. That is quite a photo! I am not too good at identifying snakes, I just always retreat. Luckily our dogs are not too interested in them...
Thanks for the mini-course in herpe...SNAKES!
Marianne |
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StrawHouseRanch
True Blue Farmgirl
1044 Posts
Paula
Holt
Missouri
USA
1044 Posts |
Posted - Jul 08 2012 : 07:29:03 AM
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People don't realize that often times if you kill out the good snakes then the "bad" snakes will move in.
Paula
Farmgirl Sister #3090
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, and Today is a Gift.
"Look deep into Nature, and then you will understand everything better."--Albert Einstein
"A meal of bread, cheese and beer constitutes the perfect food." --Queen Elizabeth I
http://www.etsy.com/shop/StrawHouseDesigns |
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Barnyard Buddies: Our neighborhood snake... |
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Our neighborhood snake...
