Big Black-Snake

[dgfred]

I don't like spiders and snakes... but that ain't what it takes to love me. Jim Stafford

 

[archieclement]

The only snake thats really scared me was a bullsnake......was mushroom hunting and went to step over a downed log and he was coiled up vibrating his tail in the leaves like a rattler.......awkward time to tell is he or isn't he.

 

[Peace Society]

We were very receptive to Black Snakes, especially in barns and corn cribs. They were good neighbors.

In barns, yes, where they catch mice and rats. In the chicken house, no, where they eat eggs and young chicks. I don't like the feel when they wrap around my arm after grabbing them behind the head, so I took to shooing them into a feed sack for toting off to the hay barn.

 

[Peace Society]

We knew we had poisonous snakes on the property, because the cattle and dogs would occasionally get bitten and swell up for a while. But in 30 years I only saw one - a copperhead. I was walking along the creek and stepped over a stick. Pause. That was no stick. Sure enough, a copperhead. I mightily resisted the urge to poke at it with a stick and went on my way, leaving it to go its way.

 

[Peace Society]

Ah, skinks! Now those my sisters and I were terrified of! We were always told to stay clear!

Why skinks? Aren't they harmless, and useful for eating insects? Our cats enjoy playing with them, leaving most of them tail-less. What we have are the blue-tailed skinks, which grow up to be brownish.

 

[Kurt G]

Why skinks? Aren't they harmless, and useful for eating insects? Our cats enjoy playing with them, leaving most of them tail-less. What we have are the blue-tailed skinks, which grow up to be brownish.

They are completely harmless and beneficial . Many people seem to fear reptiles . Some people in my state of Michigan kill the harmless northern banded watersnake (Nerodia sipedon) because they think they are "water moccasins'" .We have no venomous water snakes in Michigan , the nearest being hundreds of miles to the south. In all my tromping around Civil War battlefields I have yet to see a venomous snake .

 

[John Hartwell]

Many years ago I read the theory that mankind's universal fear of snakes goes all the way back to the Mesozoic Era when primitive mammals spent their whole lives hiding out from dinosaurs and suchlike. Sounds a little far-fetched to me, but ophidiophobia runs strong on every continent and with every race. Even apes and monkeys tend to panic when a snake suddenly slithers up. A great many religions also have mythologies linking death and evil with the scaled littlecreatures.

 

[Peace Society]

resisted the urge to poke at it with a stick

I have read that most people bitten by poisonous snakes were pestering the snake.

 

[Kurt G]

Many years ago I read the theory that mankind's universal fear of snakes goes all the way back to the Mesozoic Era when primitive mammals spent their whole lives hiding out from dinosaurs and suchlike. Sounds a little far-fetched to me, but ophidiophobia runs strong on every continent and with every race. Even apes and monkeys tend to panic when a snake suddenly slithers up. A great many religions also have mythologies linking death and evil with the scaled littlecreatures.

Snakes were/are an important part of the culture in India , ancient Egypt , and in Aztec and Mayan religion . I think snakes were feared in ancient times because they moved without legs , are very quiet and secretive so they could easily startle you and because some are venomous and could definitely kill you . Apes fear them because some species such as pythons will eat them . You are right about ophidiophobia and the cultural impact of snakes . My late grandmother would nearly pass out if she saw a gartersnake .

 

[DixieRifles]

Just finished Col. Freemantles book. In it He mention seeing an 8 foot rattler on the road to San Antonio. It sounds iike the South Texas I know, but He could be possibly exaggerating a bit.I would bet it was really a 6 footer. Its really not the big ones you got to watch out for, you can see them!

In the Mississippi Delta, it is common to pick up a rattle snack with your tractor tire. Ive seen a couple caught out in the field. Dad brought home a dead one. We took a photo of someone holding it above his head while standing on the tailgate of a truck and the snack hung about a foot off the ground.

 

[DixieRifles]

About 1 mile from my house, our town has a board walk through the woods that winds 7/10 of a mile out to Wolf River. It is nice, clean woods that was once swampy but now has cypress trees growing in a few shallow sloughs. The walkway is raised from 18 to 24 inches form the ground.
I've been taking a walk when I could. I always take my walking stick and carry a M-1 Bayonet just in case it really gets bad.

Last week, we had 3 or 4 days of rain with 40 to 50 degree temps. Then we had a partially sunny day with almost 70 degrees. Sure enough, the snakes came out.
I saw TWO water moccasins that were on each side of a large steel foot bridge---so we were rather safe from attack. This is from my FaceBook post.

Two days or so later, I saw this one. It was much closer---directly below the boardwalk.
This didn't bother me. I poked it and it opened its mouth. It wasn't until 3 teenage girls screamed that my hair on my arms stood up.

Then there were some friendlies. The problem with this photo is that limb is leaning against the large steel bridge and this 3-foot beauty was trying to get back up there with us.

And then I saw another moccasin today!

Back in 1860's this area was the back water of the Wolf River and portion of the 7th Illinois Cavalry skedaddled through this after being routed in the Battle of Collierville.

 

[rebel brit]

Not looking where I was walking, almost stepped on this one at Fort Pillow last year. Not knowing much about snakes (except to run) Any idea what this is?

 

[Kurt G]

Not looking where I was walking, almost stepped on this one at Fort Pillow last year. Not knowing much about snakes (except to run) Any idea what this is?

View attachment 359313

Hard to be sure but it is either a garter snake or a ribbon snake .I would guess a rather thin garter snake . Both look similar and are in the same genus Thamnophis, but the ribbon is slimmer . Both are completely harmless and feed on earthworms , frogs , etc .

 

[Carronade]

I have read that most people bitten by poisonous snakes were pestering the snake.

A snake has no interest in attacking something it can't eat, unless it feels threatened.

 

[DixieRifles]

A snake has no interest in attacking something it can't eat, unless it feels threatened.

Have you ever encountered a Blue Racer? They are F-A-S-T !! And sometimes they race your direction.
I googled and it says their speed is 4.3 MPH.

 

[Kurt G]

Not looking where I was walking, almost stepped on this one at Fort Pillow last year. Not knowing much about snakes (except to run) Any idea what this is?

View attachment 359313

One snake that you might run into on a Civil War trip is the eastern hognose .They are stout and completely harmless . If you interfere with one it may flare up like a cobra and hiss . It may also strike at you , but it always keeps its mouth closed when it does . If you don't leave it alone it will start to convulse and roll over on its back to play dead . They put on a great show , but it's all bluff .

 

[Kurt G]

Have you ever encountered a Blue Racer? They are F-A-S-T !! And sometimes they race your direction.
I googled and it says their speed is 4.3 MPH.
View attachment 359327

That is the only type of racer we have in Michigan , but I know racers are common in the east and south .

 

[rebel brit]

One snake that you might run into on a Civil War trip is the eastern hognose .They are stout and completely harmless . If you interfere with one it may flare up like a cobra and hiss . It may also strike at you , but it always keeps its mouth closed when it does . If you don't leave it alone it will start to convulse and roll over on its back to play dead . They put on a great show , but it's all bluff .

Thought you were talking about the wife for a minute there

 

[DixieRifles]

I tried to keep a 10-inch Milk Snake back when I was in high school. His neck was cut open— lawn mower maybe— so he couldnt really swallow.

 

[Kurt G]

I tried to keep a 10-inch Milk Snake back when I was in high school. His neck was cut open— lawn mower maybe— so he couldnt really swallow.

View attachment 359422

One of my favorites and fairly common around our property in northern Michigan. I remember my Grandfather chopping one up with a shovel when I was very young . He called it a spotted adder , but I thought it was beautiful.