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| Name: |
turneroader
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| Subject: |
Varmint help
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Date:
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7/29/2004 11:07:48 AM
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I've got a 3 foot moccasin that hangs out around my dock, which never shows up when I'm there to kill it. My kids have seen it several times and found it's skin to prove it. Anybody know who I can call to try and get rid of it? Thanks.
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| Name: |
Rickiray
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| Subject: |
Varmint help
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Date:
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7/29/2004 11:11:55 AM
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just make sure it's really a poisonous snake before you kill it. I don't think a skin is enough proof of species.
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| Name: |
turneroader
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| Subject: |
Varmint help
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Date:
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7/29/2004 11:14:05 AM
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Their description of the snake matches up pretty well. Are there non-poisonous swimmers that live on the lake?
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All snakes can and most DO swim. But only a few are dangerous.
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| Name: |
SBsigmapi
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| Subject: |
Varmint help
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Date:
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7/29/2004 11:26:48 AM
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LOL Does it really matter? If my kids are going to play in an area, I dont want ANY snakes to be there.
Hmmm. . .maybe you should give the kids a shotgun since they are the ones that frequently see it. LOL j/k
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| Name: |
LifeTime Laker
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| Subject: |
Varmint help
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Date:
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7/29/2004 11:31:45 AM
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If it is a non-poisonuos snake it is a good thing. It wont hurt the kids, and it usually means there are no poisonous ones around. You see they are scared of them too, Moccasins are territorial.
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| Name: |
BAJ
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| Subject: |
Some answers
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Date:
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7/29/2004 2:00:40 PM
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First, if you still have any of those skins, hang onto them; sometimes it is possible to tell what kind of snake they came from. (But you have to look closely, and know what you're looking for; shed skins is NOT the way to learn to ID snakes.)
Second, all snakes can and do swim, and there are several non-venomous, completely harmless water snakes in the lake area. The Midland Water Snake is the most common; others include the Yellow-bellied Water Snake and Red-Bellied Water Snake (very similar, and often interbreed; I've seen only the Yellow-bellies on the lake) and the Diamondback Water Snake (rare on the lake, but more common not far past the dam.)
I've spent 40+ years actively looking for snakes on the lake, and I've probably seen hundreds of non-venomous water snakes for every Water Moccasin. Yes, we have Moccasins, and more than a few, but they are so greatly outnumbered by non-venomous snakes that the odds are good that any snake you see in Lake Martin will be one of the harmless variety. ("Odds are" should not be confused with "always." Like I said, we've got Moccasins, and in some places the population is large!)
And as a post below stated, Moccasins are territorial; so are most of our water snakes. Having a non-venomous water snake living in an area is a good-- not great-- indicator that you won't see any Moccasins moving in.
If you want to know more, email me; I'll be driving past Turner Road in the next couple of days, and might be able to help you out, or look at those skins (if you still have them.)
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| Name: |
AquaGirl
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| Subject: |
WANTED: Snakes for Boat Houses
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Date:
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7/29/2004 5:26:45 PM
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Catch them - i know of a few boat houses that might be needing a few good snakes. They could find their home in a nice warm generator. :) And then when it got cranked up maybe that would take care of the motor and the snake!
J/K
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| Name: |
LukeSkywalker
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| Subject: |
BAJ..can you ID this one?
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Date:
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7/29/2004 8:07:12 PM
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Grey body (white or yellow belly). Black head, non triangular. About 4 feet long;, and "wrist thick."
Headed straight for the water when he finally decided to leave.
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| Name: |
BAJ
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| Subject: |
BAJ..can you ID this one?
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Date:
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7/30/2004 12:49:08 AM
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Grey body (white or yellow belly). Black head, non triangular. About 4 feet long;, and "wrist thick."
That's not a lot to go on, but I'll see what I can do.
First, I'm assuming that this is something you saw around Lake Martin, and that this isn't some sort of trick question where I get the answer wrong because you saw it in Brazil or some other far-off place, right? ;-)
By "gray body," do you mean no pattern whatsoever? That narrows it down; the Gray Rat Snake is plentiful in our area, but they have a distinct blotch pattern. They do get big; four feet wouldn't be considered a "big" Gray Rat Snake at all. They are usually tree dwellers, but I've seen them everywhere, including swimming.
Our non-pattern snakes are few, which narrows the possibilities down. The Black Racer is (duh) black, but skinny; when they move, they move FAST. The Black Rat Snake isn't quite in our range. The Eastern Hognose can be dark and pattern-free, and the record is a shade over four feet, but they rarely get up three feet. The Coachwhip is dark at the head and extending back for about a third of the body, but then it lightens considerably; I've seen them near the dam, but nowhere else around here, though I know we have them. And the Queen Snake fits the description, except for the size; over two feet is big, and over three would be a record.
So I would guess-- and while it's an educated guess, the key word is GUESS-- that you saw a large Yellow-Bellied Water Snake, likely getting ready to shed its skin; that would make it appear more gray than usual.
It's also possible that it was a nice-sized Eastern Kingsnake; they're black, but can also look grayish when they're getting ready to shed.
How come nobody ever has a camera when they come across these mystery snakes? ;-)
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| Name: |
Rickiray
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| Subject: |
WANTED: Snakes for Boat Houses
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Date:
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7/30/2004 7:14:18 AM
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RRRRGHHHH... you are viscious, girl!!
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| Name: |
AquaGirl
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| Subject: |
WANTED: Snakes for Boat Houses
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Date:
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7/30/2004 11:30:36 AM
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Well what can i say - i don't like my "Space" being invaded. My property joins to this Boathouse mess and i really hate snakes too!!!!
The only good snake is a dead one! I know - I know The good snakes keep the bad ones away - and Everytime you kill a snake it is like setting a $100 bill on fire - and for every snake you see 10 have already seen you - - - - Yada Yada yada - i took college biology - but It all started in the Garden of Eden. THe serpent was promised a bad relationship with women for all the years to come.
I wouldn't really put a snake in a boathouse :) I am really a sweet nice person that tries to respect others and their property - i just wish everybody else did.
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| Name: |
Island Camper
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| Subject: |
What a joke!
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Date:
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7/30/2004 2:29:59 PM
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That doesn't sound like you at all! Sweet and nice? You must not be the person I think you are!
IC
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| Name: |
JustAGuy
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| Subject: |
Just Curious .....
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Date:
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7/30/2004 2:30:06 PM
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When Yellow-bellied Water Snakes interbreed with Red-Bellied Water Snakes ... do we get Orange-Bellied Water Snakes?
:)
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| Name: |
AquaGirl
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| Subject: |
What a joke!
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Date:
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7/30/2004 4:57:38 PM
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Shhhhhhh......... These people don't know any better. :)
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| Name: |
LukeSkywalker
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| Subject: |
BAJ..can you ID this one?
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Date:
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7/30/2004 7:58:35 PM
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It was right by the lake, and the black head was the head only, with a distinct, abrupt ending at the neck where the grey began. I didn't notice a pattern on it, but if there were, it would have had to be a LIGHT black or grey line, with no other noticeable colors.
I really thought it was a rat snake, but I don't know. When it finally had had enough, it headed straight for the water, but it didn't swim out into the water. I saw it go over a ledge a foot or so from the water and didn't see it again.
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| Name: |
BAJ
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| Subject: |
Well...
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Date:
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7/31/2004 3:26:55 AM
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yes! Sort of. They aren't called "Orange-Bellied," and the color can vary between yellow and red, but sometimes it is orange. But usually, it tends to be much closer to red OR yellow.
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