It's snake time--don't look if you hate them--or love them

[Marsha Cassada]

We have had our property searched for rattlesnake dens and none was ever found, but we do get one passing through once in a while. It's been pretty cool, but yesterday was warm so I guess this one was on the move.

I was planting some new flowers and Buddy noticed something behind the roses. I heard it rattle. Called him off and ran for our "snake catcher", a device my husband invented. He is not home today, so I had to deal with it myself. Caught the snake and dragged it out onto the grass, as I did not want to shoot it by the foundation and drip system. I had to lash the cord to the hitching post to keep the cord taut around its head while I ran inside for the .22

It is a pretty big one. I do not hunt rattlesnakes, but when they come into my space they are dead. All other snakes are welcome.

www.cassphoto.com/snake4-15.jpg

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

eeeeyyuggh, you are braver than me. I would just have abandoned the garden to it until someone else could deal with it. I am glad we only have harmless Garter snakes here. They don't scare me and I am always happy to share my property with anything that eats mice (and doesn't bite me or mine )

 

[KanoasDestiny]

Eek! We saw our first snake here yesterday. It was a 5-foot Mojave Glossy. I spent about an hour following him around, snapping pictures, and dragging him away from the horse pen. I live in desert country with quite a few rattlesnakes (biggest threat is the Mojave Green), but knocking on wood, I have yet to see anything with rattles. I'm terrified of the thought of coming across one. Do they rattle from a distance to give plenty of warning?

Our biggest nuisance are red racers, and we have plenty of them.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

What is a Mojave? Is it venomous?

The rattlesnakes I've been upclose and personal to don't rattle until something is pretty close. I heard one back in the rocks behind my corral a three years ago, and saw a bobcat stalking one. When I came up the bobcat ran off, but the snake continued to rattle. That was right after my horse had been bitten and nearly died, so you can bet I didn't waste sympathy. I know everything has an ecological part to play, but captive domestic animals rely on us to protect them, and that is my job.

We have had more bull snakes the last few years, and the game ranger told us rattlesnakes and bull snakes vie for territory and the bullsnake always wins. He is immune to the rattlesnake venom. I really prefer they ALL go someplace else. I don't mind baby bunnies, and Buddy keeps an eye on the mice for us. I'd prefer they didn't eat the frogs or little birds and bird eggs either. It's a jungle out there...

 

[KanoasDestiny]

According to Wikipedia, a Mojave Diamondback (Green where I'm located) is one of the most debiitating/deadly of all rattlesnakes in North America. They are usually found in the Southern states.

 

[Minimor]

Do the Mojave Greens not have rattles?

I am thankful we have no poisonous snakes here! I grew up knowing about rattlers--we had them in the ND badlands where my grandparents ranch was located, south of Watford City (grandma's root cellar was invaded by rattlers one fall. She had to close it up and just leave all the home canned stuff she'd put in there earlier that year!! I've wondered if anyone has ever looked in there since then, or if snakes still live there! Ick.)

 

[KanoasDestiny]

Oh gosh, that gives me chills! My friend told me that a few years back, her daughter was doing laundry and when she went into the bedroom to collect a pile, it was moving. It wasn't a poisonous snake but they have no idea how it go inside the house. I always have a fear they'll come inside up the bathtub drain or some unknown hole (however mice come in).

Yes, the Mojave Greens have rattles. But apparently they are extremely aggressive and have two kinds of venom, which makes them even more dangerous. One day we will have all of the wood and bushes gone in my yard, and anything slithering around will be seen from a mile away. If only I was rich and could hire someone to do all the work. :/

 

[Carolyn R]

Uggg, snake season.... We see an occasionally have rattle snakes here in eastern pa, not often.

Corrected my post, lol, didn't mean to say we eatle snakes, lol.

 

[Boss Mare]

I am a huge snake fan! Up until a couple years ago I owned 20-25 snakes and had an entire reptile room with a multi-thousand dollar customer wall cage unit. I have travelled all over to reptile expos too.

The only venomous snake we have around here are Copperheads.. I will kill them if I feel they are a threat.

Last year I let the dogs out of my house and we were on our way outside through the garage --

Copperhead was right in front of the door.. Yep, I killed it!

I have no issues with those killing snakes - even as much as I love them.

 

[Jill]

I don't think about them a lot, but if I see one, it's like a physical reaction to me where my heart jumps into my throat and a scream rises up! It's just instinctive.

My brother in law LOVES snakes, and so do my nephews. Not as pets, but in nature. He is a biologist and they go out hiking and looking for different kinds of snakes and assorted creepy crawlers.

 

[Lil Eowyn]

Wow--I've never seen a rattle snake in real life, but my brother has a pet corn snake and I've caught some other non poisonous wild snakes. Glad you caught it before harm was done.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

When my husband got home he measured it. It was 5 feet and had 11 rattles. I think it is the largest we've seen here. Hopefully, it is the only one we will see this year.

There is a very interesting book called Rattlesnakes by Frank Dobie. He relates that when the Spaniards came to the SW it was not uncommon to see 25' rattlesnakes. After a certain size was reached, they wouldn't have natural enemies, and could just get older and larger. They would never live to get that large nowdays.

That is a very interesting book, if one is interested in the West and rattlesnakes. Nonfiction.

btw, looked up the Mojave in our snake book.

 

[SugaryCharm]

Good shot Marsha! I don't mind the bull snakes but rattlers are fair game. My parents are in your area and have killed at least 3 rattlesnakes that were up around their yard/barn. While she was living at my parents' house her 2 year old year, my riding mare was bitten on the nose. It was a scary sight to bring her in from the pasture and see her snotting and bleeding and swelling like crazy. She had to stay at the vet's overnight but did not sustain lasting damage. By the vet's measurement of the fang marks he said it should have been a 6+ foot long rattlesnake but we never found it, so who knows.

We have a variety of baby bunnies and huge rats at our house now, so I'm guessing we don't have much of a big-snake population at the moment (I did find a small garden snake in one of the stalls last year). Works for me...