Snake

[Scotta]

he didnt pick on no little ratler. There was about 20 pics of him eating at different stages

[jlee989]

:chop: <--------that's what I would do with the black snake after he ate the rattler. I hate snakes!!!!!!

[NewCaneyFishingLady]

jlee...I would be cheering you on. Get it, don't miss!!! Looks like a water moccasin to me.

[Scotta]

I think it's a blue indigo

[Ole Bill]

yep it is a black king snake called a black snake blue indigo and a couple of other names. what a waste to kill it. what it is eating should tell everyone why this one is worth having around. better it than the rattler and the good thing about that snake is if its left alone not only will it take on the rattlers but any other kind of snake like corals copperheads cotton mouths need i say more or should i include the mice and rats when it cant find a juicy nasty poisnous one to eat oh well kill it and deal with the others too. personally i would like to find some and give them a home on my new property so me and momma dont have to worry about steppin on a nasty one

[NewCaneyFishingLady]

Good point Bill. After I found out how to identify garter snakes, I stopped killing them. Problem is, I don't know how to identify most snakes so they are all poisonious to me and they make my skin crawl.

[Ole Bill]

Good point Bill. After I found out how to identify garter snakes, I stopped killing them. Problem is, I don't know how to identify most snakes so they are all poisonious to me and they make my skin crawl.i would love to give you lessons like the ones i have gotten for identification of snakes. I guess one of the best ways is to look at the head and body of a snake from a safe distance of course. a pit viper such as rattle snake cottonmouth copperhead have a well pronounced arrow shaped head a very narrow neck graduating to a very thick body narrowing down to a thin tail most vipers are very distinctly patterned with the exception of a cotton mouth but the body shape and head still classify it. the coral is very much like all the non venimous snakes nice rounded head very little to no decrease in neck size to uniform round narrowness of the body full length to a slightly narrowing to bulbus tail. its the color pattern that seperates coral from banded king snake which is another of the snake killing variety of snakes. look real close at the pictures of the rattle snake and the king snake above and you will see what i am talking about. that is what you need to be able to quickly identify snakes which by the way are very beneficial and very important to the ecology. some snakes are bothersome like so called chicken snakes which is really another type of the kingsnake family. there are snakes that are similar in markings like the bull snake that looks so much like a rattler in coloring but the body and head tell a different story. it takes time and patients to learn to do this readly but its something that should be done here in east texas because of the variety that you have here. they are all important to the ecology but no one wants a poisnous variety in there yard. thats why i like king snakes they wont bother you even if you step on them all they want to do is run away from you. but they are death on the crawl to a pit viper or coral snake. another thing is you have the right idea if you dont know stay away its the safest thing to do.

[Craig]

I hate to say it, I normally don't take the time to look real close to see what kind of snake it is, I don't like any of them so I have probably massacred a few of the good ones.

[Scotta]

I dont think I have ever killed a snake even that three posinous ones that bit me lived to fight another day. Not much for just killing animals. I guess I am in there domain, just there to enjoy myself. I leave tham alone and give them there space and for the most part they leave me alone. I take that back I killed one when i was fourteen that grabbed my crankbait and I didnt know how to identify nothing. That is actually a great snake to have in your backyard and it wasnt killed and no I did not take the pics but they are impressive.

[Ole Bill]

I dont think I have ever killed a snake even that three posinous ones that bit me lived to fight another day. Not much for just killing animals. I guess I am in there domain, just there to enjoy myself. I leave tham alone and give them there space and for the most part they leave me alone. I take that back I killed one when i was fourteen that grabbed my crankbait and I didnt know how to identify nothing. That is actually a great snake to have in your backyard and it wasnt killed and no I did not take the pics but they are impressive.i think they are absolutley the greatest because for once there is proof of the benefit that some snake give back to man who has envaded their habitat and thanks for not killing snakes scott

[mikechell]

SNAKES RULE !!! There's so many good things about snakes. Learn to understand them and quit killing them. Even the poisonous ones do more good then harm. I understand getting rid of poisonous snakes around the home, but there are people who would gladly come and catch it.
Keep this in mind too ... if you are ever in need of anti-venin ... it comes from captive snakes. Calling one of the collectors puts another snake in the hands of those who help make the anti-venin.

[mikechell]

PS ... love the pics, Scott. Thanks.

[navigator]

Scott, Bill, your both right it is a blue indigo or blue racer is what we called them, when I was a kid in the late 50's the government imported the snakes into south Texas to help rid the problem of so many rattlers, the government tattoo a number on the belly of the imported indigo snakes. The snake is a great benefit, they will bite a human only if cornered and you are more likely to hurt yourself trying to get away than what the snake will do. The largest one that I ever seem was 17 foot long, and back in the day if you killed one, you better not say anything about it. It wasn't the law you had to worry about, it was the ranchers of South Texas they didn't like the snake harmed. Scott... nice pic's not everone gets to see a blue indigo eating a rattler. Good job............

[Ole Bill]

thanks for the input navigator the government also introduced them to florida because of the rattle snake bites in all the orange groves there they are called grove snakes and the same thing happens there you kill one you in a heap of trouble i have handled lots of em and never had one bite or even make an effort. good luck on cornering one they move to fast. but i will say this any snake will bite when it feels threatened even a garter snake. stay calm act calm and the chances of being bit is rare. mikechell you are absolutely right about anti venom. good point and thanks for the positive input. one thing to remember each kind of venomous snake has a unique toxin found only in the family of that type of snake and anti venom has to be made from each species of rattler and other vipers. there is no real universal anti venom and some of these rattlers like the eastern diamond back are getting very rare and hard to find the mottled rock rattler is on the endangered species list and the only anti venom supply comes from the rare captives that are used as breeders. these are some of the more important reasons to protect these animals not kill them;.

[irfishyir2]

I can see myself remaining calm just as I'm stepping on a copperhead........living in the country with a bunch of woods around the house, I've had it happen more than once and I always jump 6 foot in the air.

[Bill Barrick]

Now I feel a little guilty killing those rat snakes full of eggs. If I knew for sure they would eat the corals and copperheads in my back area, that would be worth a few eggs in exchange, huh

[medulla762]

I can see myself remaining calm just as I'm stepping on a copperhead........living in the country with a bunch of woods around the house, I've had it happen more than once and I always jump 6 foot in the air.

Here's a baby copperhead in a castnet. I was getting the boat ready one morning before daylight and kept hearing this russling sound at my feet. Shined the flashlight down and a couple inches from my bare foot was this little critter.

Didn't need the net that day so left the snake to finish its scratching or shedding or whatever it was doing.

[Scotta]

I can see myself remaining calm just as I'm stepping on a copperhead........living in the country with a bunch of woods around the house, I've had it happen more than once and I always jump 6 foot in the air.
Ive been bitten twice by a copperhead and as much as snakes dont bother me, I didnt remain calm. Have you ever been walking in the woods and stepped on a stick and the stick hit the back of your leg that is exactly what it felt like. Then I looked down and saw it and commenced to jumping and running around in circles, real calm like. lol

[mikechell]

Bill, I could be wrong, but I don't think the Indigo was "introduced" to Florida. It's native to this part of the country. THey are very rare now, and protected by law. They are the largest snake in North America, reaching lengths a little over 8 feet.

[allworknofish]

blue indigos were brought to texas and put on the king ranch for the sole purpose of eating rattlesnakes.....they have spread somewhat but still an awsome snake to have around. they will turn and run at the first sight of man but will kill and eat so many dangerous snakes....

[Ole Bill]

Bill, I could be wrong, but I don't think the Indigo was "introduced" to Florida. It's native to this part of the country. THey are very rare now, and protected by law. They are the largest snake in North America, reaching lengths a little over 8 feet.they were reintroduced to central and south florida in the early sixties and late fifties because of they were becoming very rare from people killing them they were associated with the old wives tail about being hoop snakes these snakes were supposedly able to take their tail in there mouth and roll towards a person striking them with the tail which was suppose to be a spear point. the indigo or blue racer which is also called the black king snake has a very hard point on the tail that is nothing but scales and this is where the legend came from. needlessly people believed these snakes to be venomous and were killed on site. today they are becoming scarce due to habitat loss and the lack of education about these snakes. the old tail that a blue racer would chase you and attack you is one of these myths. they do not chase you if you see one coming towards you walk towards it and they will move in a way to avoid you and if you turn and run they will continue in the same direction because they dont deem you a threat. they are only trying to get someplace they knowthey want to be.

medulla thanks for the pic of the copperhead it can be a good aid in learning how to identify snakes that one might come across here. and everyone should remember with all this rain and water the snakes will be moving about as lower areas of land are flooded. i take it that net was laying on the ground somewhere. and from the looks of the snake it has definately been a recent shed of skin it sure is bright colored

[Ole Bill]

mikechell i should have used the word reintroduced into florida they were at one time quite common from there all the way up the eastern seaboard to about maryland and as far west as indiana they have since been introduce in california and several other states that is compatible with the life style. being the top member of the king snake family they are highly sought after because of their cannabalistic qualities towards other snakes especially pit vipers. they are immune to the venoms of all american venomous snakes and they are basically snake eaters. Bill Barrack the snake you killed is of the family phylum of bull snake these snakes are basically rodent eaters although they are know to occasionally take a lizard or snake but rarely will they tangle with a rattlesnake. that is the king snakes world and they are found throughout the US in different forms. one of the most beautiful and often maligned and killed is the banded king snake which looks strikingly similar to the coral snake. this snake also is a snake eater and getting very hard to find and at one time they ranged from the east coast to the west coast ... people dont realize that these snakes are your friend and protector. when they are gone the viper will rule.

[Scotta]

I agree medulla thanks for posting that pick. You can see the distinct diamond shape head associated with a pit viper

[Jerkugot'im]

The difference according to my old Scoutmaster was "Red and Yellow, Kill a fellow" and "Red and Black, Venom Lack". This, in indication of the colored bands on the small snakes. If these colors touched each other on the snake, you knew which one was a problem. For your "what it's worth department."