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Post by beetlehorn on Aug 6, 2014 17:58:01 GMT -8
Last weekend I made a short trip just west of my home. It is about a two hour drive towards the Mississippi river, and I was going to do some night blacklighting, and set up a few bait traps in hopes of getting some Catocalas. Two weeks before I was successful in capturing Catocala atocala, Catocala amatrix form "nurus", and Catocala nebulosa. The area surrounding the main road is rather swampy, with Cypress trees growing in bogs and marshy places. Just as I crossed the Gibson county line into Dyer county (Tennessee) I noticed a large snake crossing the road, so I stopped my truck and got out to see what it was. I was looking at one of the biggest Cottonmouth's I've ever seen. It was crawling towards the treeline. These are venomous pit-vipers of the Southeastern US and Mississippi Valley. Then I got back into my vehicle and drove a short distance and there was yet another one, this one even bigger than the last. The diameter was more than my forearm! I was wearing knee-high rubber insulated hunting boots so I nudged it on the tail, still keeping my distance though, and it actually reared it's head up and opened it's mouth exposing the venomous fangs! Then it suddenly took-off rather quickly, and I was surprised at it's speed. It seemed to just want to get away from me, and I was more than willing to let it go! I wish I had had a camera ready. Perhaps next time I go there I will take some pics to share with some of you herpetologists.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2014 19:13:35 GMT -8
Good post. Since my night collecting travels have taken me to spots with Copperheads and Rattlesnakes, my purchase of $75 SnakeGuardz leggings have been a nice insurance policy should I encounter more which I'm sure to. These are adjustable, can be worn w shorts or long pants, and are comfortable. I still am careful, but in case of that unseen surprise, I should be ok. Can't recommend them enough. Here is one link of many for the product. www.amazon.com/Snake-Gaiters-Protection-Khaki-Large/dp/B00L9KRVCU/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1407380235&sr=8-5&keywords=snake+guardz...................................................................................... This video is pretty cool to watch....... |
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Post by wingedwishes on Aug 7, 2014 8:22:51 GMT -8
Herpetology is another hobby I enjoy. I consider it a privilege to see herps when collecting. I did pick up a dead (and very large) road killed rattlesnake once. I thought it was alive at first and wanted to get it off of the road. I was immediately taken into custody for "hunting snakes without a permit" and fined $70. Ironic thing was that the wildlife officer who ran me in to the judge at 3am is the one who ran over the snake.
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Post by beetlehorn on Aug 7, 2014 9:44:19 GMT -8
If that was the case, this is a clear case of entrapment. Here in Tennessee it is illegal to kill any kind of snake, although many people do it out of fear. I didn't know you could actually "hunt snakes", and a permit would be required.
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Post by africaone on Aug 7, 2014 10:13:09 GMT -8
during 2 years in Cameroun, I met in the forest during huntings 28 snakes including one on which I put my boot (I didn't see it and it is my dog surexited that "showed" me that I had my foot on a snake) and a second that bit me in a finger (two weeks completely down in the bed under morphine and three months more for convalescence !)
Otherwise in other trips in Africa many more met including many Bitis, gabunica and arietans (common Viperidae), very few mamba (2) and a lot of Colubridibae.
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Post by wingedwishes on Aug 7, 2014 14:36:25 GMT -8
To collect snakes (lizards, scorpions, etc)in Texas you have to have a hunting permit. When I told the judge I did not have the $150 he wanted, he asked how much I had on me. I had $70. When I asked for a receipt, he threatened to throw me in jail a few days. I just counted it as a bribe to a dishonest official.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2014 15:11:46 GMT -8
I know Agkistrodon piscivorus well. This is one that I found earlier this year.
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Post by hymenoptera117 on Aug 7, 2014 19:00:41 GMT -8
Good post. Since my night collecting travels have taken me to spots with Copperheads and Rattlesnakes, my purchase of $75 SnakeGuardz leggings have been a nice insurance policy should I encounter more which I'm sure to. These are adjustable, can be worn w shorts or long pants, and are comfortable. I still am careful, but in case of that unseen surprise, I should be ok. Can't recommend them enough. I have some of these as well, though their straps dont seem to do a great job at holding them up on your legs. Also I wonder how they would hold up to Australia's nasty snakes. But I agree they are a good thing to have regardless. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2014 19:47:40 GMT -8
Hymenoptera117,
I may wrong, but the straps hold them in place laterally and they are supposed to ride / sit on the top of one's boot. My straps keep them loosely on the leg and the frontal tongue flap rests on the foot top. Also, this allows for more movement options leg wise as opposed to having a girdle effect stiffening / restricting / chapping the legs as one walks.
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Post by exoticimports on Aug 7, 2014 20:07:40 GMT -8
To collect snakes (lizards, scorpions, etc)in Texas you have to have a hunting permit. When I told the judge I did not have the $150 he wanted, he asked how much I had on me. I had $70. When I asked for a receipt, he threatened to throw me in jail a few days. I just counted it as a bribe to a dishonest official. LOL I had the same experience with a 58 in a 55 zone speeding ticket in NY! Back on topic, I grew up in an area without poisonous snakes or ticks. So I like places, like the Pacific, like that. I did get nailed in the stomach by an arboreal fer de lance in Belize, but it must have been a dry bite because I didn't die or even hiccup. Did have two nice puncture wounds though. In '98 in Ecuador we found a 16' anaconda that must have swallowed a pig. She was almost a meter around in that spot, and moving REAL slow. I've never seen a wild cottonmouth or rattle snake, despite collecting in such areas, and count myself lucky because in my younger years I was pretty (what's the word? stupid? ignorant? rebellious?) about snake safety. Sea snakes- on land or water- those I'm OK with. It's crocs I hate...farging things, you know they're within 10 meters and can't see the damned things- but they can see me! |
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Post by exoticimports on Aug 7, 2014 20:12:49 GMT -8
Good post. Since my night collecting travels have taken me to spots with Copperheads and Rattlesnakes, my purchase of $75 SnakeGuardz leggings have been a nice insurance policy should I encounter more which I'm sure to. These are adjustable, can be worn w shorts or long pants, and are comfortable. I still am careful, but in case of that unseen surprise, I should be ok. Can't recommend them enough. I have some of these as well, though their straps dont seem to do a great job at holding them up on your legs. Also I wonder how they would hold up to Australia's nasty snakes. But I agree they are a good thing to have regardless. Most Aussie snakes have short fangs. MOST. Want to read a funny (?) book: my mate left me a book on the nightstand called "See Australia and Die!". I, of course with jetlag, awoke at 3am and read the whole damned book. I was afraid to get out of bed. Seriously. But the story of the drunk guy with the viper who thought it was a skink is priceless. www.amazon.com/Australia-Die-Tales-Misadventure-Down-Under-ebook/dp/B005PSULTC |
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Post by prillbug4 on Aug 9, 2014 15:39:56 GMT -8
When I was down in Southern Illinois a few years ago, I heard rattling and believed it to be a Timber Rattlesnake. I was in tall grass and decided not to move from the spot until the snake moved away. After 20 minutes, I decided that the snake had moved away and returned to the car with a load of beetles that I had collected with my sweep net that day. I decided that waiting was the best thing that I could do. Since didn't want to be bitten. Sometimes, I walk along the road, and find snakes in aluminum cans. Mostly Garter snakes are found.
Jeff Prill
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2014 17:30:15 GMT -8
It's amazing how fast old bell tail can stop you in your tracks
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Post by jshuey on Aug 18, 2014 4:07:04 GMT -8
Two Things - here in Indiana cottonmouths are a state endangered species. We helped our DNR purchase the only known population in the state about 20 years ago. The population may or may not be extinct. If extinct, I doubt if anyone will ever suggest that we re-introduce it.
Second - I used to work for a huge non-profit organization that did a bunch of water quality work across the US for EPA. I was at first surprised when local water quality staff from southern states carried fire arms to shoot at cottonmouths. After a few years, I became nervous if they didn't. That is one aggressive - and very common - snake.
FYI – we found that when electroshocking for fish, a little bit of current in the water straightened the snake out, and they would drift downstream. I figured they were pissed but dazed by the time they cleared the area – but we were just thrilled to have a weapon that got them out of the stream reaches we were working on.
John
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Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2014 17:21:56 GMT -8
About 12 years ago my nephew and I went to the pine hills in Union County, Southern Illinois. We found this abberant colored Crotalus Horridus (Timber Rattlesnake). It was over 4 feet long and bigger around than a soda can.
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