We have a full-sized rattle snake under the house
- Thread starter Pecos
- Start date
![b1f4a5b2494f5cf4693540a3f0679bbb[1].jpg](https://www.seniorforums.com/data/attachments/206/206908-1ad57be5b100f38668c0ea14070d9835.jpg "b1f4a5b2494f5cf4693540a3f0679bbb[1].jpg")
I hope you don't crawl under the house to get that snake.
Pecos
Well-known Member
- Location
- Washington State
I am sorry and will probably not bring up snakes or creepy crawlies again.
Pecos
Well-known Member
- Location
- Washington State
I won’t, I don’t like them at all and wonder about those people who feel compelled to mess with them.I hope you don't crawl under the house to get that snake.
JustDave
Well-known Member
This may be an eastern king snake I photographed in Virginia. I can't remember how I identified it, so if someone knows better, correct me. We had king snakes in Montana, but they are colored and marked like rattlers. We also called them bull snakes. It's one of the good guys. Ranchers welcomed them on the property and in the barns, I understand. I don't usually say this, but I think this one is a pretty snake.
From Australia or New Guinea or another country in Central America, maybe Ecuador, look into high voltage dc snake bit treatment devices. Very very effective and inexpensive and works immediately.
Low voltage stun guns used to work, and still do, but it is harder or impossible to find one under thirty thousand volts dc. Over that voltage they don't help. The USA Arby used to have them distributed world wide for all the troops, until the druglords bribed a congressman in tx to get it declared a medical device instead of a first aid device, then threatened to sue the army if they continued using them .
I'm pretty sure you will...... not the crawling ones, but those lower lifes who are in political office....
Alligatorob
SF VIP
Happened to my Uncle once in Louisiana, a water moccasin when he was duck hunting. Just after shooting the snake he realized that was not a good choice. It was a long wet trip back to the landing...
Alligatorob
SF VIP
Not crawling in after him was probably a good idea!
I don't like killing rattlesnakes, but could make an exception for one living under the house. The last one I killed was in a crowded campground full of kids, did not feel safe to let him roam free.
Same here, I don't know of any deaths. However I knew a guy who lost his thumb and forefinger to a bite, they are nasty. According to this article in the US there are about 8,000 rattlesnake bites and 10 to 15 deaths per year.
helenbacque
Senior Member
- Location
- Central Florida
Did you see the rattles? We used to get bull snakes and they can be hard to tell apart unless you see the rattles. What shape were your snakes pupils?
"
If you come across the snake in the dark, it's more likely to be a rattlesnake than a bullsnake. Bullsnakes eat more than rattlesnakes, so they are constantly foraging, and they do so during the day. Rattlesnakes are more opportunistic, waiting for prey to come to them, and this strategy works best at night. Bullsnakes are constrictors and have to search for prey, so if the snake you see seems to be going somewhere purposefully, it's probably a bullsnake. The snake you come across happily sunning itself on a log, on the other hand, is more likely a rattlesnake.
Rattlesnakes are pit vipers, and like all such snakes, they have a large, triangular head that narrows dramatically at the neck. Not so bullsnakes. They have narrow heads and relatively thick necks. A bullsnake knows this feature can give away its identity, so when frightened, it will flatten its head to make it look more like that of a rattlesnake. So head shape is not exactly a conclusive identifier. You need more information, and for that, you might have to get closer than you're like. Whereas the pupils of rattlesnakes are vertical slits, those of bullsnakes are round. "
Not a rattlesnake but I just went by the tail, did not look into his eyes...
"
If you come across the snake in the dark, it's more likely to be a rattlesnake than a bullsnake. Bullsnakes eat more than rattlesnakes, so they are constantly foraging, and they do so during the day. Rattlesnakes are more opportunistic, waiting for prey to come to them, and this strategy works best at night. Bullsnakes are constrictors and have to search for prey, so if the snake you see seems to be going somewhere purposefully, it's probably a bullsnake. The snake you come across happily sunning itself on a log, on the other hand, is more likely a rattlesnake.
Rattlesnakes are pit vipers, and like all such snakes, they have a large, triangular head that narrows dramatically at the neck. Not so bullsnakes. They have narrow heads and relatively thick necks. A bullsnake knows this feature can give away its identity, so when frightened, it will flatten its head to make it look more like that of a rattlesnake. So head shape is not exactly a conclusive identifier. You need more information, and for that, you might have to get closer than you're like. Whereas the pupils of rattlesnakes are vertical slits, those of bullsnakes are round. "
Not a rattlesnake but I just went by the tail, did not look into his eyes...
Been there done that however fortunately it was our pontoon boat. Got the snake but had to patch a small hole on the boats deck.
Nathan
SF VIP
- Location
- High Desert- Calif.
Yes, a neighbor told me a rattlesnake had entered his chicken pen, and that the chickens made short-work of killing it.
Pecos
Well-known Member
- Location
- Washington State
Pecos
Well-known Member
- Location
- Washington State
There probably is, but I don't think they would be any more enthused than I am about going down into me crawl space. I am going to try a rattlesnake repellent after reading the post by @Don M.
Pecos
Well-known Member
- Location
- Washington State
As I recall, these particular King Snakes will feast on rattle snakes, and I won't interrupt his/her meal. I agree, this is a pretty snake.
Yes, Eastern King. They're beautiful & don't mind being handled.
Pecos
Well-known Member
- Location
- Washington State
I got my snake repellant and applied it this morning to all of the possible entry places around the house, shed and wood pile. I had expected it to really stink, but while it was strong smelling, it reminded me of concentrated kitchen spices.
I have not seen my snake since the original sighting, and I hope that this repellant keeps it from coming back.
Don M.
SF VIP
- Location
- central Missouri
Just be careful when outdoors, and look around closely. Poisonous snake bites can be especially dangerous in high heat conditions.
Pecos
Well-known Member
- Location
- Washington State
LOL, I will pass on doing this.
Alligatorob
SF VIP
They are non-poisonous, however when you grab one it can release a pretty foul smelling secretion. Kind of a skunk like self-defense. They also have a painful and powerful, for a snake, non-toxic bite.
I well remember the first one I tried to catch, it was a big one. After a few bites I let him go, then had to jump in the lake with my clothes on to get the smell out.
This guy is doing better than I did...
The snake probably snuck up to the attic to escape that smell. lol
Rattlesnakes usually avoid humans, but about 8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes in the U.S. each year, with 10 to 15 deaths, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.