SNAKES revisited!

[Mona]

Leeana, not sure if you went back and read the replies on the other snake thread, but in it, you had mentioned finding a coiled up (dead) snake in the hay. I too came across the same thing in my stallion's hay box early one Spring. It looked like it died in the "striking" position, and even had it's mouth open! I have NO idea what kind of snake it even is, but it was TINY! I wish I would have taken a pic of it in the palm of my hand, but to give you an idea of just how small it is, the little plastic cup it is in, is only about 3/4" deep and a little less than 2.5" across! I gave the snake to our grandson, and since I was there babysitting today, I got his Mom to dig it out from his "childhood treasures" box so I could get pics of it for you. I must say, as much as I HATE snakes, I was quite impressed with this little one! It seems like it is freezedried or something!

Then, below that one. I have also reposted a photo I put in the last snake thread, hoping maybe someone can identify the type of snake it is. So, can anyone identify one or both of these? Thanks!

 

[Leeana]

First off ew, second yes that is exactly what found except mine was flat flat...i mean almost paper thin smashed in coil position but if you were looking down on it it looks alive...but from the side you could see it was obviosuly dead because it was well...flat.

You found yours in a feed dish too? That is how i found mine...not that i really considered that thing "mine" (agian...ew) but i guess the gelding i had in that stall had dug it out of the hay and put it in the feeder (corner feeder) to apparently decoration his stall? Or he knew i would see it there eventually and send me off running.

Agian, eww

. As Marty would say...im a big weanie OH!

 

[Technicolor Pony]

Well, we (hubby and I) are not by any stretch of the imagination snake wranglers, but the first picture looks like what we call ground rattlers, don't know the real name for them, though. They are very common here in Texas. I've heard they are poisionous. Contrary to the name, they do not have rattles. If you get bitten by one, it'll make you pretty sick, so we've heard, I don't plan on getting close enough to find out. They are the little snakes you find in your flower beds and such when you turn the warmed soil in the spring, but as they grow, their patterns become more evident. They like to eat small insects, worms, and such, which may have been what it was after, and found the hay for cover. The babies almost look like earthworms. As for the second snake, we're not sure... sorry. Hope that helps.

Chris

 

[Matt73]

Wierd! I wonder how it died in striking position. It's funny that you posted this, Mona. About 5 hours ago I was vacuuming and Kev came in and called me. I shut off the vacuum and he said, "Matt, do you like Garter snakes?". I didn't really hear what he said, but came over anyway. He was holding the cutest, smallest little baby of a snake. I jumped back really quick because I didn't know what it was at first and Kev has a tendency to throw things at me (mainly just large larvae he finds, because he knows I think they're disgusting). When I realised it was a little Garter snake, it brought back great memories of my childhood. I used to catch them all the time (and then let them go, of course).

Here's the little guy:

He was safely placed under the porch after his photoshoot

 

[Leeana]

He was holding the cutest
Here's the little guy:

He was safely placed under the porch after his photoshoot

Matt, what you consider Cute and what i consider Cute are very very different things.....

 

[Matt73]

You're like my mom. She can't even look at a snake on TV or in a pic of any kind. She gets MAJOR willies.

 

[Mona]

Matt, what you consider Cute and what i consider Cute are very very different things.....

I'll second that Leeana!! Snakes are NOT my idea of cute. When our son was growing up, I had to "pretend" like they didn't really bother me, because if he knew how I really felt, he would have taken every opportunity to torment me with snakes!! That is really a hard thing to do when you can't stand them! If I see one, it is dead, (well, I guess that is not totally true, because usually I am too scared to kill it as I am afraid it may slither up my leg if I get too close!) I do not let them loose under my porch! I am sure we already have several under the house! ICKY!! I *THINK* all we have around here are garter snakes and copperheads but not 100% sure on that! Who knows, maybe we have those other little ones that Technicolor Pony posted about saying she thinks that i what this little one was. We buy our hay, but we do buy locally. I cannot say for sure if it was taken rom local pastures or if it was maybe bought elsewhere??

Leeana, I did not find it in the feed dish, I found it in the big hay box that is outside, in the stallion pen. I feed the hay in there.

 

[Sterling]

Mona....seems to me you might have a Bullsnake in that last pic of the one lying flat. Here's link to that one that I found.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bull_Snake

Studying the facial features it tends to have the same lines and splotches on the head from what I can tell in your pic.

That little one that's coiled is a bit tricky. Two questions.....Are his scales smooth and does he actually have fangs...can you tell?

 

[ErikaS.]

When I used to work at a stable, we'd find these little mummified snakes that were evidently baled with the hay. I'd toss in a couple of flakes for the big guys and they'd say, "No way am I eating that!!" And sure enough, dead snake in the flake. Blah...

Once when I was cleaning a stall (actually twice) I went to reach down, saying "who left a shoelace in here?"...it wasn't a shoelace and it wasn't dead...Fortunately, I'm not terrified of snakes, but I don't want to pick one up.

 

[Sonya]

EEEEWWWWW! I don't like them one bit. That is wierd how the little one died in that position...it almost looks like he was mounted like a deer head or something.

I found a dead blue racer in my hay once. It was pretty big for a racer, the color was gorgeous, it was like a deep turquoise. I know they are beneficial, but they still freak me out. My husband is terrified of them.

 

[Alex]

Mona, mabe the snake died in that position so you would take pictures of it and post it on the web, He wanted a little attention

Snakes are weird. Not really disgusting just I would rather not be around them...

 

[Mona]

Thanks Sterling. That's what Margo thought it was too, so must be! No matter what kind it is, it scared the heck out of me enough to make me jump sideways and even let out a bit of a screech! When we went on our trip, we were in the Badlands of SD, and at the first stop that we got out of the truck, there were these signs saying BEWARE RATTLESANAKES!

Oh great...just what I needed to see. I have never been anywhere that I had to worry about rattlers, so this was quite an unexpected and unwelcome sight!! I was walking up a little hill on this matting thing it is on, and as soon as I saw it I jumped sideways! I was so thankful to see it was already dead...had gotten stuck in the netting, but I didn't know that when I saw it! It did kind of look like the one pictured on the sign though...how was I to know! LOL!

 

[Sterling]

Thanks Sterling. That's what Margo thought it was too, so must be! No matter what kind it is, it scared the heck out of me enough to make me jump sideways and even let out a bit of a screech! When we went on our trip, we were in the Badlands of SD, and at the first stop that we got out of the truck, there were these signs saying BEWARE RATTLESANAKES!

Oh great...just what I needed to see. I have never been anywhere that I had to worry about rattlers, so this was quite an unexpected and unwelcome sight!! I was walking up a little hill on this matting thing it is on, and as soon as I saw it I jumped sideways! I was so thankful to see it was already dead...had gotten stuck in the netting, but I didn't know that when I saw it! It did kind of look like the one pictured on the sign though...how was I to know! LOL!

Oh MAN is that some beautiful scenery!!! (Not the rattlesnake sign...lol) Is that considered a mesa? Or would the mesas be flatter on top? Did you take anymore pics? I would love to see more of the "Badlands" if you would'nt mind sharing. Hubby and I are planning a trip out that way one of these old days.

 

[Mona]

Oh MAN is that some beautiful scenery!!! (Not the rattlesnake sign...lol) Is that considered a mesa? Or would the mesas be flatter on top? Did you take anymore pics? I would love to see more of the "Badlands" if you would'nt mind sharing. Hubby and I are planning a trip out that way one of these old days.

Did I take pics??? ARE YOU KIDDING ME???!!! I took about 400 each day on the first and second days and close to that the third! LOL!

Seriously though, I did get LOADS and LOADS of pics while there at the Badlands, and yes, a trip to that corner of SD would be well worth it. I was soooo impressed with it's beauty!!

Give me some time and I'll try to get some pics put up in a separate thread here by this evening. I'll probably post some of some of my favorite spots, and yes, the Badlands was definately one of them! The pic you see here is not even one of the more impressive sights!!