AG wrote earlier, "....Up in the UP, they grow those flies big enough to
carry off small
pets and children."
Old UP black fly joke: Sez one bf to another,
"Do we eat him here or take him back to the woods?"
Responds the other,
"Here! If we take him back, the BIG flies will take him away from us."
Heard that while waiting for the ferry, long before the bridge was built.
Still true I guess.
Old Rick
On Wed, Jun 16, 2010 at 12:29 PM, Chuck Norcutt <
chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> It's not surprising that your tractor owner had never seen a copperhead
> if he's near Houston. Houston is at just about the southern boundary of
> copperhead range. There are copperheads in Florida too but only the
> extreme northern bit in the immediate vicinity of the Georgia/Alabama
> line. Houston also is near the southern boundary in Texas for water
> moccasins as well so it's not too surprising that your tractor owner
> hasn't encountered many of those either.
>
> Texas does have 8 species of rattlesnake but any one part of Texas
> likely has only 2-4 species. As you might guess they tend to be
> distributed largely between eastern and western species or those that
> can tolerate the desert and those that can't.
>
> In Houston you might be likely to encounter four species of rattlesnakes
> although for two of those (Pigmy and Timber) Houston represents
> something close to the southern boundary for those species. More
> widespread in Texas and around Houston would be the Western Diamondback
> and the Western Massasagua. It and the Pigmy are fairly small with the
> Pigmy at about 18" or less and the Western Massasauga at 2 feet or less.
> The Pigmy ususally (but not always) has a reddish or rust colored
> stripe down its back. The Timber rattler and the Western Diamondback
> are much more formidable creatures growing up to 5 and 6 feet
> respectively although most are smaller than that.
>
> Around Austin I think you'll find 3 or 4 as well although the Western
> Diamondback and maybe the Western Massasagua will be the only two common
> to both places. The Pigmy and Timber rattler don't go that far west.
>
> The best way to avoid rattlesnakes is to study the species in your area
> and understand their habits and habitat. And be sure you can identify
> them. After having worked for the US Fish & Wildlife service for 6
> years as a volunteer on the Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge in south Florida
> I can tell you quite emphatically that I've never seen a visitor to the
> refuge (including lots of good ol' boys from Florida and elsewhere in
> the south) that could actually identify a water moccasin. Not a one.
> To them any snake in the water was a water moccasin. So I also take
> your tractor owner's report of having picked up a rattlesnake off his
> tractor's engine using a pair of needle nosed pliers with a large grain
> of salt. I ain't sayin' it ain't true, mind ya, but rattlesnakes are
> not exactly known for their climbing prowess. It's possible if it was
> chilly outside and the tractor engine was warm that a rattler might be
> encouraged to do what he normally would never consider. And a chilly
> and sluggish snake would also help explain why the pliers wielder didn't
> get bitten. But I wouldn't bet a plugged nickel that it was actually a
> rattler. Too many rat snakes and other kinds of non-venomous snakes
> throughout Texas that actually like to climb and wouldn't give a second
> thought about climbing up onto a tractor engine, especially if it was warm.
>
> As to Coral snakes you certainly have them throughout south and
> southeastern Texas. It's clear that you also know how to identify them
> and distinguish them from their look-alike buddies in your area, the
> king snakes and, to a lesser extent, the milk snakes. ("red and yellow
> kill a fellow, red and black friend of Jack") But there is very little
> reason to fear Coral snakes. First, they are very shy and reserved and
> hard to find. Their mouths are so small that they have a hard time
> getting a good bite on you. The fangs are tiny and most likely wouldn't
> even penetrate a leather garden glove. Most would have to have
> something really small to latch onto such as the web of skin between
> your fingers. But it is truly serious if they get through your skin.
> The only true story I know of a Coral snake bite concerns a couple of 10
> year old boys in my area near Palm Beach, Florida who found a Coral
> snake. One of them was bitten by the snake but only after they had
> played with it for about 1/2 hour.
>
> This is getting long so I'll end with these thoughts. Consider that, to
> the snake, you look a lot like Godzilla. Would you deliberately attack
> Godzilla with your teeth? Yes, venomous snakes have venom but they are
> very reluctant to use it on you unless threatened. The venom is their
> means of catching food. They eat rarely and venom takes a long time to
> replenish. If they use it up on you they're not likely to eat for quite
> a while. And remember: 90% of the people who are bitten by a venomous
> snake are trying to either capture or kill the snake. Forget about the
> pistol and bird shot. Just leave them alone and you'll both be happier.
>
> Finally, pit vipers (copperheads, water moccasins and rattle snakes in
> the US) can strike very accurately to about 1/2 their length. Much less
> accurately at 3/4 and not at all beyond their length. All you have to
> do is keep a respectable distance. And no semi-intelligent snake is
> going to come after you. Remember, you really do look like Godzilla.
>
> Chuck Norcutt
>
>
>
> NSURIT@xxxxxxx wrote:
> > This one required a little more thought than some . . . and that is
> crazy.
> > I've been working on a project since late winter/early spring in a
> field
> > with a large collection of old tractors (think tractor junk yard and
> > collection.) Last week I was talking to the owner about snakes and he
> said he
> > had never seen a copperhead and had only killed one water moccasin since
> > moving there in 1947, however this time of year there are some
> rattlesnakes.
> > Told the story of how one had crawled up on the head of one of his
> tractor
> > engines earlier in the spring and he walked by it and didn't pay any
> > attention and then started thinking about it, went back and grabbed it
> behind
> > the head with some needle nose pliers and pulled it out only to realize
> it
> > was a rattle snake. He said he squeezed real hard and dispatched it.
> No
> > sh&%.
> >
> > Last week my 93 year old Godmother had a rattlesnake in her back yard and
> > she lives in town and that morning I saw a coral snake that had recently
> > been hit on my street. Yes, it was red and yellow as opposed to red and
> > black. It was still moving when I stopped to check it out. Later in
> the day
> > it had become a very flat snake.
> >
> > My two gransons are up for the week (8 & 10 years old) and we were
> > planning on doing some work on their fort/tree house in the woods. Went
> to
> > Cabellas looking for snake boots or leggings. No luck.
> >
> > I just ordered three pair of snakeboots from snakeboots.com. a little
> on
> > the expensive side, however I will be a little more comfortable tramping
> > around in areas I know have snakes with this bit of added protection.
> >
> > Does anyone else have snakeboots in their kit or interesting snake
> stories
> > while out photographing?
> >
> > Bill Barber
> >
> >
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