Now THAT'S a Snake!!!!!!

[indiucky]

We were up at the farm this weekend and had an "awkward" moment....It seems our resident rat snakes, (who normally have the courtesy to not come back to slide underneath the house until after we're gone) forgot it was a three day weekend...Sunday afternoon (after we are normally heading back to town) the two showed up....I know snakes can't talk but the look both the 4 ft and the big (I am thinking over 6 feet in length judging by my wife's Celica) kind of looked up at us as they were heading back under the house....I swear it seems one looked up at me and said in it's own way, "Wow...this is kind of awkward...I forgot all about the Holiday and I apologize for that little scare as your wife was was relaxing in her tub enjoying the sun...Remind her that I am the reason there are no mice nor copperheads around the house..Remind her that please....Ciao..."

 

[Benp]

They are definitely good to have around the house, but when you first see them, in that split second when you recognize "Snake" but haven't yet recognized which type, they can give your heart a little boost.

 

[hog slayer]

They are definitely good to have around the house, but when you first see them, in that split second when you recognize "Snake" but haven't yet recognized which type, they can give your heart a little boost.

^^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^

I only shoot poisonous ones. The rat snakes are my friend.

 

[spencer rifle]

Most venomous snakes (not the copperhead) in Indiana are protected, being endangered. Please do not harm them. And to find out if a snake is poisonous, you have to eat it.

 

[Dimitrivich]

Back in Ohio, I always had a cat who curiously watched the baseboard radiators. I chalked it up to her hearing the expansion of the pipes and what not. Fast forward to the spring... the wife finds the body of a snake sticking out from under the radiator on the second floor just outside of our newborn's bedroom. Couldn't see it's head or tail. Just a section of his body banding that looked too similar to a Eastern Rattle. Quick moves with some leather gloves and out the window he went. Turned out to be one of two VERY large milksnake. The wife could never get over it. We moved a few months later.

 

[patience0830]

My little mouse eatin buddy. All 6' of him. His wife is even longer.

 

[Hoosier Carry]

Black Mamba!

 

[hog slayer]

Most venomous snakes (not the copperhead) in Indiana are protected, being endangered. Please do not harm them. And to find out if a snake is poisonous, you have to eat it.

I've eaten snake. Sorta tough. Think I may have cooked it too long. Nothing to brag about

 

[indiucky]

I just saw where rat snakes live up to 20 years on the wild....When we first went to look at the place five years ago it was overgrown and had really gotten in to disrepair...The snake was about a foot and a half shorter then...We were walking up through the chest high grass to get to the front steps when she gave us a hiss and went under the house...I remember looking at my wife and going, "That's a good sign Honey....It means there are no mice...."

 

[Bigtanker]

I'd have a real hard time getting used to a snake of that size being around. I like snakes but man it's big.

I found this little guy at the range a few weeks ago. I wanted to show the kids so I took him home with me. He was in an old lego container (a small locking lug on each side with plenty of gap for air) for the trip home. He rode in the passenger seat. When we got home, I brought him inside and made sure he was ok. I guess I didn't snap the lid down all the way. When I went to take him with me to pick up the kids, he wasn't in the box. I looked up on the window sill and there he was sunning himself.

I got him easily and off to school we went. The wife would have probably had heart failure if he came out while she was home.



After the kids had their fun at school, we stopped at a local park and let him go.

 

[indiucky]

I'd have a real hard time getting used to a snake of that size being around. I like snakes but man it's big.

The Celica is 68.3 inches wide...Just under 6 foot.....He was as long as the Celica is wide even with the three s curves....I believe that sucker was pushing 7 feet..

Every spring the young ones head out from under the house...When our Mountain Cur Bella (RIP) was around she would hound them all the way to the woods...It was like watching the Derby with my cur dog running from foot long snake to foot long snake barking at them like crazy to hurry them along....When they got to the woods she would come back head held high..."Just ran off those snakes...You're welcome..."

 

[CindyE]

That big one is a beauty! We need some of those around here, especially in the crawl space.

 

[miguel]

Hooray, finally a snake thread that doesn't suck!

 

[gunworks321]

That is a beautiful snake.

 

[Steel and wood]

Wow that is a huge pair of snakes you are lucky to have them glad the story did not end with that I killed them. Good job giving them a safe place to work there magic. And yes I am sure he talked to you in snake just saying my bad but got to go.

 

[IndyDave1776]

Nice snake. I don't care to get close enough to be on a first name basis, but do appreciate having such snakes around for the reasons mentioned upthread, particularly the absence of venomous snakes.

 

[chezuki]

to find out if a snake is poisonous, you have to eat it.

That one bugs me too.

 

[Expat]

That is still one big ass snake

 

[Thor]

I used to hunt rattlers in CO back in the '70's while out on training exercises at Ft Carson. I had an ammo pouch with the interior webbing removed that was just the right size to hold a snub nose 9 shot 22mag revolver. They were good to add to the constant diet of C-rats. It's why I still say chicken tastes like rattle snake. Other snakes I like to have around, the poisonous ones though, they end up as dinner.

 

[oldpink]

I'd have a real hard time getting used to a snake of that size being around. I like snakes but man it's big.

I found this little guy at the range a few weeks ago. I wanted to show the kids so I took him home with me. He was in an old lego container (a small locking lug on each side with plenty of gap for air) for the trip home. He rode in the passenger seat. When we got home, I brought him inside and made sure he was ok. I guess I didn't snap the lid down all the way. When I went to take him with me to pick up the kids, he wasn't in the box. I looked up on the window sill and there he was sunning himself.

I got him easily and off to school we went. The wife would have probably had heart failure if he came out while she was home.



After the kids had their fun at school, we stopped at a local park and let him go.

That little Garter is a real beauty.
I used to catch and release them all the time when I was a kid.
The only objectionable thing they do is eat insect-eating frogs and toads, but they eat so many insects of their own, plus rodents, that I always go out of my way to avoid harming them.