Snake!

[Mike]

Got in from work this morning to find this guy waiting for me in my basement.

18-20" copperhead.

[Guest Bronker]

Yikes!!!

Now let's see the 'after' picture with the blood and shovel marks on his head!!!

Me no likey slithery thingys.

[NuTcAsE]

You gonna start a thread about tanning it?

[TripleDigitRide]

There's the start of a very stylish holster.

[willis68]

I would have shot that with every gun I own !

[dralarms]

I would have shot that with every gun I own !

Yea me too. there would be holes all in that concrete and the walls behind it from ricochets.

[Mike]

Lol, Nutcase and TDR. It would almost be enough for a trim piece.

It resides in the ditch now. Headless.

[DWARREN123]

Just looking for its stimulus check.

[Guest eyebedam]

I would edit the post abit to read it's been transported to the ditch to enjoy natural outdoor living once again. I believe TN has a stupid law that says you can't kill snakes & there's a heavy fine if caught going so.

If I walked up on it I prob would have crapped my pants. Snakes scare me to death then I would have destroyed the basement. Like some others have said it would be a nice trim on a holster & mag carrier.

[Guest gunnutt]

thats not a copper head,sharp pointed tail,its non poisinous but still bad enough to make you hurt yourself,IIRC its a king snake,john

[jgrauman]

thats not a copper head,sharp pointed tail,its non poisinous but still bad enough to make you hurt yourself,IIRC its a king snake,john

just to put everyone at ease that is a CORN snake. not poisonous, very friendly when not molting. had one in 3rd grade.

[Mike.357]

I believe TN has a stupid law that says you can't kill snakes & there's a heavy fine if caught going so.

True stuff. illegal to kill snakes in these parts, the law makes no allowance for a snake being poisonous.

I ain't a fan of them either, but they do help with vermon. I am definitley not down with the vermon.

[Currently]

Not a copperhead ... http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=Copperhead+snake+pictures&gbv=2&aq=f&oq=

If you kill every snake you meet and let God sort them out, you are doing yourself a disservice.

Recognizing venomous snakes and their characteristics should be something taught to every 8 year old child. My dad spent quite a bit of time with us making sure that we understood our surroundings and the critters that live in it. I always took it for granted that everyone was taught like that.

That being said, I would kill a venomous snake in my basement without hesitation. If I had any doubt, I would trap it with a mop and bag it.

( My mom used to get mad at me cause I kept blacksnakes in my dresser drawers when I was a kid! <evil grin> )

Edited May 10, 2009 by Currently

[Guest pjblurton]

just to put everyone at ease that is a CORN snake. not poisonous, very friendly when not molting.

Spot On!

[Guest Major Pain]

In younger days use to catch every King snake and Black racer and bring home. Dad raised chickens(5000 at a time) and were good to release snakes at broiler house to keep mice down.--MP

[Guest 70below]

I'd be finding the hole that lil bastard crawled out of......poisonous or not!

[BryanP]

I'd be finding the hole that lil bastard crawled out of......poisonous or not!

Corn snakes are harmless. They're great for keeping the rodent population down around your household.

[Mike]

just to put everyone at ease that is a CORN snake. not poisonous, very friendly when not molting. had one in 3rd grade.

I may have been mistaken in the identity, but this one was very aggressive.

It was coiled up and reared back as soon as I saw it and anything that came near it, it struck at.

I took no chances.

[Guest m14man]

yeah most snakes imitate rattles snakes when cornered worst thing he could do is scratch you a little.

this is the worst one you will run across around here more than likely.http://images.google.com/images?gbv=2&hl=en&sa=1&q=cotton+mouth+snake+pictures&aq=f&oq=, there are a few rattlers around and coral snakes in east tn, but the meanest and most common is cottonmouth.

Edited May 10, 2009 by m14man

[Guest tnmale46]

Yea me too. there would be holes all in that concrete and the walls behind it from ricochets.

x3 plus some brown stains to clean up

[Fadex]

You save'em if you want to....I'll just mix a little mortar and hose the rest down the drain. I hate them all...creeps me out just thinking about it.

[Guest m4coyote]

That is not a Copperhead, it appears to be a Corn Snake. These guys actually make good pets, because they tame down so easily. All pit viper snakes in the USA have elliptical pupils (cat eyes), and they have "pits" - like a second set of nostrils. These pits direct air to the Jacobsen's organs, heat sensory receptors, which allow pit vipers to distinguish or track their prey in the dark.

Eastern Copperheads are not that brightly colored, are rather dull, and have an hour glass type pattern across their backs, not stripes.

I am the guy whom the police department calls upon to remove snakes from residences in the city where I work, have studied snakes most of my life, and can assure you that this guy was probably just on the trail of a mouse. Mice and rats are their favorite food, and they are exceptionally good at tracking them - the most perfect mouse trap ever devised.

[Currently]

+10,000 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Note the fat body going down to the tail on the venomous ones.

Most rat and vermin snakes have long slender tails.

Next thing to look for is a triangular head.

Call animal control and let them deal with it.

Tell them you got a poisonous snake in your house, they will come quickly ...

If you live out in the country, the least you could do is recognize the good ones from the bad ones. Good ones are great around the house and barn. Some of them even eat venomous snakes as part of their diet.

Edited May 10, 2009 by Currently
Much better answer than mine above! :thumbsup:

[Guest Sysvr4]

Personally, I find snakes fascinating. If you fear them, it's probably because you don't know enough about them. Take the time, read a book or two, because they serve a very important function; yes, even the poisonous ones.

Btw, the same goes for spiders.

[dunndw]

oudoors: unless it's a threat to me and mine I leave 'em alone

indoors: death...quick violent death to the invader