Author Topic: Snake I.D (Read 1893 times)

Bigeasy · « **on:** August 22, 2012, 04:54:37 AM »

Not quite sure where to post this one, so figured I'd try here...

Yesterday evening I was driving down a state forest road in central PA when I ran over this snake. Stopped and took a couple pictures. Having a hard time deciding if he's a Copperhead, or possibly a Rat Snake? Even though he was run over by a 3/4 ton PU, he still managed to crawl away...Tough snake. See a fair number of Rattlers around here at times, but not many Copperheads. Any Ideas?

Larry

Conan The Librarian · « **Reply #1 on:** August 22, 2012, 05:03:11 AM »

It does look like a copperhead.

hardertr · « **Reply #2 on:** August 22, 2012, 05:19:19 AM »

It's a copperhead.

The easiest way to tell is the pattern. There is are a couple of other snakes that sometimes get confused with copperheads, but copperheads have the "wide on the side, thin on the back" pattern. (Meaning the pattern starts out thin down the spine, but widens to the "leaf pattern" on it's sides.)

streak · « **Reply #3 on:** August 22, 2012, 05:38:16 AM »

Copperhead is correct!
Even has the viper head to match!

guzzijohn · « **Reply #4 on:** August 22, 2012, 06:10:07 AM »

I agree it is a Copperhead. Even though it crawled away it will probably die. I have a friend that is a herpetologist and is a curator at the Senora Dessert Museum. She once told me that snakes can get deadly infections quite easily from injury. She said that they have lost a snake before because the mouse they gave it to eat bit the snake and the snake died from infection in the bite.
GuzziJohn

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #5 on:** August 22, 2012, 06:35:00 AM »

copperhead ! we have them alot around the house so far this year I have killed six where we park. CRAWLED OFF ? here you slam on brakes then back over it slam on brakes then run over it once more .

consider if there had been no snake we would be running around in a garden naked and happy !

hogcowboy · « **Reply #6 on:** August 22, 2012, 07:45:16 AM »

Quote from: SHOOTALL on August 22, 2012, 06:35:00 AM

consider if there had been no snake we would be running around in a garden naked and happy !

Right on. Thanks Mr. Snake for ruining it for everyone!

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #7 on:** August 22, 2012, 08:15:46 AM »

Curtis · « **Reply #8 on:** August 22, 2012, 10:37:23 AM »

Yep, Copperhead. Mom got bit by one of those while picking peas in the garden. She wouldn't let Dad take her to town to get treated until she had bathed and changed out of her work clothes. Gotta love 'er!!!

Curtis

Scibaer · « **Reply #9 on:** August 22, 2012, 10:56:29 AM »

good eats right there

kynardsj · « **Reply #10 on:** August 22, 2012, 11:32:26 AM »

Must have been snake in the road day yesterday. I ran over a big rattler on a little country road near my home. My jeep got his attention then my 45 finished the job.

SwampThing762 · « **Reply #11 on:** August 22, 2012, 12:08:12 PM »

Well, I guess I'll shake things up a bit for this thread. Earlier this year, we got an 8-foot reticulated python at the country club where I work. Meat was a bit tough, but a few of us guys got new wallets out of the hide.

ST762

Swampman · « **Reply #12 on:** August 22, 2012, 12:13:39 PM »

Still don't understand grown people being afraid of and killing snakes...esp. grown men.

SwampThing762 · « **Reply #13 on:** August 22, 2012, 12:15:59 PM »

I stepped on a rattlesnake one year, and have hated snakes ever since.

Step on a venomous snake and tell me if it don't change your outlook. It changed mine.

ST762

Scibaer · « **Reply #14 on:** August 22, 2012, 12:20:17 PM »

being afraid of snakes ( and some other small animals , like spiders ) is a human trait.
its in our DNA , in so many words..
not being afraid of them, takes practice. once you get over the fear, you get a nice a meal lol

kynardsj · « **Reply #15 on:** August 22, 2012, 12:36:37 PM »

Swampman, around my home and close to it I shoo off non poisonous snakes. If it's poisonous and I have the opportunity I kill it. If you don't agree that's your option and yes, I am a grown man and I am going with my option.

lakota · « **Reply #16 on:** August 22, 2012, 12:42:44 PM »

I dont see snakes as good or bad. They are just snakes and they do what snakes do.

Bigeasy · « **Reply #17 on:** August 22, 2012, 12:43:07 PM »

Thanks for the replies. Figured it was a Copperhead, but wasn't sure. Didn't take the time to pry its mouth open and see - was late for a card game at a buddies cabin.. After looking at some pics on line at Rat Snakes, the skin patterning can be similar, but the head shape especially gives it away. My only concern around here is the rattlers. Certain rocky areas seem to hold quite a few of them in the summer, and I have almost stepped or sat on one before, and they don't always rattle to let you know they are there..

I don't usually kill a snake unless it's poisonous, and around the house, or where the dog can get into trouble with it. In the woods, no harm done. Raised a Python and a Boa in the past, so they don't really bother me, but yea, like Scibaer said, the instinctual fear of things like snakes is in the human gene, as a survival mechanism.

Larry

blind ear · « **Reply #18 on:** August 22, 2012, 05:53:00 PM »

Copperhaeds never rattle unless they happen to be in dry leaves. (haha) If they bite you you can have serious problems for a couple of years or more. If you happen to be allergic that is a whole different scenario. Antivenoms are extreamly expensive and hard to get and many people are as allergic to the antivenom as they might be the snake bite. Some MD's just monitor the pt rather than chanceing a reaction. ear

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #19 on:** August 23, 2012, 01:26:06 AM »

I kill all poison snakes near my home . I'm not afraid of them , just don't like them being in a place where children play. Had one bite my dog while she was in her pen so now they are killed if the venture to close to the house. I also hunted them at one time and that was alot of fun. We have some very big copperheads up to 45 inches . We also have some really long black snakes . I can tell you from experince that the two will stay in the same areas . Black snakes seem to like to get under stuff on the ground and CH's like piles of stuff like firewood.

magooch · « **Reply #20 on:** August 23, 2012, 02:41:34 AM »

All this snake talk makes me happy that on this side of the Cascades, all we have is garter snakes.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #21 on:** August 23, 2012, 02:47:32 AM »

That would be nice , in my yard if you pick something up it will have a black widow , brown recluse or snake under it. or all three.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #22 on:** August 23, 2012, 02:57:55 AM »

Here they have a metalic smell and it can get real strong.

Tommyt · « **Reply #23 on:** August 23, 2012, 03:07:13 AM »

did a goog search
Copper head

what they can do

Buckskin · « **Reply #24 on:** August 23, 2012, 04:51:43 AM »

We got nothing interesting like that up in Wisconsin. Couple timber rattler's in western part of the state but they are very few and far between. Never heard of widow's or recluses around here either, although that is fine, not big on having to check boots and gloves before putting them on... No scorpion's, gator's--- nothing. Maybe get to see a big rat snake once in a while if you're lucky...

Anytime I'm down south I'm always kicking around trying to find that stuff...

Swampman · « **Reply #25 on:** August 23, 2012, 05:53:58 AM »

Quote from: Tommyt on August 23, 2012, 03:07:13 AM

did a goog search
Copper head

what they can do

Serves him right for messing with the snake.

Spirithawk · « **Reply #26 on:** August 23, 2012, 11:51:10 AM »

Guys, I'm gonna be the odd man out here. I'm not so sure it's a Copperhead and not just a Water Snake. They can look a lot alike. The reason I say that is that it apears to have round pupils in the pic. Pretty hard to tell, but if they are round, it's no Copperhead. All poisonous snakes have "cat eye" pupils. Plus the head is not as wedge shaped as I'd expect were it a Copperhead. Here, about two months back, the local news reported a man dying from a Copperhead bite. When in doubt, whether a snake is poisonous or nonpoisonous, it's better to be safe than sorry.

williamlayton · « **Reply #27 on:** August 23, 2012, 01:34:29 PM »

I don't like snakes.
Not afraid of them---just don't like being bothered by 'em.
Killed so many after Carla it got boreing.
We don't have enough rats to bother with eyeing 'em and keeping the good'uns.
I mostly use a hoe. After Carla I used a 5 foot brush hook.
Killed a baby Copperhead on the patio---the dog was trying to sniff it and the snake kept striking at him. I dispatched the baby--don't come blow up my house.

Blessings

Curtis · « **Reply #28 on:** August 23, 2012, 01:42:38 PM »

Quote from: williamlayton on August 23, 2012, 01:34:29 PM

I mostly use a hoe.

When I was a youngster, Dad told me I had to start using the shotgun 'cause I was breaking too many hoe handles. HOE YEAH!!

Curtis

Needles · « **Reply #29 on:** August 23, 2012, 02:24:13 PM »

Quote from: Spirithawk on August 23, 2012, 11:51:10 AM

Guys, I'm gonna be the odd man out here. I'm not so sure it's a Copperhead and not just a Water Snake. They can look a lot alike. The reason I say that is that it apears to have round pupils in the pic. Pretty hard to tell, but if they are round, it's no Copperhead. All poisonous snakes have "cat eye" pupils. Plus the head is not as wedge shaped as I'd expect were it a Copperhead. Here, about two months back, the local news reported a man dying from a Copperhead bite. When in doubt, whether a snake is poisonous or nonpoisonous, it's better to be safe than sorry.

I'm not sure, either. I don't see any pits between the eyes and nose, either. Here in the desert, if you kill all the rattlers, the rabbits, field rats, chipmunks, and ground squirrels will eat anything green in your yard. I used to have a brown rattler living in the flower bed. Named him "Clyde." They don't move around a lot--- too hot, I guess. Eventually they crawl back out into the desert. I don't shoot coyotes for the same reason. Can't let the cats go outside, though.