Snake in The Garden

[rozpalm]

I am back into getting my garden in order and I went down to the lakes edge to wash the dirt off of my hands when I looked to my immediate left and saw this guy. This is a snake that is often killed by people that think it is a water moccasin. It is a Banded Water snake which is very docile and completely harmless. Unfortunately they tend to look like a water moccasin to most people and they are then easily killed. The easiest way to tell the banded water snake from the water moccasin is by the eyes and elongated head. Water moccasins have more of a triangle shaped head and the eyes are not visible when looking at them from overhead. Another way to tell, although not full proof is by the way they swim. Water moccasin's unlike any other snake can swim on top of the water. Why this is not a full proof way is that they also swim under the water as well (quite well actually).

[ThunderSRQ]

Ron,

Great post re: showing a snake that is VERY often mistaken for a water moccasin (and subsequently killed). However, I'm almost sure that one is a brown water snake (?) -- they've got blotches on their back as opposed to bands all the way across.

http://www.flmnh.ufl...taxispilota.htm

Here is a picture I took of a pair of them over near Lake Okeechobee (the male is the little one).

Tim

[rozpalm]

Tim that is a banded water snake. I am 100% sure of that. I just subtitled my post that way since many people mistake this snake for the water moccasin.

[rozpalm]

Tim I am sorry, I totally misread your post. You are right it is a brown water snake.

[DoomsDave]

Could you post a pic of water mocassin (without the cotton-mouth, got me plenny o'dat right now, yee-haw . . . . )

dave

[bubba]

Ron, You are not kidding about the manner in which a Florida Cottonmouth appears to nearly run on top of the water.I was in a boat on a Central Florida lake near shore when something big fell out of a Cypress tree.It twas a Cottonmouth that commenced a bullrush on top of the water towards the boat. Heat seeking missle stuff.

Got out of there quick but have had numerous other encounters with said Cottonmouth and they are the most aggressive poisonous snake I have seen.They sincerely seem to want a bite whereas even Rattlers rattle to scare you away.

[rozpalm]

Bubba, that is interesting. They are more aggressive then your typical snake that is for sure. BTW, you should see how well they swim under the water. I had one in my pool some time ago and that thing stayed on the bottom for at least 30min. When it swam under the water it was like as fast as an eel. My buddy is a dark water diver for the sheriffs office and he comes across them all the time on the bottom of lakes. He has even had them swim under his body and come out by his mask which really freaks him out. When I first built my pool, I was walking on the sun ledge looking at the rock waterfall when a small one swam through the middle of my legs. I screamed like a little girl.

Dave, next time I come across a cotton mouth, I'll post a photo of it.

[Kathryn]

Cool snake pictures.

Here's one on top the water that I found on a website for Ron's Guide Service.

[spockvr6]

They sincerely seem to want a bite whereas even Rattlers rattle to scare you away.

Ive read that this is the best way to tell a Cottonmouth-----

If it chases you even when you quickly turn and leave, and bites you on the @ss while you are running away, it was a Cottonmouth. Nasty snakes. If I saw any of them in my yard, my next purchase would be Rikki Tikki Tavi!

[Moose]

They sincerely seem to want a bite whereas even Rattlers rattle to scare you away.

Ive read that this is the best way to tell a Cottonmouth-----

If it chases you even when you quickly turn and leave, and bites you on the @ss while you are running away, it was a Cottonmouth. Nasty snakes. If I saw any of them in my yard, my next purchase would be Rikki Tikki Tavi!

Actually Larry, your statement is not very far fetched. The "Cottonmouth" or Water Moccasin is an agressive territorial creature. They will definitely come at you. The common water snakes are shy and want to be left alone. They shun people.

Remember when the water moccasins attacked that kid in the TV movie Lonesome Dove when they crossed the river with the cattle?

[Kris]

Here are few stills,that my friend sent me from karnataka state(South India)..

And i was told that in Aagumbae ghats in karnataka there plently of snakes and some are wiered like the one above.

kris.

[Moose]

Flashback...

[Kris]

Yeah ! The Alien's have taken an new Avatar..

[Kris]

Some more visuals...

. . .

Love,

kris

[Moose]

Some more visuals...

. . .

Love,

kris

Kris - is there a story behind your visuals you are sharing regarding your multiple headed friendly cobra?

Ron.

[Kris]

Kris - is there a story behind your visuals you are sharing regarding your multiple headed friendly cobra?

Ron.

Yes,Dear Ron

This snake is spoted in the Kuke,Subraminiya swamy temple,near mangalore.

http://maps.google.c...hnear=Mangalore,+Karnataka,+India&ei=QePFS6XHGJC-rAesvJWVDg&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&ved=0CAsQ8gEwAA

http://www.mangalore...subramanya.html

http://www.mangalore.com/

And this snake is supposed to be very friendly and visits the temple during the pooja ceremony.And this snake is very much loved and revered.

Since indians worship snakes and the mythological belief is that they signify good health,skin texture,progeny,sound sleep,etc.

i.e if a person has hurt a snake in his past life(birth) depending on the degree of his or her doings they would be punished in this birth accordingly with the relevant disease & health disorders.

And astrologically they term the horoscope as 'Kalasarpa Dosha'.Which means the person having that kind of horoscope is bound to have the health disorders as mentioned above.

love,

kris

[edbrown_III]

A few photos to add to the mix-- these are a few years old--- I saw this albino for a good month in the garden then never again --- lots of racers since then --- I guess they are easy for the hawks to pick off.

[ThunderSRQ]

Very interesting...(and unusual that it even got to that size without natural/protective coloration -- white snakes must be extremely easy to spot by predators). Also, that one appears to be leucistic as opposed to albino (it doesn't have pink eyes) -- if it was an albino, I'm thinking it would not have been out during the day since their eyes tend to be very sensitive to bright light.

[amazondk]

A little over a month ago my wife found this little guy right next to the front steps of the house on the street side of the wall of our carport and entry way. It was a native boa of decent size. One of the neighbors took it away and supposedly let it loose. At least that is the last we heard of it.

dk

[edbrown_III]

Very interesting...(and unusual that it even got to that size without natural/protective coloration -- white snakes must be extremely easy to spot by predators). Also, that one appears to be leucistic as opposed to albino (it doesn't have pink eyes) -- if it was an albino, I'm thinking it would not have been out during the day since their eyes tend to be very sensitive to bright light.

Good point--- I didnt look that closely at the photo (or remember the definition)

Best regards

Ed

[edbrown_III]

A little over a month ago my wife found this little guy right next to the front steps of the house on the street side of the wall of our carport and entry way. It was a native boa of decent size. One of the neighbors took it away and supposedly let it loose. At least that is the last we heard of it.

dk

Great photo this would be one of the advantages (in my view) of living in Brasil --- so many cool things in the garden.

Best regards

Ed

[Moose]

The Cottonmouth

I went fishing this morning but after a short time I ran out of worms.

Then I saw a cottonmouth with a frog in his mouth. (For all y'all

Northerners and City Folk, a "cottonmouth" is a water moccasin -- one of the 4 poisonous snakes in North America, and generally the meanest, being more aggressive than rattlesnakes.)

Frogs are good bass bait. Knowing the snake couldn't bite me with the frog in his mouth I grabbed him right behind the head, took the frog, and put it in my bait bucket.

Now the dilemma was how to release the snake without getting bit. So, I grabbed my bottle of Jack Daniels and poured a little whiskey in his mouth. His eyes rolled back, he went limp. I released him into the lake without incident and carried on fishing using the frog.

A little later, I felt a nudge on my foot. There was that same snake

with two frogs in his mouth.

Life is good in the South.