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Snake Thread 2016

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12f Mane
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In reply to BackwardsInBoots • 1:17p, 10/17/16
AG
BackwardsInBoots said:
You can't really see the head well in this picture, but water moccasins have a face stripe that I'm sure someone can go into more detail on than I can remember. Another thing is body shape - moccasins seem to be really fat and then dramatically taper down to their tail. This snake doesn't have that body shape - it very slowly tapers to a point.

Is that right, guys? Have I learned stuff?!
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FOUR THIN INCHES
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1:30p, 10/17/16
AG
I walked up on and was able to get a positive ID on this fellow, but by the time I pulled out my phone to take a pic he was already trying to get away into some thick grass. I would be very surprised if anyone could ID him based off of these pics, but I'll let y'all guess.




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FrioAg 00
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1:47p, 10/17/16
AG
Indigo?
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3rdGenAg05
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In reply to BackwardsInBoots • 1:49p, 10/17/16
AG
Yeah, this thread has prevented me from killing all snakes I encounter, but a gray/black snake near water will not make it close enough to me to look for a "face stripe."
I need more details or habits I can ID from afar. The snake lex killed and the one posted by Finn on pg 47 look identical to me.
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Tursiops93
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In reply to 3rdGenAg05 • 1:53p, 10/17/16
AG
3rdGenAg05 said:
12f Mane said:
Lex said:
What is it? I assumed water moc due to the smell it had as soon as I hit it with that shovel.
yellowbellied water snake, harmless.


If you haven't already, can you please describe differences of these two snakes? I seem to miss this ID a lot.
Perhaps post some pics of color variations in TX?? I'm with Lex, if I couldn't see its belly, I'd have assumed cottonmouth too.
Great thread by the way.
Cottonmouth (Mocassin) - Broad horizontal stripe through eye down entire head.


Watersnakes - Vertical lines on head/jaw
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In reply to FrioAg 00 • 1:57p, 10/17/16
AG
FrioAg 00 said:
Indigo?

It's a water moccasin, I found it down near the mouth of the San Antonio River. When I came upon it, it was out in the open and pretty easy to tell by it's tail, which is what I first looked at. Plus it had it's head up off the ground, whereas as water snake would have kept its head down on the ground.
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Lex
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2:29p, 10/17/16
Ummm. You can't see my snakes head. I sorta crushed it... I still wouldn't be able to tell. Nor would I give a snake the pleasure of getting that close intentionally. If it tried to bite me it will die(at least as far as snakes go)
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4stringAg
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3:29p, 10/17/16
AG
12fmane, ZooGuy, ursus are the major experts but......

Your basic water moccasin:

"Eyeliner"
Thick, heavy body
"glide" over water instead of swim under it mostly
Head shape much more triangular/spade shaped



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AgEng06
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4:16p, 10/17/16
AG
My buddy (maybe he'll post to claim this) got run out of his pop-up blind 2 weekends ago by a snake. He was able to snap the picture below with a potato before running for his life.

What do you guys think?

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ttha_aggie_09
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In reply to AgEng06 • 4:25p, 10/17/16
AG
Surprised it didn't rattle at him.

Black and white striped tail... pretty easy tell.
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AgEng06
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In reply to ttha_aggie_09 • 4:27p, 10/17/16
AG
Nice. I don't believe he noticed a rattle and didn't see or hear anything (not that it means your ID isn't correct).
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ttha_aggie_09
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In reply to AgEng06 • 4:30p, 10/17/16
AG
It's 100% a western diamondback rattlesnake
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AgEng06
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In reply to ttha_aggie_09 • 4:33p, 10/17/16
AG
Thanks, I'll let him know. This was in Mills County, just FYI.
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OnlyForNow
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8:46p, 10/17/16
AG
He took a photo with a potatoe?
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JD Shellnut
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In reply to 12f Mane • 8:50p, 10/17/16
AG
12f Mane said:
Drifter. said:
http://www.wltx.com/mb/news/giant-water-moccasin-nabbed-st-johns-county/336650351
Holy forced perspective batman!


Yes, I realize this, but isn't 5 1/2 ft large for a cotton mouth?
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PabloEsteban87
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In reply to JD Shellnut • 9:26p, 10/17/16
AG
Drifter. said:
12f Mane said:
Drifter. said:
http://www.wltx.com/mb/news/giant-water-moccasin-nabbed-st-johns-county/336650351
Holy forced perspective batman!


Yes, I realize this, but isn't 5 1/2 ft large for a cotton mouth?



Yuuuuggggeee!!!!!
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12f Mane
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9:32p, 10/17/16
AG
The largest recorded cottonmouth is 74 1/2 inches. Anything over 4 feet is rare.
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AgEng06
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In reply to OnlyForNow • 9:40p, 10/17/16
AG
OnlyForNow said:
He took a photo with a potatoe?

Here ya go
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BuddysBud
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In reply to Lex • 10:14p, 10/17/16
AG
Lex said:
Ummm. You can't see my snakes head. I sorta crushed it... I still wouldn't be able to tell. Nor would I give a snake the pleasure of getting that close intentionally. If it tried to bite me it will die(at least as far as snakes go)
Even though the head is crushed the vertical stripes along the lower jaw are obvious-->yellow belly water snake. Also, most water snakes as well as cottonmouths can release a musk when threatened.
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ttha_aggie_09
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In reply to BuddysBud • 10:29p, 10/17/16
AG
Winner winner!

I'll also add, "most" of the time (most being the key word) any snake that is actively striking at you or being overly aggressive, is not venomous.

The venomous guys know they're the **** and typically just calmly sit there, if they haven't already tried to flee (which almost all snakes do first - unless they think their concealed). I have always said with snakes near water that if they don't immediately try and get away, there is a good chance it's a water moccasin.

If they try and get away and then are cornered and start acting really aggressive and striking, it's probably a water snake. Those guys just tend to have bad tempers and their bites don't feel great. When you corner a moccasin they usually take a defensive coil protecting head at center and just look at you, like "I f-ing dare you".

Again, this is not always applicable to every encounter but just some of my experiences with snakes and how their behavior can sometimes be a tell tale sign.
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Lex
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In reply to ttha_aggie_09 • 10:48p, 10/17/16
chiken
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In reply to ttha_aggie_09 • 9:47a, 10/18/16
AG
ttha_aggie_09 said:
When you corner a moccasin they usually take a defensive coil protecting head at center and just look at you, like "I f-ing dare you".
Hilarious to read
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Comeby!
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In reply to chiken • 11:26a, 10/18/16
AG
chiken said:
ttha_aggie_09 said:
When you corner a moccasin they usually take a defensive coil protecting head at center and just look at you, like "I f-ing dare you".
Hilarious to read


I get that look from women a lot. They love me. /Trump
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AgEng08
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12:13p, 10/18/16
AG
So I'm the guy that was "run out of his pop-up blind"... evidently by a western diamondback rattlesnake.

Quote:
When you corner a moccasin they usually take a defensive coil protecting head at center and just look at you, like "I f-ing dare you".
This is exactly what he did after I flicked him away from me with my arrow/broadhead.

WHY DIDN'T HE RATTLE AT ME!?!?! I was filming some turkey, then went to set down my camera and... oh man snake!!!
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EFE
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In reply to AgEng08 • 12:26p, 10/18/16
AG
You kept your composure better than I did the last time I came across a rattle bug in close quarters. We used to haul farm trash to the dump in an old low slung stock trailer. Mostly baler twine and feed sacks. It was naturally a great spot for mice and things that feed on mice. I had just about cleaned it out and was in the nose moving a pile of wadded up feed sacks when I uncovered a sleeping 3ft rattler. Both of our gut instincts were to go the opposite direction. He slipped out of a rusted out hole in the nose, I turned into Carl Lewis coming out of the starting blocks. He escaped never to be seen again. I found one of the support ribs in the top of the trailer with my forehead mid bound. It upended me and I landed in the pile of feed sacks dazed, but just knowing that I was on top of the snake I'd already seen slip away. To say I was having an adult hissy fit is an understatement.
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Comeby!
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In reply to AgEng08 • 12:59p, 10/18/16
AG
First of all, props for coming out. Lol
Secondly, the snake must've thought you weren't smarter than average. Grandpa used to say rattlesnakes typically are found around dumber people, warns them.
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AgEng08
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In reply to EFE • 1:01p, 10/18/16
AG
Haha... if there was a way for me to get out of there quickly I would have!!!

I leaned back, unzipped the door and eased out of there... I was VERY uncomfortable, haha... heart racing and felt like stuff was crawling on me (but wasn't of course). I grabbed my pack and fished my headlamp, rangefinder, and camera out with my arrow. He just sat, coiled up against the front wall, watching me.

This was during the second half of the Tennessee game... so pretty sure God sent him there so I could make it back in time for OT, haha!

My initial thought was... oh crap a rattlesnake is in the blind with me... then after I was out of the blind... I thought, I don't really see a rattle, I don't hear a rattle, he isn't very big... maybe it's not a rattlesnake.

I definitely wasn't thinking straight after the encounter... I took the pic with a cell phone, but i had a HD camera with a 40X optical zoom in my pack.

I guess I need to go burn that blind down now.

ETA: seriously... any idea why he wouldn't rattle at me?
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AgEng08
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In reply to Comeby! • 1:03p, 10/18/16
AG
Wait... he didn't warn me (no rattle)!! So he thought I was above average, right?
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Ducks4brkfast
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In reply to AgEng08 • 1:12p, 10/18/16
AG
AgEng08 said:
Wait... he didn't warn me (no rattle)!! So he thought I was above average, right?
Nope. Wild hogs taught that rattle snake to not rattle.
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ttha_aggie_09
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In reply to Ducks4brkfast • 1:20p, 10/18/16
AG
Ducks4Brkfast said:
AgEng08 said:
Wait... he didn't warn me (no rattle)!! So he thought I was above average, right?
Nope. Wild hogs taught that rattle snake to not rattle.


I was waiting for this
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4stringAg
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In reply to ttha_aggie_09 • 1:32p, 10/18/16
AG
ttha_aggie_09 said:
Winner winner!

I'll also add, "most" of the time (most being the key word) any snake that is actively striking at you or being overly aggressive, is not venomous.

The venomous guys know they're the **** and typically just calmly sit there, if they haven't already tried to flee (which almost all snakes do first - unless they think their concealed). I have always said with snakes near water that if they don't immediately try and get away, there is a good chance it's a water moccasin.

If they try and get away and then are cornered and start acting really aggressive and striking, it's probably a water snake. Those guys just tend to have bad tempers and their bites don't feel great. When you corner a moccasin they usually take a defensive coil protecting head at center and just look at you, like "I f-ing dare you".

Again, this is not always applicable to every encounter but just some of my experiences with snakes and how their behavior can sometimes be a tell tale sign.
This has been my experience as well. Fish a lot of small lakes and overflow lakes in and around the Memphis area and come across water snakes and moccasins all the time and almost always see the behavior you describe in moccasins, and more aggressive behavior from water snakes.
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Courtesy Flush
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8:42p, 10/18/16
AG
Cottonmouth...and if you weren't looking pretty closely I could foresee stepping right on top of this one.

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htxag09
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In reply to Courtesy Flush • 8:45p, 10/18/16
AG
That's a great picture!
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12f Mane
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9:29p, 10/18/16
AG
That picture looks familiar
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12f Mane
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In reply to Ducks4brkfast • 9:30p, 10/18/16
AG
Ducks4Brkfast said:
AgEng08 said:
Wait... he didn't warn me (no rattle)!! So he thought I was above average, right?
Nope. Wild hogs taught that rattle snake to not rattle.

Just want to clarify that this is not true...
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