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Snake Thread 2018

500,834 Views | 2229 Replies | Last: 5 yr ago by JD Shellnut
18 USC 3056 Ag
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She did. But not as much as I thought. She wasn't happy but once we backed away and she realized she would live another day(simply for beauty), she calmed down and that's when my BiL snapped the pic of her trailing away. He was a good 6' behind her, maybe a little more.

On that note, zoo or 12f, am I offbase thinking it was slightly weird this snake was out in the middle of the day without much cover?
Fore warned is fore armed.
12f Mane
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18 USC 3056 Ag said:


On that note, zoo or 12f, am I offbase thinking it was slightly weird this snake was out in the middle of the day without much cover?

The cover thing is somewhat odd but they are known to sit out in open understory forest during the hottest portions of the year, sometimes for days, waiting for prey.
18 USC 3056 Ag
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It hasn't been to warm up here this summer comparatively speaking. But things are cooling off slighty and I've seen more things moving preparing for the fall/winter. Strangely this stunner was by a lone oak 30ish yards from the cover.
Fore warned is fore armed.
zooguy96
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12f Mane said:

18 USC 3056 Ag said:


On that note, zoo or 12f, am I offbase thinking it was slightly weird this snake was out in the middle of the day without much cover?

The cover thing is somewhat odd but they are known to sit out in open understory forest during the hottest portions of the year, sometimes for days, waiting for prey.


This. When I was working in the Smokies, found one under a tree we were surveying. Left it alone; came back 3 days later, and it was still there.
GSPag`
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12f,

I would believe there are no Cottonmouths up on the Plains. But they do exist off the Caprock. I looked at the map, and it does need to be expanded. I saw many Cottonmouths on Lake Greenbelt and on some of the larger lakes on ranches in that area. I had cowboys tell me that if a snake floats across the water, then dont't take your horse across.

Now, here is my question. How are there Prarie Rattlers up on the Plains, and Diamond Backs off the Caprock, but they do not mix. They have their areas, but you do not see them in each others areas.
12f Mane
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GSPag` said:

12f,

I would believe there are no Cottonmouths up on the Plains. But they do exist off the Caprock. I looked at the map, and it does need to be expanded. I saw many Cottonmouths on Lake Greenbelt and on some of the larger lakes on ranches in that area. I had cowboys tell me that if a snake floats across the water, then dont't take your horse across.


Well they have never been recorded in the panhandle or anywhere near Lake Greenbelt, as far as I can tell. That area isn't under collected either. Even the late, great aggie Dr. Jim Dixon didn't have any records close to there in his comprehensive dot locality map in his book Texas Snakes (aka the Texas Snake Bible). Cottonmouths are well studied, well collected, and easily found were present. There are none from the panhandle.

Inaturalist (the link I provided) is pretty good, especially in Texas, of recording common species throughout their range. No records.

The reality is western Texas and northwestern Texas just does not provide adequate habitat for cottonmouths. It's a riparian/watershed thing. They are an eastern adapted species that has persisted west in certain riparian areas.

My great uncle was THE cowboy, Super knowledgeable about the south central Texas coast and ranch manager of one of the major old money Texas ranches. I remember quail hunting with him in the early 90s and him yelling at us not to shoot a broken covey because it was prairie chickens (legit). I don't think he knew **** about snakes and everything wet was a cottonmouth.
12f Mane
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GSPag` said:


Now, here is my question. How are there Prarie Rattlers up on the Plains, and Diamond Backs off the Caprock, but they do not mix. They have their areas, but you do not see them in each others areas.

They are different species with different microhabitats. Prairie rattlesnakes are less common in the rocky/gravelly areas and diamondbacks are likely out-competed for resources in the shortgrass prairie up there.
Badace52
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Where were y'all seeing prairie chickens in the early 90's? Was it some kind of re-introduction program?

Edit: Also, I second the old south texas ranchers know jack about snakes. My relatives founded the town in which I grew up and were ranching there before that. Down there snake+water =cottonmouth/watermoccasin=dead snake for all those old ranchers.
CM
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12f Mane
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Been a while since I posted snakes, so here's a few from the summer

A few Brazos Water Snakes. One of Texas' few endemic snakes and a TPWD listed Threatened Species






Blotched water snake eating a bluegill


Copperhead I found under tin near the house


Coral snake my son and I hike up in an urban Houston park


12f Mane
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Could have been late 80s, in Refugio County.

Edit- not a reintroduction. That was one of the last wild populations. It used to be a birder locale because I believe you could see a lek from 35. I think there is a reintroduction program in the area now however.
zooguy96
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Badace52 said:

Where were y'all seeing prairie chickens in the early 90's? Was it some kind of re-introduction program?


Att waters Prairie Chickens are at 2 separate reintroduction sites in Texas. I used to transport them down from Abilene to the coast when I worked at the zoo.

Or, they were when I worked in the zoo world 10 years ago.
vander54
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Love the Copperheads eyes
World's worst proofreader
CowtownAg06
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Which Urban Houston Park?
12f Mane
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Edith Moore
CowtownAg06
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Love that place.
FightinTexasAg15
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Watching the game when I heard a shriek from the laundry room.

Came in to find this lol

https://m.imgur.com/a/21J5dVC

Got him outside and on his way safe
SteveBott
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ttha_aggie_09
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Inside the house?
12f Mane
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That's a lined snake. Pretty neat and not overly common in Texas. DFW?
FightinTexasAg15
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Yep
Counterpoint
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Snake ID help, please! (rounded eyes, pretty skinny)




TresPuertas
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Edit

Maybe not.
Badace52
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Baby blotched water snake.
CM
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
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12f Mane
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vander54
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FAT SEXY said:

12f Mane said:

That's a lined snake. Pretty neat and not overly common in Texas. DFW?
12f can tell where people live by the snake pictures they post.

Holy ****

Remind me to never post a pic.
World's worst proofreader
Badace52
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SteveBott said:





One of the coolest snakes we have had on here in a long time. Glad the poster didn't kill it.
CM
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
Counterpoint
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Badace52 said:

Baby blotched water snake.


Thanks!
aggieaviator
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Sitting less than 4 feet from this when I noticed what looked like a lizard's tail hiding behind a lounge chair headrest.




Upon further inspection.


Any help identifying this thin, relatively long snake that would have given me or my wife a heart attack if we had sat in that chair?
DBill
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Looks like a rat snake to me.
jgh85Ag
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DBill said:

Looks like a rat snake to me.


Or better known on Facebook as a baby copperhead.
txags92
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Mistook this guy for a piece of green vine when I walked by the first time. Photo at Former Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant, now Caddo National Wildlife Refuge.
Saw a nice cottonmouth the other day that just about slithered over the boot of the guy I was walking with...but my phone was on the charger in my truck.

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Badace52
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Beautiful rough green snake...

Edit to say this is a snake that is an exception to the "high as your hat, it's a rat," mnemonic that others have popularized on this thread. Rough green snakes often hang out in bushes and along fencelines sometimes several feet above the ground searching for anoles and tree frogs.
CM
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
AZAG08
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Badace52 said:

Edit to say this is a snake that is an exception to the "high as your hat, it's a rat," mnemonic that others have popularized on this thread. Rough green snakes often hang out in bushes and along fencelines sometimes several feet above the ground searching for anoles and tree frogs.
But we don't ever see green rat snakes

.....I say this fully hoping someone will post a picture of a green rat snake
 
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