fossil_digger Report This Comment Date: August 23, 2007 01:48AM
cottonmouths are one of the most agressive snakes around. if you see one run
for 100 yards before lookin' back.

Mrkim Report This Comment Date: August 23, 2007 01:50AM
I walked outside while ago and managed to catch Mr. Sneak-E-Snake with about
10" of his slimy self hangin outta the speaker box, but he'd retreated back
inside once I got back out with my camera and had wound himself all around the
speaker.
I managed to run him outta the speaker box with a healthy dose of the best
critter/bug chasin concoction I had on hand, the tried and true carburetor
cleaner.

Placelowerplace Report This Comment Date: August 23, 2007 02:41AM
did you try playing the music real loud? with heavy bass and all?
fossil_digger Report This Comment Date: August 23, 2007 02:58AM

didn't think of
that.

Mrkim Report This Comment Date: August 23, 2007 03:40AM
Nah, the speakers weren't hooked to anything and with Mr. Cottonmouth that
close I waddn about to try hookin 'em up either. I couldn't even see inside the
speaker to see where he was till I took the pic.
Like fossil posted these sumbitches are very aggressive snakes and poisonous.
Even worse I've always heard the younger a snake is (like this one was) their
venom is even more potent ! Could be an old wives tale for all I know, but I
waddn in the mood to find out

fossil_digger Report This Comment Date: August 23, 2007 03:42AM
that's very true especially with cottonmouths and rattlesnakes
woberto Report This Comment Date: August 23, 2007 04:37AM
FD, these snakes are very passive, I know because I saw it on TV.
I saw a doco where some religious nuts in the south (usa) use them in some kinda
ceremony to show that God is protecting them. Bullshit.
The documentary maker went into the bush to find some and torment them. He had
to basically grab one and yank it backwards before it took a strike. He used a
mechanical arm, it wierd but a very conclusive test in the end.
The first reaction was always to show their mouth and try to scare you, then
make a hasty retreat. If you follow one then get bit it's your own damned
fault.
Anyway I hate snakes.
Although I consider the Rattle Snake the most intimidating I have to say that
Australian snakes are the meanest mothers you will ever find. Most times they
stay out of humans way but when they feel cornered lookout. With the drought we
have had over the last 7 years they are turning up in the cities more and more
often. There was a 3 meter Eastern Brown found in a factory in Heidelberg (VIC)
a few weeks ago. One that size has enough venom to make entire species extinct.
fossil_digger Report This Comment Date: August 23, 2007 04:48AM
shit! tell that to the 3 or 4 that chased my ass at least 50 feet. all of them
were at least 4 feet long. maybe it's the Texas weather that makes 'em mean.
nevertheless the ones i've seen were all pissed! and it seemed i was the one
that pissed 'em off.
what i know of australian snakes is only that damn near every snake you find in
australia can kill hundreds with one bite. Texas also has the widest variety of
venomous snakes of any state in the U.S.
Placelowerplace Report This Comment Date: August 23, 2007 05:10AM
any one who says "I saw it on TV" loses all creditability. TV lies.
fossil_digger Report This Comment Date: August 23, 2007 05:13AM
was that on croc hunter 'berto?

ORLANDO399 Report This Comment Date: August 23, 2007 05:29AM
yeah,i have to agree with fossil on this one.I used to live in okeechobee[which
by the way if you look at a map of florida its that big lake down south]my
cousin was swimming one day and lord and behold he saw a mocassin coming right
at me,luckily he was right by the dock.Now you want to talk about good fishin
fossil,thats the place to be!

Mrkim Report This Comment Date: August 23, 2007 05:44AM
Gotta tell ya Woberto, there's plenty of people who live around this lake
that'll tellya a cotton mouth's the meanest snake in Texas. Lots of folks carry
pistolas while fishin just for the cottonmouths and hell yeah they'll get right
in the boat with ya
I hate snakes with a passion and luckily this is only the 2nd one I've seen in 3
yrs here, but the other one was a copperhead. Though copperheads have a rep as
bein mean, it's largely unfounded, but ... they do carry some bad mojo if you
get bit by one.

woberto Report This Comment Date: August 23, 2007 01:45PM
I reject your reality and substitute my own.
I saw it on TV so it must be true.
*
Meanest snake I ever saw on TV was the Russel's Viper in India. They kill around
10,000 people every year. Scares the crap outta me just watchin'
woberto Report This Comment Date: August 23, 2007 10:24PM

Mrkim Report This Comment Date: August 24, 2007 02:44AM
Yeah you cats down under have some waaaaay more venomous snakes than we do here
in the states woberto.
Unfortunately for us Texans though, we have every kind of venomous snake, lizard
and poisonous spider native to North America within our borders.
S'aight though, I have plenty enough shells to help keep the population down at
any opportunity to do so

fossil_digger Report This Comment Date: August 24, 2007 03:24AM
2 words...eastern diamondback.
but if i remember right australia has like the top 4 or 5 venomous snakes?
could be wrong.
woberto Report This Comment Date: August 24, 2007 03:53AM
Australia and Texas are a good match for reptile proliferation.
Australia has all the records for venom.
Snakes, sea-snakes, spiders, octopus and jellyfish.
In some areas we really need the snakes to keep the immigrant (fauna) population
down and it is an offense to kill them. Texas sounds like there is a bit of a
problem but I don't condone mindless killing of snakes unless there is some
science behind it.
fossil_digger Report This Comment Date: August 24, 2007 04:09AM
we had a rattlesnake round-up a few years back unlike any other i've seen. we
caught as many as we could, tagging them as to their capture site, weather,
length, and as much data as we could gather. then they were milked for venom
twice each and returned to their homes.
venom was sold for anti-venom production and the data passed on to several
universities in the area. we then came back the next year and did the same. the
third year interest died off and the major financial supporters found other
"projects" to amuse themselves. oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

woberto Report This Comment Date: August 24, 2007 08:38AM

Mrkim Report This Comment Date: August 25, 2007 12:02AM
My personal science is all in never finding that sucker on my patio again, like
at night when I often head outside to get somethin outta the car or maybe go out
to dinner. It's so dark here at night (especially when it's overcast), when you
come outta my place you can hardly see your hand in front of your face, much
less a snake !
We have a generous population of water mocassins 'round here so I have NO qualms
about killin any of 'em I find around my place

woberto Report This Comment Date: August 25, 2007 03:07AM
Ahem.

Mrkim Report This Comment Date: August 25, 2007 04:52AM
Can't even imagine a sight like that on my patio door

fossil_digger Report This Comment Date: August 25, 2007 09:54PM
i'd be out there trying to catch him 'cause they're worth some cash.
