I am fucking shaking...I just got charged by a freaking water moccasin.

[Maddy McCall]

I ran to the store to get some cigarettes...I am up late reading and I ran out. Remember, I live in a cabin in the woods on a creek. I got out of my car, waited a second for my schnauzer to get out, and then was walking to my steps--my front porch is elevated about two feet...stepped on the bottom step, and then heard something moving in the leaves.

I have bright lights mounted on my house...I looked to my left, and there it was, slithering over a 6x6 piece of lumber I had used to do some repairs on my home last week...It sailed over the 6x6 and was headed straight for me. I froze. It got about four feet from me and I lept up on the porch and ran in the front door...screaming at Lucinda to "come here." She quickly followed me in, and then I slammed the door.

Someone PLEASE tell me that there is no way that that beast can be on my front porch.

Remember a couple of weeks ago, I killed a baby copperhead. Now a water moccasin...and my son killed a water moccasin about two months ago about twenty feet from where this one was.

Living dangerously! brrrrrrrrrr!

[mykpart]

1. You do know snakes travel in pairs, don't you?

[Maddy McCall]

3. You are kidding about moccasins, right?

[jus_the_facts]

52. Cottonmouths mate for life and where there is one there is ALWAYS another.

....seriously! Glad you didn't get bit...just keep your eyes peeled at all times....well at least till the first frost. :hi:

[Ladyhawk]

70. Not true. Absolutely not true.

However, you do seem to be in a snake hotspot, jchild. I'd look around to see what might be attracting them.

1) Clear clutter from around your house so there's nowhere to hide. This should be done with gloves and boots on. Be cautious.

2) Do you have outside pets like rabbits or fowl that would result in spilled feed? Spilled feed attracts rodents and rodents attract snakes.

3) Is there a place outside that might keep a snake warm on a cool night? The seasons are changing and warmth at night will attract a snake.

4) Do you have standing water available? If your house is far from a stream, a moccasin might smell the water and come to feed.

Let me know. I'll try to think of other possibilities.

BTW, rattlesnakes den for the winter, sometimes in the hundreds. I'm not sure if the other pit vipers (moccasins and copperheads) do this. Right now, I'm thinking no, but I'll research it and get back to you.

[Ladyhawk]

79. Hey, jchild...it's the friendly DU herpetologist again.

I couldn't read all the replies, but read one of mine near the top. Cottonmouths (moccasins) don't travel in pairs unless they happen to be mating and mating season is in the spring.

They do not mate for life, so don't panic.

Yes, they're very aggressive and might actually come at you if they feel threatened, but if you back off, they won't chase you. My guess is the snake felt cornered.

[Ladyhawk]

86. In fact, cottonmouths eat other snakes, even their own kind. :)

Check out this quick fact sheet. It has some good information on it: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/wildlife_habitat/education/pineywoods_species/western_cottonmouth.pdf

[Ladyhawk]

93. One other thing: snakes can climb well.

So yes, it could be on your porch. Sorry to tell you that. Most likely it has slithered away. I hope.

Could snakes get under your house? If so, have an exterminator check there. It would be a perfect spot to hide out during the heat of the day. Moccasins are nocturnal...lucky for you, eh?

I was right. They don't "den" the same way rattlesnakes do, so that's a relief. You won't have to worry about finding a nest full of snakes.

My feeling is that 1) either you live in wonderful snake habitat, or 2) something is attracting the snakes to your property. Check a previous post for ideas.

Here's a little blurb I found:

According to snake expert William Hutchins:

do not form nests or live in colonies, nor do the ones in our state meet in hibernacular dens. They eat a variety of creatures, including their own kind, so they tend to be solitary animals. They bear live young that scatter as soon as they are born, and the babies are afforded no maternal care. They will vigorously defend themselves if molested but are not overly aggressive.

Contrary to popular legends, there are no documented cases of anyone suffering multiple snake bites from tumbling into an aggregation or cluster of water moccasins. In fact, human deaths attributed to that species are less than one person per year -- out of more than 250 million Americans.

[Maddy McCall]

98. Thank you for this info

Praying that I am not on the bad side of the statistics!

I have heard tales--don't know if they are true or night--about men who grab catfish reaching into a log underwater and coming up with a moccasin attached.

Anyone who reaches into underwater logs to catch fish is foolish, IMO. :-)

[Ladyhawk]

103. Sounds plausible to me.

It could happen, which is fascinating.

My brother once caught a staggeringly huge bullfrog which he says he pulled out of the mouth of another frog that was even more staggeringly huge! Strange things happen.

And yes, moccasins can bite underwater. That's a comforting thought, isn't it. :D

[Maddy McCall]

90. I kinda thought that, since I had just driven up.

I know he heard the car. I wonder if it raised his hackles (or scales, as the case may be :-) ) and caused him to charge me.

[jdj]

82. I have heard that snake bombs contain napthalene, same as mothballs

If you have any mothballs around you could put them around your door and window frames until you can get an exterminator out.

[Ladyhawk]

100. I hadn't heard of this. I'll have to check it out.

When a dam near here was filled, my brother killed about 20 rattlers a day for weeks. They kept taking up residence under his house.

It was sad that their home got flooded, but it's kind of impossible for venomous snakes and people to live in such close proximity. :(

[jdj]

106. I just googled it's true, however caution with mothballs

"was told by many people here NOT to use the moth balls/napthelene...it doesn't biodegrade, it will go into your ground water, and it is an unclassified carcinogen.

Apparently more people used to use it but don't anymore, as it can make children very ill and/or brain damaged (both fumes and contaminated well-water).

Since it was found to cause defects in kids and also is now a confirmed carcinogen, it is even advised not to use in the home anymore (toilet fresheners, mothballs, etc.) but to use CEDAR OIL instead.

Napthelene is like PCBs...once in gets into the water it stays there.

Wonder if Cedar Oil would work on snakes? There's got to be something that will that is not "poisonous"...I like to stick to products that are as non-hazardous as possible."
------------------
I found this in a blog about homesteading, no documentation, but if I had a cottonmouth I would use them around door frames in a heartbeat as a temporary measure, although not around water and children.

http://homesteadingtoday.com/vb/showthread.php?p=263619
there is a whole page on warding off snakes including a post that disagrees, just thought I would post it to give caution.

[Maddy McCall]

108. Ok...advice well taken...

I think I am going to get outside and do some raking and maybe spraying with ammonia tomorrow.

I so much appreciate your participation in this thread! I bookmarked that link and will read it later. :-)

[Ladyhawk]

116. Ammonia sounds like a good idea.

I don't think they'd much care for the smell, but don't rely on it! And kiddies and doggies had best watch their steps.

I saw a documentary on large constrictors that had attempted to contrict and eat their owners. Apparently, snakes don't like the smell / taste of alcohol and will release if you place it on mucous membranes. I doubt it would do much good as a repellent, however, but it gives me a place to start if I end up doing my own experiments. :)

BTW, how toxic is ammonia? It's a waste by-product, so I'm assuming it would be safely broken down by bacteria.

[Ladyhawk]

110. Hmmm...snake repellent...

I don't think cedar would work. It's part of a snake's habitat, after all.

I just did a search and got the same results: napthelene. It's EPA-approved, but just what does that mean these days? :eyes: I clicked on one site and about jumped out of my chair at this:



Pretty eyelash viper...too bad he scared the bejesus out of me...and I like snakes. :)

You know, I should probably test to see if there are smells my snakes are really averse to. Maybe I can contact a herpetoculturist I know and ask her. She's really very knowledgeable. She'd probably recommend the "Snake-Away" product with napthelene, but maybe she knows of something more natural.

Want me to e-mail her?

[Maddy McCall]

115. I would love for you to email her...

Please let me know what she tells you.

And, gee thanks for that graphic! I'll be up all night tonight, too. ;-)

:hi: Thanks SO MUCH for your posts on this thread. You are *the* snake-woman! :-)

[Ladyhawk]

117. Danke...and good night! :) nt

[Ladyhawk]

118. One more thing: I e-mailed the herpetoculturist.

She's usually very good about getting back to me, so I'll let you know if she can come up with a solution for you. Now I really am going to bed. :)

E-mail:

Hi Kathy!

I just moved and all the snakes are doing fine...except that I left their mouse meals out of the freezer and they spoiled. Ewwwww!!! That was so brilliant...gack! It took me awhile to get rid of the smell. I can still smell it in my mind...yuck! I have to contact my rodent supplier and get more. I'm just typing that "out loud" so I don't forget to do it.

Anyway, I have a friend online who has recently been inundated by copperheads and water moccasins. I've talked to her about removing anything that would attract snakes: debris, spilled feed, etc., but she says there really isn't any place for them to hide. I googled "snake repellent" and saw the ad for "Snake-Away," but despite the assurance that it is EPA-approved, she is hesitant to use any product containing Naphthalene.

Do you have a more "natural" suggestion for a snake repellent?

Do you have any further ideas on what could be attracting them to her residence?

Thanks in Advance,

Laura

[Maddy McCall]

119. Thanks, Laura!

Looking forward to her reply!

G'night. :hi:

[Maddy McCall]

88. Thank you for this checklist...

I just copy/pasted it into a doc to print later...I will definitely use it to snakeproof around here.

Again, I live only about 30 feet off of a stagnant creek. I am sure they roam from the creek occasionally. I do have some deer feed on my porch, but it is sealed in a big tub. Should I move the tub away?

Shit! They den in the hundreds? I am freaking scared now! I need to invest in some snake boots for the kiddo and myself, don't I. :-)

So glad you found this thread...can't wait to read through your responses! :hi:

[Ladyhawk]

96. No, only rattlers den in the hundreds...whew! :)

The creek thing explains a lot. Water moccasins love the water. They're big on catching fish and if something about your house attracts them, no fucking wonder they're coming to visit you!

If the deer feed is not spilled, it shouldn't attract mice. I'm mainly thinking of spilled feed. Mice = snakes.

And it looks like the diet of the moccasin is quite varied. At least they'll eat each other for you. :)

[Maddy McCall]

102. Yes, when we moved here, we knew we'd have to wrangle with snakes...

The good side is that many a time I have seen a black runner slither across the driveway. My dad saw a coachwhip a couple of years ago, too.

We see small green snakes quite frequently...but the venomous population has never been so close to the house until this year.

My brother just bushhogged a couple of weeks ago, and that sends the mice skittering...I bet some have headed this way, and that is why we have seen so many venomous snakes.

And I have tree frogs and other small toads around my house...many a time I have been startled by one hopping by. And I know that the frogs and toads are good snake food.

I haven't spilled any of the feed, so that shouldn't be a problem. However, my weimy's food bowl is on the front porch, and I am sure the mice know where it is. Maybe I should feed him less at a time, more frequently, so none sits in the bowl.

[Ladyhawk]

105. Good plan. :)

Wow...I haven't heard of so many venomous snake encounters since my brother got inundated with rattlers when they filled the dam. He had it really rough...killed up to twenty a day for weeks.

[Maddy McCall]

109. Holy SHIT!

I love snake stories--I don't know why I find them so interesting, but I do. :-)

[Ladyhawk]

113. I do too. They're just...cool or something. nt

[thecrow]

2. Does the word "exterminator" do anything for you?

Yikes! Be careful!!!!!
It sounds like you have a nest of serpents near your house.
You might call someone who could go around and exterminate the little creepies!
I used to live in such a house also, but all I had in my yard was deer.

[Maddy McCall]

5. Speaking of deer, I saw six does and two fawns on the way down the...

drive awhile ago.

I don't know about a snake exterminator...I wonder if Wildlife and Fisheries Dept. would help me out.

I have to take my kid to school in several hours...I hope that big damned thing is gone!

[amazona]

48. yes call your Wildlife and Fisheries

They do help out if need be, at least they do around here (southeast Louisiana).

[Maddy McCall]

92. Hey, we need to PM sometime!

You sound like you just might be a neighbor of mine! SE Louisiana, eh? I'm in SW Mississippi!

[NJCher]

4. wow, you looked death in the face

while going out for cigarettes.

LOL, sorry, I couldn't resist, jchild. Seriously, I'm glad you're OK.


Cher

[Maddy McCall]

7. I know I know...

I am going to quit in November. The stress I am under will dissipate in the middle of November, and I'm going to quit...

Unless the snakes get me first....

;-)

[Eurobabe]

17. i hate to see snakes get killed, even if they charge you

can't you get someone to come to your property and round them up, rather than annihilate them?

i know, i know, i'd FREAK too, if i had one on my porch, it's a tough call, just snakes are beneficial for many reasons. <sigh>

[Maddy McCall]

18. Sure. You want to come round them up?

Realize that I live on a creek. I don't interfere with the creek...I don't even walk by it, because I know that is snake habitat.

On my front porch or striking at my canine or human children is altogether another matter, though.

[alexwcovington]

6. DON'T PANIC

As devious as they are, you're still smarter and better equipped than the snakes! I'm sure you've taken this opportunity to brush up on all the emergency procedures.

Stay calm, think straight, and you'll always have the upper hand.

[Maddy McCall]

8. Oh yeah, I've brushed up all right...

I have the shotgun in my bedroom and a box of shells ready to go.

Emergency procedures--load, aim, and fire.

:-)

[radwriter0555]

29. well that's a little extreme. sounds like you need to get with a local who

is used to handling these guys and see what solutions you can come up with to avoid a dangerous encounter.

You're in THEIR hood and you can co-exist.

I'd be looking up the local snake fanatic, and stocking up on anti-venom, rather than waving a gun around. I'd be getting a snake pole and some pillowcases handy to relocate the pesky critters.

I'm a bit of a pacifist with critters and have handled them all my life. Easier to learn about them and wrangle them than to have to think about killing them.

The only ones I kill are black widow spiders.

[Maddy McCall]

32. Sorry, I prefer the gun, as does most everyone around here.

No local herpetologists here who would come take snakes off my hands. They are common here. I always laugh at the people on reality police shows who call the cops because a snake is in their yard. If everyone here did that, the cops wouldn't have time to do anything else.


I have a child--I don't want him "wrangling" with moccasins. As long as they are by the creek, fine. Within several feet of my house, and they are dead.

BTW, why would you kill a Black Widow? A BW's venom is a lot less deadly than most pit vipers' venom.

[Maddy McCall]

9. OH FUCK, now my weimy is barking...he's on the front porch.

I'm going to go bring him in.

[Gore1FL]

10. The snake or the dog?

:)

[Maddy McCall]

11. The dog :-)

He's inside with me now.

[ogradda]

12. does this happen a lot to you?

holy shit.

[Maddy McCall]

14. Must be my "animal magnetism"

;-)

[shance]

13. These guys are not usually aggressive....especially the water moc***

This is pretty surprising to me....I have had a little history with water mocassins....atleast while they were resting....and it seems to me copperheads wont attack unless they are being attacked. Ive had friends that have killed them in the gardens, but the copperheads didnt warrant a killing, other than the fact they were copperheads, which in a garden may in fact warrant a killing to some.

Hmmm....this could have been a female mocassin....even then thats a stretch for her...even for a rattler....sounds as though they were on epinephrine.....***I know this was scary for you, but it just sounds so out of bounds for a snake. I have been in a pool of snakes (trying to rescue a coot of all things in fishing line) and the guys didn't bother me at all, as long as I didnt touch them or bother their rest.

Im actually from Texas and would say that alligators become aggressive and/or overly brave if they have overpopulated. Even then I would have a hard time saying mocassins would be that aggressive. From my limited experience, they just wouldnt seem the overly aggressive type. Even rattlers arent. Ive met rattlers here in California that were gone before I realized they were really there. I guess if you came across a nest of newborn you might have a problem, but I wouldnt think they would be that nestled on land. Well, then again, they probably might.

It's interesting and Im certainly glad you werent bit. I have just never had an aggressive experience like that with a snake, but that's not to say it wouldn't happen. I have heard that kind of situation has happened with raccoons. Perhaps it was a rabid snake?? Kidding aside. Im sorry that happened. I dont want to blame everything on this Administration, but with the weird environmental things happening, why not? I have never heard of a psycopathic snake like that..... perhaps hes overwhelmed as well.


Needless to say, glad you are okay :)

You may want to carry a twelve or twenty while you are walking for a spell.

[Maddy McCall]

15. Trust me, it happened. I know how to ID a moccasin.

Re Copperheads: I killed it because it was striking at my schnauzer.

Re Moccasins: A shar pei that I had rescued...he was killed by moccasin bites several years ago. And, as I said earlier, my son killed a mocassin about two months ago.

I live on a pretty stagnate creek...my cabin is approximately 30 feet off of the water. I don't have a "yard"--I live in a hardwood forest.

Now, the newborn snake thing....that scares me.

[shance]

20. Dont think of snakes as the enemy and honestly they wont hurt you

You may think Im crazy.

My father was a hunter and a naturalist, and I can swear by my own experience that snakes are certainly more your friends than your enemies. I know we have grown up to think these guys are Bad, but they are so much more GOOD and all those rodents in your house, or lack thereof, you can thank to you friendly reptilian friends. I have grown up around snakes, so for the most part I am in no way frightened of them, and as long as you are very aware, I think you can live the same way. They are no Great White shark, and even the Great White has been hugely given an unfair title, they don't go after humans as much as Hollywood and Peter Benchley would promote, heck, they are just looking for availability of consumption, and even then, humans are the last on their chain.

In the end, as long as you remain aware, snakes are you friend and your ally, but you must respect their domain. Thats been my experience.

[Maddy McCall]

21. Really, I do appreciate your words...

I understand the benefits of having snakes around--and bats, and wasps...I have been raised in this setting and my occupation mandates that I do field work, so I have been exposed to many animals and insects in the wilderness. I am not some flighty person who brisks at the sight of a snake. I even allow garden spiders to build webs around my porch.

I have caught green snakes and allowed my son to handle them. I have stopped to allow garter snakes to pass me by. HOWEVER, if a pit viper strikes at my kid or myself because it accidently found its way into my home's immediate surroundings, well, all I can say is that it bristles me and I am going to protect me and mine. I have swum in the rivers here--have allowed water snakes to pass me by without freaking out.

But when I get out of my car, and a moccasin moves across a piece of lumber straight toward my path--and I know he knows I was there; hell, I had just driven up in my car--well, either that's a snake with a deathwish or an unnatural coincidence.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

34. You're doing the right thing....

Don't listen to the criticism. If I had a water mocassin threatening me, I'd do the same thing.
Duckie

[Pithlet]

64. I love snakes, but I would kill a deadly one that threatened me

or my kids. Especially my kids.

[MemphisTiger]

25. Water mocs are very aggressive where I'm from

I've been chased by one once when I was a kid. I've always been told to walk heavy in an area known to be inhabited by snakes. They can feel the vibration and slither away. They generally do not want a confrontation. Did you corner the stake? That's usually the only way they strike at you.

[Pithlet]

91. Thanks for posting this.

I live in Memphis, and had no idea. :scared:

[Tactical Progressive]

16. It's a critical time

Cheney has all his serpents looking to attack Dems at any opportunity.

[Maddy McCall]

19. LOL! Thanks for giving me a laugh!

I guess they think they can keep me pinned in the house until November 3. No chance, though. Hell or high water, I am voting for Kerry on the 2nd.

:hi:

[Champion Jack]

22. I live out in the boonies too

We have copperheads. I got some Guinea hens 4 months ago, they keep snakes away and eat bugs too.

[Maddy McCall]

23. My grandfather raised guineas...

I had some chicks a couple of years ago--put them in a completely enclosed, chicken wire pen in the yard and had intended on releasing them when they grew big enough to fend for themselves. Unfortunately, either a coon, coyote, or owl got to them and ate them. I gave up.

How did you raise them so that they were large enough to set out?

[Champion Jack]

24. I kept them in a brooder box with a light when they were chicks

when they feathered out I moved them to their coop. (basically an old boat shed that I wired in with chicken wire)
I kept them in there for 3 or 4 weeks, then, started letting them out.
They come back to the coop at night. My dogs prowl around the property and keep the predators mostly at bay.

[Rowdyboy]

26. New York is where I'd rather stay

I get allergic smelling hay
I just adore a penthouse view
Dahling I love you but give me Park Avenue!

I'm with Lisa Douglas all the way! I may have been raised in Green Acres country but I just don't care for "lions and tigers and bears, oh my!"


Maybe you could just quit smoking....

[Maddy McCall]

111. November 20, my friend. November 20.

That's my quit date! I got your PM and haven't responded yet, but I appreciate it, and will respond soon. :hi:

[Misunderestimator]

27. When I was about 12 I nearly stepped on a mocassin that was in our front

porch... My brother shot it. Yes, they travel. The pond where we knew they lived was at least 200 yards from the house. :scared:

[Maddy McCall]

112. Wow!

Glad he didn't get you, or my friend NSMA wouldn't be having as much fun in her life as she now is. :-)

[sendero]

28. I've killed...

...3 cottonmouths (same thing as water moccasin) at my country place in Texas about 10 miles south of Okla. They have never "charged" me, but they are completely unlike other snakes in that they do not flee humans.

I have a pond and 2 of them were in/near it, but the third was 200' away. I don't like killing anything but I have kids running around out there and I'm not willing to take that kind of chance.

[Maddy McCall]

114. Hey, PM me some time...

My ex inlaws had a camp in NE Texas, right on the OK border.

I remember fishing at my grandmother's pond in Timpson, Texas, as a kid, and my dad pointing out the "cottonmouths" in the water.

Funny that in texas they are cottonmouths and here they are water moccasins...Must be one of the quirky differences in our lexicons. :-)

[ScreamingMeemie]

30. Oh wow, jchild! That gives me the shivers just thinking about it!

Bleh...I hope you got the children off safely this morning. We don't get many scary critters in SE Michigan. Although I have been know to be freaked out by a bunny rabbit that looks like it has evil intentions. :hi:

[daddybear]

31. My gawd.... how much

did he charge?

[demnan]

33. I certainly would stock up on the anti-venom

Even if you shoot the snake, you may still need anti-venom and it's better safe than sorry.

[Maddy McCall]

55. I think you have to go to the hospital for that.

[Red State Rebel]

35. Oh geez! I'd be checking my laundry!!!

I've watched enough documentaries to know that snakes just want to be left alone, etc. but I am still very nervous and if I ID'd one that I knew was poisonous coming at me that would probably do me in.

Be careful!

[Maddy McCall]

56. LOL!

I have seen them around here, but have never been charged by one. :-) Kinda got to me.

[ironflange]

36. Proof that cigarettes are dangerous

:evilgrin:

[Maddy McCall]

57. Undoubtedly!

I won't be making any more 3AM trips to the store...that's for sure. :-)

[oneighty]

37. Remove all ground clutter

in the area surrounding your cabin. Stomp all plant growth flat into the earth. You must be barefooted while doing so. (I do not know why). When the plant growth is throughly destroyed sweep it away. Now you have a flat well slapped down dirt lawn. Every day (For sure) with a used squirt bottle (Window cleaner type) spray ammonia all around the area onto your dirt lawn. Some folks use bleach, but ammonia is better I think.

An additional thing you can do is paint your window and door frames blue. That will help to keep the haints outta yer cabin too.

That's the way we did in down in South Carolina years ago.

We never had no more snakes no haints (or company either for that matter.)

180

[catzies]

49. I haven't heard "haints" in a long while. Thanks for the flashback!

You just don't hear a lot of Southern expressions in California for some reason.

[Maddy McCall]

59. Actually, I have nothing but trees and a few elephant ears growing...

near my cabin...I have a dirt lawn already...but I might get out the ammonia. :-)

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

38. Jchild please pick up the white courtesy keyboard

MOVE TO CALIFORNIA!!!

[GreenPartyVoter]

41. Nonononon. Move to maine. NO poisonous critters here

except for the Brown Recluse, so named because you never ever see one.

[Donkeyboy75]

43. My aunt was bitten by one of them.

She was essentially bedridden for many weeks. Nasty little fuckers, those recluses.

[GreenPartyVoter]

44. Yes they are. Glad I have yet to meet one.

[Maddy McCall]

94. Actually, the Brown Recluse scares me worse than snakes do...

I know a guy who got bitten by one. His arm had a huge hole in it, and he was never the same mentally after the bite.

[Maddy McCall]

60. Hey, you guys have about five species of rattlesnakes...

But I may be coming this spring for a visit...Santa Clara way. I'll let you know if it materializes. :-)

[skygazer]

39. We get rattlers here

It took me a while to get used to making noise when I walked outdoors - I've always been a silent walker because I always liked seeing the wildlife. However, with rattlers you want to give them fair warning.

I prefer a flat bladed shovel for rattlers but I've never dealt with water mocs. If you allow the rattler to strike, you can decapitate him when he's extended with the shovel blade.

I don't enjoy killing creatures and I don't worry so much about myself as I do about the dogs who might poke their noses where they don't belong. And, yeah, if I were you, I'd be concerned about my child.

Sounds like an exciting experience! Glad everyone came through it okay. :hi:

[Maddy McCall]

61. I actually am a loud walker...

My friends laugh at me because I walk heavy on my heals.

I had just driven up in the car...I don't know if the car excited him or what. Scary!

[MissMillie]

40. I suppose you could try to get rid of it

but then you might have trouble w/ the rat population.

I guess I'm pretty ignorant, but what happens to snakes in cold weather. I don't imagine they're around much. Do you live in a place where there is a winter?

[Maddy McCall]

62. I live in the very southern part of west Mississippi...

we rarely even get a freeze. The snakes actually hibernate...it's not uncommon to find them in the bottom ofwoodpiles during the winter.

But the good thing is that they are not all that active in the winter!

[solinvictus]

42. Water Moccasins...

Here (Alabama)they are aggressive and territorial. In all my years of fishing and such, I've seen them either come across a pond or attempt to bump themselves into a boat to attack. Like someone said before, they do not fear people and will rarely back down from a fight. Use the shotgun solution and pepper them at each opportunity and buy a couple of cheap rat or chicken snakes to release for the rodents. I'm certain you don't want your kids and dog endangered by these vipers.

[Maddy McCall]

63. No matter what I try to do, I won't put a big dent in the moccasin populat

ion here. I live on a creek, and we have seen lots of them down at the creek. I won't kill them for sport--just if they are at my front door or bothering my child or pets.

[Lorien]

74. Nature abhores a vaccum

killing them won't do you any good; nature will just fill the void with more. Check online for ways of snake proofing your property (this from a woman who is currently treating the neighborhood raccoons for mange. Half the population has it, and a large die off could result in a major population shift, which could bring worse diseases into our area. Lucky for me, I found a compassionate vet who has given me the proper meds)! Work with mother nature; otherwise, she always wins!

[Maddy McCall]

95. You are BRAVE!

Raccoons can be very vicious! My ex father in law used to trap them. Mean critters!

How do you handle them without being bitten? You must have some Dr. Doolittle in you! :hi:

[HEyHEY]

45. Get out the five iron

[Maddy McCall]

65. My kid killed one with a machete a couple of months ago...

I killed a copperhead with a machete about two weeks ago.

But I'd rather use something that allows me to be further away--so I'll borrow a five iron from a friend. :-)

[WoodrowFan]

46. why did he have your credit card in the first place??

sorry, in a silly mood, glad your ok.

[Maddy McCall]

67. No, THAT snake would be my ex-husband.

This was the scaly kind. :-)

[amazona]

47. ooh that is scary but maybe it wasn't a moccasin

Did you know that there are several species of snakes that look just like water moccasins but are just harmless Nerodia? If it wasn't wider than it was long, it probably wasn't poisonous -- OK, slight exaggeration, but you know what I mean. True moccasins are thick.

My neighbor killed a "moccasin" that came up in a flood and, sadly, when he gave me the skin and I took it to the zoo, I learned it was a Nerodia species and should have been let alone.

Copperheads are bold and I could tell a few stories about walking right up to them, even the babies, but knock on wood I've never had to kill them. This will sound really hillbilly, but my dad had an old used car that he started to restore, and a whole nest of hibernating baby copperheads was in there. Whew, scary!

[jus_the_facts]

54. *chicken snakes*...long black scary beasties............

....they're aggressive too...most cottonmouths aren't usually all that aggressive....easily made mistake between the two though! :hi:

[hatrack]

50. Those are mean damn snakes - timber rattlers are laid back in comparison

A friend of mine was a biology major and had one rule of thumb - "If it lives in the water, it's mean as hell." True enough!

[Maddy McCall]

69. I agree with you and your friend. :-)

[Guy_Montag]

51. Get a pair of shorts, an austrailian accent, a tv camera

& make your own show.

[Maddy McCall]

72. Can't do it...most of the film would be of my back as I run away from...

dangerous animals.

And I don't think many people would pay to watch me blast away at wildlife. :-)

"Crikey! Thar's a big girl!" *BLAM!*

[Weezy]

53. Schnauzer?

I have 2 mini's Marlene & Ute. I am surprised the dog didn't go after it. I live in the Midwest, so we don't really have your kind of problem. But, I am always afraid for squirrels & birds. It would be a bloody mess at our house if they actually caught one. Glad you escaped unscathed.

[Maddy McCall]

73. Welcome to DU, Weezy!

Actually, she was messing with the copperhead, which was striking back at her, when I killed it a couple of weeks ago.

The thing about her is that she is my companion and stays right at my heels...when we run to the store, she is the first out the door and in the car, and the first back at the door waiting for me to open it to go in. Last night, she lingered for some reason, until I called her...I don't know if she sensed it or not.

She would have at least barked at it had she seen it. She alerts on all kinds of stuff--from caterpillars to leaves blowing in the wind.

Best dogs in the world, aren't they? I love my little girl, and wouldn't trade her for the world.

I haven't let her out today...I know she will try to go at it if she sees it, and I don't want to lose her...maybe I need to invest in a badger. :-)

[Pithlet]

58. Yikes!

I missed this thread earlier. I'm glad you're okay.

That is why I'm a city girl ;)

[Maddy McCall]

75. I wouldn't trade living here for anything...but sometimes the...

snakes and coyotes scare me a little. :-)

[Lorien]

66. Saw one here in Florida that had staked out my

neighbor's front door (was actually pressing it's snout against the seal of the door)! I took a big stick and tried to shoo it away, and the bloody thing charged me!(Most snakes take off when you threaten them).

Call animal control if it's still there.

[Maddy McCall]

77. Thanks for another post validating my story...

Some people here earlier were doubting the veracity of my story. I swear to god it's true.

Please tell me that your neighbor didn't have steps and a front porch! I am terrified that the thing will figure out how to get on the front porch! :hi:

[maveric]

68. At least they arent poisonous.

[Ladyhawk]

71. Moccasins are the deadliest of the North American pit vipers. :)

[maveric]

76. Is it the same as a cottonmouth?

I thought that they were different?

[Ladyhawk]

83. Same beast. Very toxic.

[Maddy McCall]

84. I was always taught by my father that they were...

and this article agrees with my dad--and with what happened to me last night!

http://www.wf.net/~snake/moccasin.htm

[gardenista]

99. Ok, one thing I don't need to watch: "Cottonmouth- The Movie"!

JChild, I do hope that you and yours are safe, and that you've got the shotgun with you next time.

It doesn't surprise me at all that the snake was aggressive. Hell, I've even had a baby black snake I found in my closet go for me.

Thank god you don't live in Black Mambo territory!

[Maddy McCall]

107. Ok, going to organize my closet now. :-)

Thanks, mdgecombe. We'll be fine.

I have to admit, though, that there is nothing as alarming as being charged by a pit viper at 3AM while your mind is preoccupied by other stuff.

It woke me up--completely--so much so that I didn't even sleep last night.

I hope I don't see him again, and I have the machete on the front porch, just in case. :-)

[Maddy McCall]

80. Glad to see you found this thread...I completely respect your opinion...

on snakes--you are the DU expert on this topic, unchallenged! :hi:

[Maddy McCall]

78. OH YES THEY ARE...I already lost one dog to water moccasin bites...

They are quite venomous.

[maveric]

81. Are they cottonmouths?

If so then I mixed them up.

[jdj]

85. yes, the same thing.

damn, and I have mice, and I thought I had a problem.

[Maddy McCall]

87. Trust me, I'd rather have the mice any day. :-)

[jdj]

89. I'm trapping them humanely, where do you live?

(for snake food?)

just kidding.

that is so scary.

I'm glad your dog obeyed you, and I posted above that I read that snake bombs (what exterminators use) contain napthalene, the same ingredient in mothballs, so you might want to put some around your door frames, etc.

I got 4 mice so far, two (hopefully only two) more to go.

[Maddy McCall]

97. Investing in some mothballs tomorrow...

will use them like holy water to sprinkle around my house--out damned demons!!!

I don't know if I can get an exterminator here to come kill snakes, but I am going to do some snakeproofing...especially am going to look around and make sure that there is no way a snake can enter my home...no holes or places where one can enter!

[jdj]

101. I've told this story before on here

about my uncle fishing in GA in the Okeefenokee when a cottonmouth fell into his boat. Lightning fast he grabs his shotgun and shoots it only to realize he just blew a whole through the bottom of his boat, which then sunk. Better soggy than dead, I guess.

[Maddy McCall]

104. HAHAHA!!!! That is too damned funny...

I bet your uncle was pissed, though! Hope he laughs about it now. :-)