Snake!

[Aggie_Ama]

Although I know there are many snake lovers on this board, I am not one of them. Never have liked snakes and I don't think I ever will. Today I was out running on a hike and bike trail when I saw a snake crossing my path. I stopped and the lady I was about to pass walking her dog stopped as well. The snake was way too big for my taste, about the only ones I can stand are those little grass snakes.

Anyone have any guesses on what it was? It came up from a Texas creek, was 3-3.5 foot long, black. I am guessing Water Moccasin or Cottonmouth. I didn't have my contacts in and wasn't about to get close enough to get a better look. I *think* it had a triangular head, so I am sure it was one I didn't want to meet.

[CyclChyk]

Might it have been a true blue black snake?? I think they are also referred to as Milk snakes. But they are harmless to people. They eat rodents are are of no threat to people and not poisonous. I am pretty sure water moccasins have very distintive markings on them but I can't remember which ones. Plus I think they are poisonous. That would suck.

FYI - snakes are more afraid of you than you are of them. They will not attack unless they feel provoked.

[7rider]

We saw two very smooshed snakes on our ride yesterday. DH thought one was a rattler, but I think more than likely it was a hognose. Kind of hard to tell when they're upside down and flattened and icky (and just generally "orangish").
I'm sure if you did a google image search on black texas snakes, you'd come up with your friend. I tend to lean towards the common for sightings other than the exotic. I don't know the range of black snakes - there are several types, I think - but chances are good you saw one.
Smart to keep your distance when you don't know what you're dealing with, but keep in mind that snakes are valuable members of the ecosystem and they're just out there doing their thing.

[pooks]

I'd freak over a large snake, myself. Friends were hiking one spring and a large rattler was stretched across the path, sunning itself. Probably fresh from hibernation. They finally threw rocks at it until it moved on.

I would have turned around, gone the other way, and "seen" snakes stirring all around me the entire way. The friends said it was six miles back, and two miles forward, and they didn't want to backtrack.

Not me. I'd have made that six miles in record speed and I wouldn't have heaved rocks at the snake! Once it moved off the path, I asked, how did you know it wasn't just in the weeds, coiled?

They shrugged.

Gah!

My husband says if it had a short stubby tail, thick body, triangular head, it was probably a water moccasin. But there are LOTS of different snakes -- I once had a herpetologist tell me that most snakes people think are moccasins aren't. Wikipedia supports that:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cottonmouth

I am such a freak about snakes that if I'm flipping through a magazine and suddenly hit a picture of a coiled snake, or especially one with it's fangs exposed -- oh heck, I don't really have to see that much detail -- I will shriek and toss the magazine on the floor. It's instinctual -- I wish I could stop it. If I know there are pics of snakes I can steel myself for it, but it's the surprise that kills me.

I know they're important to the ecosystem. I don't want them all dead. I just don't want to look at them.

And I would prefer to never encounter one. Ever.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Probably just a harmless black snake.

[Trekhawk]

Originally Posted by pooks

I know they're important to the ecosystem. I don't want them all dead. I just don't want to look at them.

And I would prefer to never encounter one. Ever.

LOL - You need to move to NZ Pooks - no snakes there.

[Lise]

Originally Posted by Trekhawk

LOL - You need to move to NZ Pooks - no snakes there.

Really? How come?

[Trekhawk]

Originally Posted by Lise

Really? How come?

Not sure Lise - best we ask a Kiwi. Over the water in Aust we have bl**dy heaps of them.

Come on all you Kiwi girls we are waiting for our natural history lesson.

[light_sabe_r]

Originally Posted by Trekhawk

LOL - You need to move to NZ Pooks - no snakes there.

I have a theory on that...

St PAT (the guy responsible for getting us all drunk on Mar 15 every year) apparently drove all the snakes outta ireland right? So he made a visit there. He drove all the snakes outta NZ... The nearest land mass is AUSTRALIA so they all wound up here.

Yes... We've got like 9 out of 10 of the world's most venomous snakes don't we????? They've all come over fro Ireland and NZ... Just the like the rest of our human population has :P

On holidays up in NQ I went jogging with my cousin near her Hubby's mango farm. She always has a dog go with her to ward of the brown snakes... (the deadliest) Not exactly the most RELAXING jog you could ever go on... More like "ARGH!!! what was that???"

I've seen a few carpet pythons on my rides in the bush on the weekends... but nothing too deadly round here in Brissie.

[Aggie_Ama]

Well I did some Googling and it appears I was right to stay away. Based on the ones that are common to this area and the size, it looked the most like a Cottonmouth. Most of the other black snakes in the area have some sort of distinctive marking (red or orange). This guy had nothing very distinctive. Cottonmouths are known to attack, I am glad he didn't get mad at the woman stomping her feet and come after us.

I have no problem letting snakes do their thing. I do not want them anywhere near me. Some people don't like cats, dogs, pigs- I don't like snakes. They freak me out! I wouldn't even want to be close enough to harm one, so they are safe near me.