Came home today to find this in my driveway. One freshly deceased snake that appears to have choked on himself.







No sooner than I post it on Facespace, my neighbor calls me. He hand crafts bows, and uses snake skins. He asked if he could have it. When he came over to pick it up, my 5 year old wanted to check it out.

African-American snake, you white male racist homophope!

Good to see your son enjoying it. Boys love snakes. (Some girls too-my daughter used to scare hell out of me!)

Western rat snake I believe.

Could be pure Alabama Black Snake.....

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Originally posted by darthfuster:
Could be pure Alabama Black Snake.....

Beaucoup?

Good snake.

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Good snake.

I don't know who he escaped from, but he was very well trained. He sat, he stayed....

It's ashamed it was dead. It looked like some good eating to me. Chris

My sister today.

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Originally posted by Fenris:
Good snake.

Not really. Those snakes remove a lot of vermin from the environment! Including, as I have been told, venomous snakes.

They are completely harmless to humans!

quote:

Originally posted by darthfuster:
Could be pure Alabama Black Snake.....

Yes, saw that movie a couple times myself.

too bad about the snake dying, I hate rats...well I hate snakes too so..

Several years ago a large Black Snake was hanging from the rafters in a horse stall over a mare and her new foal. I was afraid it might drop down and startle the mare so I extracted it. It took a couple of hitches around my bare arm but we quickly developed an understanding and I took it a fair distance from the barn and turned it loose. It was dark and I hope it didn't beat me back to the barn.

Looks like it was injured at the midpoint and "turned" on itself out of pain.

That is "natural", as the snake's instinct is to turn back on an attacker, but if there is not one, they latch on to themselves.

So, he was pretty much a goner already.

Something else had a go at him earlier.

Poor snake.

They are your friend, unless venomous, or they look like they might be venomous, then it's the flat shovel. Otherwise move them into shade or near rocks.

I freaked someone out the other day doing that. Moved a friendly snake over off the road, they said I was nuts.

Less rodents = good

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Something else had a go at him earlier.

He didn't have many other signs of obvious injury. He wasn't crushed by getting driven over, and honestly only my one neighbor and I use the driveway. Neither of us would have hit him.

He had some damage to his skin but it didn't look too serious. Our best theory is that one of the hawks had a go at it, tried to fly away with him, and dropped him.

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They are your friend, unless venomous

Since we are on property, and have rodents, these guys are welcome.

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Originally posted by Skins2881:
Poor snake.

They are your friend, unless venomous, or they look like they might be venomous, then it's the flat shovel. Otherwise move them into shade or near rocks.

I freaked someone out the other day doing that. Moved a friendly snake over off the road, they said I was nuts.

Less rodents = good

Heck, even the rattlesnakes would be fine if a guy didn't have kids and dogs. They really go after the ground squirrels and they don't bother you if you don't bother them. Unfortunately, while the kids are old enough now to stay away, the dogs are both curious and clueless about snakes - not a good combination - so it is always open season on rattlers around here.

Shovels are great, but a big stick or even a lead rope / leash will do. You hit them hard enough to break their back and it dramatically reduces their mobility and ability to strike.

Gopher snakes and garter snakes always get relocated off the road. If I have a bucket with a lid handy, the gopher snakes get relocated to the orchard.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
Looks like it was injured at the midpoint and "turned" on itself out of pain.

That is "natural", as the snake's instinct is to turn back on an attacker, but if there is not one, they latch on to themselves.

So, he was pretty much a goner already.

Something else had a go at him earlier.

Agreed. M guess, maybe a car. Unfortunate 'cause the vermin will be celebrating.

https://youtu.be/BUCu0t2V3os

Yep, Alabama Blacksnake, it is.

Handsome fella, too bad. They do much more good than harm. Snake like that would keep the copperhead population in check..