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Two snakes had a lunch date on my porch (Warning, snake pict)

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May 23, 2018, 05:01 PM
olfuzzy
Two snakes had a lunch date on my porch (Warning, snake pict)
I guess they didn't hit it off very well.



May 23, 2018, 05:02 PM
dusty3030
Looks like a little cottonmouth was on the menu for mr Kingsnake.
May 23, 2018, 05:10 PM
rduckwor
Excellent!

RMD



TL Davis: “The Second Amendment is special, not because it protects guns, but because its violation signals a government with the intention to oppress its people…”
Remember: After the first one, the rest are free.
May 23, 2018, 06:01 PM
HK Ag
That's crazy.

I guess this is a size beats venom thing?

Someone help me understand, or are both venomous?

HK Ag
May 23, 2018, 06:06 PM
sasquatch28
Looks like a Speckled King - those things are hell on the venemous snakes.
May 23, 2018, 06:11 PM
Elk Hunter
quote:
Originally posted by HK Ag:
That's crazy.

I guess this is a size beats venom thing?

Someone help me understand, or are both venomous?

HK Ag


King snakes and black snakes feed on other snakes, including venomous ones. They are not harmful/dangerous to humans. I have "captured" a number of them by hand so I could move them to safer areas. We like them around the home place because they help keep down vermin and venomous snakes.


Elk

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FBHO!!!



The Idaho Elk Hunter
May 23, 2018, 06:19 PM
Andyb
A "good" snake. Hope you let him on his way.


"Pickin' stones and pullin' teats is a hard way to make a living. But, sure as God's got sandals, it beats fightin' dudes with treasure trails."

"We've been tricked, we've been backstabbed, and we've been quite possibly, bamboozled."
May 23, 2018, 06:25 PM
David Lee
He's sure got a big snakie tongue... Big Grin
May 23, 2018, 06:30 PM
mike28w
King snakes and bull snakes are your friends... Smile

But ....I still jump whenever I see one...
May 23, 2018, 08:00 PM
olfuzzy
quote:
Originally posted by dusty3030:
Looks like a little cottonmouth was on the menu for mr Kingsnake.


I hadn't given any thought of a cottonmouth, but I think you're right. If so, it's a little concerning because this "lunch date" was within a foot of my back door. We have a small lake about 4-500 hundred yards up the hill and a drainage ditch about a 100 yds in back but I've never worried about anything except the occasional copperhead.
May 23, 2018, 08:02 PM
olfuzzy
quote:
Originally posted by Andyb:
A "good" snake. Hope you let him on his way.


Fear not. I even brought the dog in so he could finish his meal in peace Cool
May 23, 2018, 09:53 PM
maladat
quote:
Originally posted by Elk Hunter:
quote:
Originally posted by HK Ag:
That's crazy.

I guess this is a size beats venom thing?

Someone help me understand, or are both venomous?

HK Ag


King snakes and black snakes feed on other snakes, including venomous ones. They are not harmful/dangerous to humans. I have "captured" a number of them by hand so I could move them to safer areas. We like them around the home place because they help keep down vermin and venomous snakes.


I had a speckled king snake as a pet for several years as a kid (from a reptile and exotic pet store, not caught in the wild). It was an interesting pet. It was calm, didn't mind being handled, and never tried to bite me. Feeding was exciting, once a week I'd dangle a freshly-dead mouse in the cage by its tail and give it a little jiggle and the snake would strike it hard and slurp it right down.
May 23, 2018, 10:12 PM
tatortodd
quote:
Originally posted by maladat:
quote:
Originally posted by Elk Hunter:
quote:
Originally posted by HK Ag:
That's crazy.

I guess this is a size beats venom thing?

Someone help me understand, or are both venomous?

HK Ag


King snakes and black snakes feed on other snakes, including venomous ones. They are not harmful/dangerous to humans. I have "captured" a number of them by hand so I could move them to safer areas. We like them around the home place because they help keep down vermin and venomous snakes.


I had a speckled king snake as a pet for several years as a kid (from a reptile and exotic pet store, not caught in the wild). It was an interesting pet. It was calm, didn't mind being handled, and never tried to bite me. Feeding was exciting, once a week I'd dangle a freshly-dead mouse in the cage by its tail and give it a little jiggle and the snake would strike it hard and slurp it right down.
When I worked in Midland, TX, my office was backed up to our 500 acre oil & gas facility. Midland, TX, is rattlesnake country and we were only 90 minutes from the largest rattlesnake round-up in the world.

The coolest thing about our facility is that we had an abundance of king snakes and they killified all of the rattlers (king snakes are constrictors). The only time we had a rattlesnake was if it came in with a shipment of oil & gas equipment.

Based on my experience, the OP is very lucky to have a king snake calling his property home.


Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.
May 24, 2018, 12:20 AM
armored
quote:
Originally posted by tatortodd:
quote:
Originally posted by maladat:
quote:
Originally posted by Elk Hunter:
quote:
Originally posted by HK Ag:
That's crazy.

I guess this is a size beats venom thing?

Someone help me understand, or are both venomous?

HK Ag


King snakes and black snakes feed on other snakes, including venomous ones. They are not harmful/dangerous to humans. I have "captured" a number of them by hand so I could move them to safer areas. We like them around the home place because they help keep down vermin and venomous snakes.


I had a speckled king snake as a pet for several years as a kid (from a reptile and exotic pet store, not caught in the wild). It was an interesting pet. It was calm, didn't mind being handled, and never tried to bite me. Feeding was exciting, once a week I'd dangle a freshly-dead mouse in the cage by its tail and give it a little jiggle and the snake would strike it hard and slurp it right down.
When I worked in Midland, TX, my office was backed up to our 500 acre oil & gas facility. Midland, TX, is rattlesnake country and we were only 90 minutes from the largest rattlesnake round-up in the world.

The coolest thing about our facility is that we had an abundance of king snakes and they killified all of the rattlers (king snakes are constrictors). The only time we had a rattlesnake was if it came in with a shipment of oil & gas equipment.

Based on my experience, the OP is very lucky to have a king snake calling his property home.


Many years ago when I worked as a commercial photographer I had an ad to shoot for Gabriel shock absorbers.
We flew to Midland TX to photograph Al Unsers winning Indy car (sponsored by Gabriel) for the ad. We went to Jim Halls Rattlesnake raceway and Jim Halls race car building compound.
All I can remember from the trip there was how wonderful Jim Hall was, How HOT it was, and ALL the signs posted around the compound to watch for rattle snakes, and the snake bite kits hung in each building.
It sure got the attention of this Chicago guy!
May 24, 2018, 08:38 AM
Bulldog7972
I think I'll stay in Chicago. I'd much rather deal with the two legged snakes we see around here.
May 24, 2018, 08:58 AM
muzzleloader
If he'll eat my GD moles, I'd pay you for him. I had an Eastern Hognose around the house for a while. See him on your sidewalk will give you a little giddy-up. Good on you for not molesting him.


"The days are stacked against what we think we are." Jim Harrison
May 24, 2018, 09:03 AM
HK Ag
cool stories, learning a lot, grew up in Houston so the rare garter snake is all I could contribute.

I would probably kill myself running into a door jam if I saw snakes like the above just around.

So king snakes can kill rattlesnakes and moccasins etc., that is just amazing to me. I guess I figured venom snake win no mater what but obviously not. I wonder how King snakes accomplish that against a rattler. Going to have to hit up the internet.

Thanks for this work drift.

HK Ag
May 24, 2018, 09:14 AM
TigerDore
quote:
Originally posted by HK Ag:
That's crazy.

I guess this is a size beats venom thing?

Someone help me understand, or are both venomous?

HK Ag

As Elk said, the King is not venomous; it constricts its prey. They are known to be immune to the venom of American vipers.



.
May 24, 2018, 10:44 AM
maladat
quote:
Originally posted by HK Ag:
cool stories, learning a lot, grew up in Houston so the rare garter snake is all I could contribute.

I would probably kill myself running into a door jam if I saw snakes like the above just around.

So king snakes can kill rattlesnakes and moccasins etc., that is just amazing to me. I guess I figured venom snake win no mater what but obviously not. I wonder how King snakes accomplish that against a rattler. Going to have to hit up the internet.

Thanks for this work drift.

HK Ag


As a kid in Houston, I occasionally found garter snakes, but had one friend whose yard would almost always turn up a "rough green snake" (yes, that's really the name - as a kid I knew them as "grass snakes") or two. They are the same striking green color as green anole lizards and usually 12-18 inches long or so.
May 24, 2018, 10:51 AM
dusty3030
quote:
Originally posted by maladat:
As a kid in Houston, I occasionally found garter snakes, but had one friend whose yard would almost always turn up a "rough green snake" (yes, that's really the name - as a kid I knew them as "grass snakes") or two. They are the same striking green color as green anole lizards and usually 12-18 inches long or so.


They are neat. I used to catch them and play with them when I was a kid. Pretty colors and their eyes are cool looking.