Big Snake Today

[richhodg66]

I went for a walk with my son along the edge of Milford Lake, mainly to get out of the house, but also checking on the status of the longnose gar spawn which will happen soon (I love to bowfish). While coming back, almost stepped on a Gopher Snake that I believe was the biggest snake I've ever seen in Kansas. He was easily four feet long, may have been five. As big around as my forearm for much of his body length, he was a fine specimen. I've been taking care of a mouse problem in my shop lately, one made a nest in the battery compartment of one of my motorcycles and they've chewed up some other stuff. If I'd had something to keep that guy in on me, he'd be in my shop right now and I bet the mouse problem would be done.

I don't see snakes around here all that often, especially impressive ones like that.

[samari46]

Living here in Louisiana and having the bayou at the back of my property it's not unusual to see water moccasins or cotton mouth snakes. Did a number on a big one with my bush hog. Sliced and diced him. Only saw a hog nosed snake once down here. Hiding behind the trash can and found him when I went to take the trash out to the road. Frank

[frkelly74]

I knew a guy in Michigan whos son in law fired up a snowmobile, took it around his yard and parked it in his barn. 3 hours later his barn was a blazing inferno because a mouse had built a nest in the engine by the exhaust pipe. I would rather have a few snakes I think. Of course they don't hunt in winter but still maybe they could keep the numbers down somewhat.

[Blackwater]

Rich, you'd be amazed at the size of some of the rattlers that stay in the swamps here in Ga.! The first one I ever saw in my life was near the river, and was hanging over a big, diamond shaped sign. It had to be well over 7' long! I have another story, but lest I be deemed a liar, I won't tell it here! Few snakes, with all the homes being built on formerly "wilderness" tracts, get to live long enough to get anywhere near that big these days, but they still CAN if given the simple time to. A really big rattler is a scary thing to see! In most of my locale, we see a lot more Canebreaks than we do Diamondbacks, and their average "full grown" size is @ 5.5 ft. But all of them are dangerous. I never really feared them, and was mostly fascinated by them, until I almost got bit .... TWICE! Now, if I see them, I'm not afraid at all. It's the ones we DON'T see that are truly "dangerous!" I've seen many in my time, and Mom came close to getting bit when I was a kid. She was coming down the steps and a big one was stretched out by the bottom step! When I got home from school, she was STILL shaken by it! She was deathly afraid of ALL snakes, and could not over that fear. I killed quite a few, but eventually, she go to where she wouldn't MAKE me shoot the non-poisonous ones. That was a big step for her! Now, I only shoot the poisonous ones where I see kid's toys or gym sets in the yard, or maybe where I know elderly folks live. The rest? I figure I'm in THEIR "house," and just leave them be, and go around them.

It's their "uncivilizable" qualities that makes me demure in killing them all. They DO serve a very useful purpose. Nothing is a better rat killer than a good pit viper!

And anyone who thinks cotton mouth moccasins can't bite underwater has just never been in cottonmouth territory much, so do NOT fall for that old wives' tale! They CAN, and DO! Just a word to the wise.

[marlin39a]

I get gopher snakes here that go over 5 ft. Had a big boy the other day on the back porch trying to get in the house. A 22 shotshell ended his quest.

[richhodg66]

According to what I read, Gopher snakes are the biggest we have here in Kansas and can reach 8'.

I grew up in coastal S.C., I have seen some big rattlers and moccasins, but I have inly come across one venomous snake in Kansas, a copperhead about a foot long in weather cool enough he could hardly move. It was out in the woods, away from anywhere he'd likely encounter people so I left him be.

This one yesterday was an impressive critter. Very colorful too, he must have recently shed.

[w5pv]

Some where in the early sixties I read an artical in the paper where this kid had ran and jumped into a lake ahead of his friends and was able to hollar and tell them not to get into the water because he was being bit by snakes in the water.It said how many times he was bitten but I don't remember.This happened in Georgia I was stationed at Ft Benning but don't remember what county it was in. Horrible way to go.

[dagger dog]

I had a black snake that took up residence in my barn he kept the rodent population down and would even climb trees to pull out starling hatchlings, had to keep lookout while mowing, cause I cut off about 3 inches of his tail, he was around for three years I would find his sheds and could tell it was him from the short tail.

[PbHurler]

It was out in the woods, away from anywhere he'd likely encounter people so I left him be.

This one yesterday was an impressive critter. Very colorful too, he must have recently shed.

Good on ya for identifying it and lettin' "him" be.

There's no sense in killing just because you're unsure of un-legged animals, you've obviously educated yourself.

[xs11jack]

True story, my best friend and I was 4 wheeling in Ca. desert, we found a mining tunnel and decided to explore. He went in first, oh, wait, guns, he was carrying a Smith mod. 29, 44 Mag and I had mod 28 357. Yes he went in first, about 20 some feet in he says there is a rattlesnake in here should I shoot it??? I screamed "Don't shoot, don't shoot you'll deafen us for life, stop don't shoot." Thank God he didn't shoot but that didn't stop me from getting half deaf in my old age.
Ole Jack

[bob208]

we have them in the attic and cellar. see the skins only but if there are snakes.

[Hardcast416taylor]

About 20 years ago in Gainesville, Fl a friend of mines brother bought a new built home on a cul-de-sac that only the year before was wetlands. The brother was walking over to talk golf with another neighbor hitting `whiffle` balls in his yard. The golfer suddenly stepped back several paces, picked up his `Big Bertha` driver and teed off on a rattler going across his yard. He drove the head off the rattler. They hung the dead snake up in his garage. It went from his 8` ft. rafter to the floor and about a foot farther. They have a response number in town to remove `critters`. They said that was the largest diamonback they had seen in quite a few years. Probably the building upset the snake from its usual area.Robert

[MaryB]

I had one like that living in the backyard, my gopher issue dropped to almost zero. Haven't seen him this year and it has been warm enough for them to come out and sun. Gopher population is up enough I am going to have to sit out on the deck with the 22 and pick a few off.

I went for a walk with my son along the edge of Milford Lake, mainly to get out of the house, but also checking on the status of the longnose gar spawn which will happen soon (I love to bowfish). While coming back, almost stepped on a Gopher Snake that I believe was the biggest snake I've ever seen in Kansas. He was easily four feet long, may have been five. As big around as my forearm for much of his body length, he was a fine specimen. I've been taking care of a mouse problem in my shop lately, one made a nest in the battery compartment of one of my motorcycles and they've chewed up some other stuff. If I'd had something to keep that guy in on me, he'd be in my shop right now and I bet the mouse problem would be done.

I don't see snakes around here all that often, especially impressive ones like that.

[Rufus Krile]

Snakes really didn't bother me until I had to spend a year in a place far away that was rich in them. After dealing with King Cobras, Russell's Vipers, and Kraits I decided I no longer liked them. Biggest Western Diamondback I ever saw would have gone about 7ft and had a head on him about the size of a 1# powder can. We have some Blue Indigoes down here that get real long... I've seen one that ran over 10ft. Still MUCH smaller than a few of the cobras I saw... and they eat rattlesnakes.

[johnson1942]

my son and i saw this a couple of years ago. the laws of nature at work. the largest garder snake ive ever ever seen, it was huge, came right by my son and i in our gravel drive way, going like a bat out of he!!. it was headed for my bullet loading shed to hide under it. about 3 feet behind him was a huge bull snake right on his tail. they both went under the shop, im sure only the bull snake came out. we have rattlers around here but the one i really dont like are the racers. they are very very ill tempered. they get huge also and will strike at you and chase you. the hog nosed snakes are ***** cats. you can pick them up and carry them around like a pet. however there bite can make you sick, but they never bite. ive let my two older daughter play with them when they were little.

[mold maker]

I was raised on the very far edge of town (now a block from center ) where snakes were a common occurrence. As the city engulfed me the snake population dropped. Now black snakes are again common. The wife keeps children and that precludes snakes of any kind.
Can you imagine a young Mother carrying a baby coming upon a 5' black???

[Blackwater]

Good point about their making you sick, Johnson. They don't have to have fangs and venom to cause problems for a person. Can you imagine what all kinds of nasty bacteria and other nasty stuff lives in their mouths? And those teeth are many and VERY sharp. I've only been bitten on boots or other thicker stuff that protected me, and never (so far!) without provoking it to bite by playing with it. I've never played with poisonous ones, though. I'm not CRAZY! I think about 50% of those who get bit, get bit when playing with them! I'll never understand folks who do that! With the poisonous ones, at least. Curing an infection that may be due to a dozen or more pathogens from a bite could be VERY trying and painful! Don't mess with them, like I did when I was much younger at times!

[Char-Gar]

I killed a Bushmaster in the Colombian rain forest that went well over 9 feet and they get quite a bit longer. I also killed Coral snake on the same trip and it was about 2.5 feet. Things grow big down there. I have no fascination about snakes. I don't kill them just because they are there, but if they contest me in any way, they I will send them to snake heaven.

[54bore]

I went for a walk with my son along the edge of Milford Lake, mainly to get out of the house, but also checking on the status of the longnose gar spawn which will happen soon (I love to bowfish). While coming back, almost stepped on a Gopher Snake that I believe was the biggest snake I've ever seen in Kansas. He was easily four feet long, may have been five. As big around as my forearm for much of his body length, he was a fine specimen. I've been taking care of a mouse problem in my shop lately, one made a nest in the battery compartment of one of my motorcycles and they've chewed up some other stuff. If I'd had something to keep that guy in on me, he'd be in my shop right now and I bet the mouse problem would be done.

I don't see snakes around here all that often, especially impressive ones like that.

I'd much rather have the mouse problem, me and snakes don't do well together. One of the only creatures that make me cringe! I am ok to see them at a distance but if i nearly step on one before seeing it i just about have a coronary!

[RKJ]

We had a (1 foot long) king snake on our front porch last night. My wife didn't appreciate that I let it get away from us. We're being told by the MDC that with the recent flooding the snakes are going to be out and about because their nests getting washed away.