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. :drinks:

[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.

[Echo]

About a month after we moved into our new house in Tucson I killed a sidewinder on our patio - not a big one, but our first snake at the new home. Several gopher snakes, a few King snakes, and so on, bout no more venomous snakes.

[EMC45]

My son got bit 2 days ago by a black racer. Wife said she thought he was about to die the way he was acting. Got him right on the ankle.

[Blackwater]

I hate to see anyone get bit, even by non-poisonous snakes. But a good dose of iodine is all I've ever used. In school, I was kind'a the "Mr. Green Jeans" (from the Capt. Kangaroo show) of my class, and brought a number of snakes to the science lab. I was one of the first to school when I rode in with Dad in the mornings, and one morning, I went to see "my" snake and see how it was doing, and see if its cage needed cleaning, and when I opened the door to that room, the desks looked like a tornado had been in there! It took a while, but I finally found that our janitor, an old alkie, had gotten there, and my snake had managed to escape his cage, and crawl into a desk, under the seat, where we typically kept our books, etc. The janitor had been sweeping up, and bent down to pick something up, and lo and behold, there was my snake, not 8" from his head, all coiled up and sticking its tongue out! THIS was the source of the scattered and overturned desks! He'd apparently "spun his wheels," and flailed about so that very few desks in the room escaped his attempts to get away from that snake! He somehow managed to make it back with a long pole of some kind, maybe even the broom once he found the courage to go back in there. He didn't know or care about the difference between a chicken snake and a king cobra! All he knew is that he was convinced he'd escaped death by the skin of his teeth, and he was NOT going back in that room unless he was assured no further snakes would be involved. The principal suggested that maybe it'd be good to declare a moratorium on bringing more snakes to school. Knowing the old custodian was an alkie, and not wanting to cause problems, I easily complied. I'd gotten all I'd wanted, I thought, and certainly didn't want to get on the bad side of the principal! After all, I was far from a "flower child" back then, and thought maybe complying would bring me at least a little respect, and maybe even some small consideration in the future? I'm not sure I got much consideration in the future, but at least I avoided angering the principal. There was no known help for the custodian in that day.

But never having been really scared of snakes, until I almost got bit by a rattler twice, I did at least recognize that some, like my Mom, harbored an intense hatred and fear of ALL of them. Human variation I guess?

[44deerslayer]

Was puppy proofing my clyclone fence when I had a copperhead snake about 18 inches long .going for my ankle / leg almost got me too . killed it with a hunk of fireword

[Blackwater]

A friend of mine has been bit I believe it's 3 times now by Copperhead moccasins. The last time was in his yard, which is profusely stocked with flowers, many of which can hide a snake under their leaves. The doc told him at the ER that if he'd had the serum twice before, he ran a big chance of an allergic reaction to it, in which case he'd probably die. He further advised that if it was him, with copperheads being smaller and having lesser and not quite as virulent a venom as some other snakes, that his best tactic was probably to just wait outside and let his wife keep close watch on him, and keep telling her what he was feeling. He told them what to watch for as danger signals, and ... they went outside and sat, and chatted intermittently about what was going on with him. He said he got high as a kite, and a little sick feeling, but that was about it, and after several hours, the doc pronounced him good to go home. He got some antibiotics because snake's teeth don't tend to be very clean, and they puncture pretty deeply. But other than the discomfort, he didn't have any really serious repercussions.

The real downside to getting bit is one of two things will happen: Either you'll develop a resistance to the effect of the venom, OR .... you'll become extra sensitive to it and become "allergic" to the venom or the serum if you get treated with antivenin. And also, some folks are inately allergic to the antivenin which uses horse's blood serum. So even with your first bite, it's possible to die either with or without the antivenin. They're pretty good at resuscitating folks undergoing anafalaxis now, but ... not totally successful.

So don't EVER mess with a snake unless it's for some reason necessary. About half the people who get bit were playing with the snake at the time, or drinking and taking unnecessary chances, just to look "cool" for others. Professionals, like the folks who catch (I have 2 friends who do this) the snakes to "milk" them for their venom so they can make the antivenin, and the "milkers" who extract the venom, are VERY careful when handling the poisonous snakes they routinely deal with. Some, like the black mamba and some cobras, and some exotics from SE Asia and Australia and Africa, scare the puddin' out'a me!

Y'all be careful out there, and if you find a poisonous one, do NOT mess with it, even after you shoot it. When I shoot one that's near where kids play, I try to use my .45 and cut a near 1/2" hole in their heads right at the venom sack. Even a dead snake can still bite you, and if the venom sacks are still full, inject a VERY deadly and virulent poison in you, deep under the surface of your skin. And you will NOT enjoy the aftermath of that! Go look at some snake bite victims on you tube or google images, and you won't ever want to make that mistake, no matter how much you've drunk! Like I said, y'all be CAREFUL out there! Snakes don't play, so ... don't try to play with them!

[MaryB]

Thankfully rattlesnakes are rare here, a few down in the granite outcroppings along the river. And they tend to be shy and move away if they hear you coming. One of my fishing holes when I was younger was a granite shelf about 2' above the river surface. Had to climb down a steep rock wall to get to it, about 12' straight down. I get down there and before my friend could pass down fishing tackle I hear a rattle. Dang snake fell down there and got trapped. I set a record going back up that wall! We called the DNR and they sent someone out to rescue it. Hour later we were fishing our spot.

[Col4570]

On the subject of Snake Bites,I wonder what people bitten in the old days prior to modern Medical methods did when struck.The Native American must have had some forms of cure or did they just accept death.I would think a Cell Phone is an absolute must item when wandering in the wilderness where Venomous Snakes are.

[jonp]

Had one last year 3-4ft long outside the porch. I told my wife to leave it alone as i hoped it would take up housekeeping under the house.
Keeping the dog from killing it when we are gone is a different story

[richhodg66]

Probably just accepted death, they either got well or they didn't. Truth be told, very few people in America die from snake bite. Knew of a few back where I grew up that were bitten and didn't get medical attention, most just got sick and swollen and eventually got over it. Certainly nothing to take lightly, but the venom dose is designed to kill mouse sized animals, not humans.

I personally hate cell phones and try to not carry one when I'm out and about. May not be prudent and that might change as I get older.

[PerpetualStudent]

Took my 2 year old on a ramble at the local wetland area (also public hunting land so was also doing some scouting). Climbed trees showed her tracks and scat. While walking down a deer trail we kicked up a garter snake and it was easily the biggest one I've ever seen. That sucker was 3 ft if he was an inch. I remember playing with garter snakes in upstate NY as a kid but never one that big. Looked it up when we got home apparently it was an eastern planes garter snake.

[Blackwater]

As to pre-antivenin treatment for snake bite, the best one COULD do back then was to cut the little X's on each fang mark, and then suck the poison out. Sucking the poison out involved a small risk if one had any sort of open wound in their mouth, since venom CAN make its way into the blood from such a wound, but probably not enough to make one more than just "get a buzz" from it, if one spits it out quickly (almost guaranteed!) and rinses their mouth out with water (again, nearly guaranteed, due to the blood that comes out with the venom).

Then, it was just a "wait and see" proposition, really. Move the bite victim and get their heart to pounding, and you just guarantee that the blood will get to where it does its biggest harm the quickest. But I'm sure many, due to fear of snakes or whatever, made that mistake. Probably helped many to die that might have lived had they been kept quiet and calm, but .... that's humanity in action, I guess. They simply knew no better way other than cutting those X's and sucking the poison out. We are SO lucky today, to have antivenin, but even that is no guarantee. Some die due to an allergic reaction to the horse serum, and not all can be "shocked" back to life again. And the after effect of an envenomation is something horrible to see. Flesh rots away, most never to be replaced again, ever. It'll generally leave the one bitten with some disability, even if they don't die. Few DO die today, thankfully, because of the availability of quick medical treatment and antivenin, but even with that, you do NOT want to go through the ordeal of a snake bite.

People of bygone days were well acquainted with death, in many forms and due to many factors. Living to be 70 was NOT common at ALL! Many died at 40, and even younger. We have a problem "seeing" things as they were back then, these days, due to all the wonders we have now. And that's made a lot of us more careless, possibly in the belief that "nothing bad's going to happen to me." Traipse around the southern woods a bit, and you'll lose that attitude, or you'll just get scared, and not come back to it again.

Rattlesnakes do NOT "plan" an attack, and if they can, do all they can to avoid an encounter with us humans. But they're not always successful. A big rattlesnake of near 6' or so can swallow a rabbit whole! It may take nearly a month to digest it, but they CAN do that. Snakes are amazing creatures, but they DO bear watching. Close! I learned very early on not to take a step in the woods without looking where I was stepping. That has saved me from many a "situation" with snakes and other stuff. If you don't ..... well .... snakebite is gonna' be a probability if you spend much time in those woods. This means no running in the woods, but ... worse things can happen than having to do some tracking once in a while.

[tallwalker]

When I was a kid about 10 years old I used to spend summers with my aunt and uncle in Pointe-a-la-hache LA as far south in the bayous as you can pretty much get. My older cousin used to take us water skiing in the bayou all the time. One of the kids my age who used to go with us all the time couldn't go one day and didn't find out until Sunday church that he had died. Snakebit 47 times skiing in the same bayou the day before he was supposed to meet us. Gave me the willies for a long time about water skiing in dark water. The old folks back then called it a "ball o snakes" that he fell into. Some kind of mating thing or something. Never heard of that or seen it since but just the thought of it is unbelievably creepy. Water moccasins most definitely can bite underwater though. That I have seen.