One way to tell a black racer is they hunt with their heads up over the grass, they like to look around. Obviously they wouldn't do that climbing a tree.
One way to tell a black racer is they hunt with their heads up over the grass, they like to look around. Obviously they wouldn't do that climbing a tree.
Yup, interesting double standard that seems to exist. Now, I do recall seeing one post where a guy said he captures spiders in a jar to extricate them from his house, but I would believe that such behaviour is the exception to the norm. I surely will continue to kill any spider I see and can catch in my house, f*** the PETA members and sympathyzers!
A snake, OTOH, I would probably just leave alone, if possible.
I am not for killn animals but a snake to me in my yard doesn't need to be there. Either have someone from some animal huggin place come around and deal with it or I would of used the .22 on it do to a 3yr old around. Endangered species sure, common little snake... ....... ........ bang! .
I generally don't kill snakes but a few years ago when I was working on my computer in my finished basement I glanced down at what I thought was a shoestring at my feet ... iy was instead a baby snake of some kind! Now I sort of worry about my grandchildern sleeping down there xince where there is one baby, there are more!
UglyCasanova
Lifer
- Mar 25, 2001
- 19,275
- 1,361
- 126
I love how everyone suddenly turns into an enviromentalists tree-hugging animal lover PETA crybaby when it's something "cool" like a snake.
Originally posted by: eno
I am not for killn animals but a snake to me in my yard doesn't need to be there. Either have someone from some animal huggin place come around and deal with it or I would of used the .22 on it do to a 3yr old around. Endangered species sure, common little snake... ....... ........ bang! .
He bang! He bang! Oh baby when it hiss! It hiss!
gsellis
Diamond Member
- Dec 4, 2003
- 6,061
- 0
- 0
Thank God! Finally someone has it right. I was reading through the post knowing this was lacking.
It looks like a variation of a Black Rat Snake if it is 6' long. Arkansas would be at the edge of its range, but in the range.
linkage to a variety in VA
But it looks like a Black King Snake
Linkage
Black Rat Snake In a tree
Another description
linkage
Yes, it was not the best thing to kill it. If it had been my yard and my wife saw it, I would have had to move it somewhere else. BUT I know what is venomous or at least how to tell. JZL does not or he would not have posted. Cut him some slack. I don't like that it was killed, but I understand.
Even if most of the US venomous vipers are not that strong, the risk is not just the venom. My dad always used to say that "snakes don't dip their fangs in alcohol before they bite." A viper bite also has the strong risk of infection even if the venom is neutralized. Oh, did I mention that they hurt too?
As for poisonous vs venomous. Snakes are tasty. Rattlesnake tastes like gator. errr.. which tastes kind of like frog legs err... which taste like rabbit... err which when it comes down to it, tastes kind of like chicken.
Now Fugu are poisonous (see puffer fish)
CDC Puffer fish case
- Jul 23, 2002
- 1,639
- 1
- 0
Originally posted by: gsellis
Thank God! Finally someone has it right. I was reading through the post knowing this was lacking.
It looks like a variation of a Black Rat Snake if it is 6' long. Arkansas would be at the edge of its range, but in the range.
linkage to a variety in VA
But it looks like a Black King Snake
Linkage
Black Rat Snake In a tree
Another description
linkage
Yes, it was not the best thing to kill it. If it had been my yard and my wife saw it, I would have had to move it somewhere else. BUT I know what is venomous or at least how to tell. JZL does not or he would not have posted. Cut him some slack. I don't like that it was killed, but I understand.
Even if most of the US venomous vipers are not that strong, the risk is not just the venom. My dad always used to say that "snakes don't dip their fangs in alcohol before they bite." A viper bite also has the strong risk of infection even if the venom is neutralized. Oh, did I mention that they hurt too?
As for poisonous vs venomous. Snakes are tasty. Rattlesnake tastes like gator. errr.. which tastes kind of like frog legs err... which taste like rabbit... err which when it comes down to it, tastes kind of like chicken.
Now Fugu are poisonous (see puffer fish)
CDC Puffer fish case
DING DING DING!!!!!
DrPizza
Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
You didn't read my post. Catch them and sell them in the FS/FT forum
I'm sure someone will trade you some decent hardware for a uber-cool 6 foot long snake that eats rats. $3 rat from the pet store, a bunch of friends, a few cases of beer, and the owner becomes the coolest kid in the dorm.
Soulkeeper
Diamond Member
- Nov 23, 2001
- 6,738
- 156
- 106
StinkyPinky
Diamond Member
- Jul 6, 2002
- 6,981
- 1,279
- 126
I don't understand why people are giving him such a hard time. An unknown snake (look how long it took for ppl here to find the correct snake!) in his backyard where his daughter plays...seems like a reasonable thing to do.
I hunt. I kill animals all the time, and if it was a venomous snake, then I support his decision to kill it, especially if he has kids. However, unless I missed an update in the thread (and I have skipped a fair number of posts, and havent yet read to the conclusion of the thread) there is a chance that he killed a king snake, in which case he actually made it more likely, not less, that he will have a venomous snake on his property, as king snakes will kill any and all snakes in their territory (well, any and all snakes that they are able to kill, they arent going to kill a 12' boa that escaped from your neighbors).
Why not take pictures and what it was before you killed it? It was a good idea to post a thread to find out if it was venomous. But it's too late to ask if you did the right thing now. It's nice to see so many people who defend the snake here. I personally get called all the time for snake removal, because I know a lot about our local snakes here in AZ and know how to handle them without harming the snake or risking people/pets. That particular snake is a black rat snake. Quite harmless, though with that size it could give a small cut if it *did* choose to bite. I love to get calls to remove snakes, because these are the same people who would otherwise kill a harmless and beneficial snake out of ignorance. Ignorance is not stupidity, it just means that they do not know enough about snakes to identify what could be dangerous. Many people, such as JzL will kill them out of fear. JzL, do a favor for all around you. Take the time to learn what snakes in your area are venomous. There are not that many, and taking the time to learn how to identify them will potentially save a life. Would you kill a stray dog that came into your yard? While it does have the potential to bite (anything with teeth does) it has a right to live.
ThePresence
Elite Member
- Nov 19, 2001
- 27,727
- 16
- 81
A snake in my yard would probably have suffered the same fate. I'll find out if it's poisonous when the damn thing is dead, not after it bites my kid. Yeah, yeah, I know they don't bite, but I ain't takin' chances.
SP33Demon
Lifer
- Jun 22, 2001
- 27,928
- 143
- 106
Good post. Most snakes aren't venomous, and are harmless... I have to admit I did shoot a 5ft water snake when in college, was in WV at an abandoned coal mine shooting off an SKS assault rifle... the snake was swimming upstream and it was too tempting. But I'll usually just leave them alone b/c they help get rid of vermin.
You didn't even eat it? Now, that is a waste.
I try not to kill anything (besides over populous nusance insects, like house flies and mosquitos) unless it's an immediate danger, or I'm hungry.
Though if I had kids around and didn't know if it was dangerous or not I may have been more tempted to eat it than otherwise.
I try not to kill anything (besides over populous nusance insects, like house flies and mosquitos) unless it's an immediate danger, or I'm hungry.
Though if I had kids around and didn't know if it was dangerous or not I may have been more tempted to eat it than otherwise.
Hmmm seems kinda lame to just kill something that wasn't really doing anything TO you. But oh well, i suggest you just go back in your house next time when you see an animal you are afraid of. ^_^
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