Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Well, I was diving home from work one day, around 4pm in the spring of 2009, when I came upon this beast...dead on the road.

I could not believe how big he was, let alone how easily he would have been (for at least me, and anyone else concious) to see stretched out across the road. What a shame!!! This guy was over 7', and I'm guessing at least 15 years old. I know I probably looked like some sort of freak, standing on the road photographing a dead snake, but I just couldn't pass it up.

As sad as I was to see it dead, I was glad to see there are still some giants out there, fewer and fewer indeed, but just the same, there ARE still some out there.

Here's a couple more pics.

let alone how easily he would have been (for at least me, and anyone else concious) to see stretched out across the road. What a shame!!!

The real shame is someone probably did see it and that's why it's dead. "The only good snake is a dead snake, huh Bubba?"

Thanks for taking the time to get pics for us. You're right it is good to know some monsters are still out there and hopefully there are plenty of it's progeny still around.
-----
BigT
There is a difference between ignorance and stupidity. The ignorant can be taught, stupidity is beyond our control.
1.2 P. m. melanoleucus B/W N. J. Northern Pines
1.2 P. d. deppei Mexican Pines
2.2 P. l. lineaticollis Linis or Lined Pines
1.2 P. m. lodingi Black Pines
1.1 Drymarchon melenurus Blacktail Cribo
1.2 M. s. cheynei Jungle Carpet
2.6 L. p. pyromelana Arizona Mt. Kings
1.1 L. g. californiae B/W Cali kings
0.0.3 M. f. flagellum Eastern Coachwhips
1.2 G. m. bottegoi Western Plated lizards

"The real shame is someone probably did see it and that's why it's dead." Absolutely...MY point exactly. What a freaking @&#%$@*# ^$%$@& %#&$%*&@# %@&^%!$!@# he or she was, and probably still IS!!!!!!!!! LOL!!!

I think of how many other cars this guy probably dodged throughout the years, and all of the other hazards he avoided...until this day. He definitely beat the odds though!

Thanks for the reply buddy!

Micah

Bummer.

If possible, you should look up some wildlife friendly reporters in the local press and see if you could co-write a brief, cautionary blurb in the local paper accompanied by one of those photos (maybe the last one?).

Sometimes you can reach a lot of people by saying something as simple as "hey, these big old snakes aren't poisonous, they eat rats and other rodents, and deserve some space if not respect from the rest of us."

If you have any local zoos, nature centers, etc. with pits on display to the public, you can also see about getting comments from a keeper or PR person to include in the article. They will help bolster the message, and they get some free press out of the deal

Good idea. I'll see what I can do. Thanks!

Aww...the poor old dude...
Several years ago I saw a video made by a psychology student concerning how drivers react to various animals crossing the road. She set up a couple of hidden cameras on a rural county paved road, then waited for results. The fake turtles and frogs she had set out people generally tried to avoid hitting. One lady even got out of her car and moved the turtle to a safe location! But the fake snakes did very poorly. The most egregious case was the county sheriff, who not only drove over the fake snake on purpose, he backed up and drove over it a few more times for good measure.
-----
Bob/Chris
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire

What a dick (the deputy, that is). Ironically enough, I am a deputy Sheriff, and have stopped and moved countless snakes off the road in my travels around my beat. Hmmmm, I wonder how "he" and I could be so different in that way? I even stopped once to save a young red tail hawk on the side of the road that appeared to have been hit by a car or truck. I took it back to the office for the rest of my shift, till I got off and was then able to take it to a local wildlife rescue center...only after taking several pics of us together. LOL!!!

Anyway, people can be such !$#@$@%#^@% !$^%$$%@^ &^@$@#&^%, sometimes. I freakin hate 'em. I like animals so much more for the most part. hahaha!!!

Now I must preface these pics I've included, with the fact they ARE MEANT TO BE COMICAL. OK. Some of my buddies at work refer to me as "The Pet Detective"...because I actually take on some of the cruelty to animal cases no one else cares about. So please understand, I was having some fun in these pics. Just don't want anyone to get the wrong idea. I'm not some real life Reno 911 cop! LOL!!!
I actually came in to the office just before the end of my shift, put the hawk on my shoulder, and then acted like I was hard at work. The oncoming shift guys started trickling in to work and saw me sitting there in the office with this hawk perched on my shoulder. I didn't say anything, but just stayed busy and acted like nothing. When asked (and guys were freaking out by the way) I just said "what's the big deal? - I caught and tamed a wild hawk". This just fueled the fire. Now they refer to me as "The Beast Master". Pretty funny I must admit. Anyway, enjoy the pics.

Take care and be safe out there. And oh yeah, Happy Thanksgiving!

micah

a couple more...

The hawk looks like a fledgling. Its really decent of you to care about the animals. I had an owl that had got hit by a car and lost an eye, and I kept it over the winter and fed it chicks, then I found a wildlife rescue group to take it, as it could not be released what with one eye.
-----
Bob/Chris
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire

Yeah well, it's the right thing to do. And bottom line, I'd feel like @&%# if I didn't do these little things in life. Animals are generally at our mercy.

Take care man!

That does suck! They are out there though, I found this pacific on the road alive (thankfully since I drove right over it)

The record is 9 ft. 1 inch
-----
6.7 pituophis c. annectans
1.1 senticolis t. intermedia
1.1 rhinechis scalaris
1.2 lampropeltis m. thayeri
2.1 pantherophis g. guttatus
1.1 lampropeltis t. campbelli

1.1 pituophis x pantherophis
1.1 lampropeltis campbelli x thayeri x nelsoni

Nice save! LOL!

Yeah you're right, they ARE out there, fewer and fewer though I suppose.

Anyway, thanks for the cool pic, Ryan!

micah