Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Today while geocaching (www.geocaching.com) i walked over a log and a snake crawled out, my buddy pointed it out to me since he was behind me. Im not sure what kind it is, a copperhead?

He tried to grab it behind the head but it struck at him. I was going to cut its head off but wasnt sure if my knife was sharp ebough (Please dont kill me for saying that, although that could be seen as being a 'troll')

any ways it went on its way but what kind is it? I am in WV, usa.

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kungfu28181: My god. You are insane. -Mon Jun 30 21:41:05

>>Today while geocaching (www.geocaching.com) i walked over a log and a snake crawled out, my buddy pointed it out to me since he was behind me. Im not sure what kind it is, a copperhead?
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>>He tried to grab it behind the head but it struck at him. I was going to cut its head off but wasnt sure if my knife was sharp ebough (Please dont kill me for saying that, although that could be seen as being a 'troll')
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>>any ways it went on its way but what kind is it? I am in WV, usa.
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>> Here is my new image hosting site! I have made it Bigger, Stronger, Faster!
>>kungfu28181: My god. You are insane. -Mon Jun 30 21:41:05
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1.0 Corn snake (KY locale)
1.0 Black rat snake (KY locale)
1.0 Albino Black rat snake (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Everglades rat snake (Dwight Good stock)
0.1 Yellow rat snake (Dwight Good stock)
1.1 California king snake (Coastal phase)
1.0 Prairie king snake (KY locale)
0.1 Black king snake (KY locale)

Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian

ahh ok, that was my first thought, then my buddy said copperhead and it tried to strike so i figugred he was right. thanks!
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kungfu28181: My god. You are insane. -Mon Jun 30 21:41:05

Remember how far off your buddy was the next time the two of you are out in the woods. It is doubtful you will ever see a copperhead that slender. The reason the snake is called a copperhead is because its head is copper colored. Mention that to your buddy. Any time you see a snake in North America that has stripes running the length of the its body, you can rest assured the snake is non-venomous, despite what your buddy says.
Killing a snake by cutting its head off with a knife is foolish. It needlessly puts you in harm's way.
~~Greg~~
Florida's Venomous Snakes

Yes, it is an eastern gartersnake.

My comments are...

1. If you were out in the woods geocaching why would you have killed it even if it had been a copperhead? Do you cut down every tree you see as well?

2. If you really didn't know what kind of snake it was and your (ill-informed) buddy told you it could be a copperhead, why on earth does the picture show one of you trying to pic it up? Do you touch plants that you think could be poison ivy?

If you are involved in geocaching, learn to appreciate the outdoors - that includes all the plants/animals/topography you encounter.

Theres a big differance in trees in snakes, it would take a lot longer to cut every tree i saw then decapitate every snake i saw. so i got to get my jollys somewhere (rolls eyes).

It wasnt me whom was trying to pick the snake up. my plan of action was getting a stick, holding it down then stepping on it behind its head then performing the operation. Perhaps i am a part of the majority whos mind set is what i was planning. Maybe we are ignorent, then so be it. The only creatures i have ever killed, besides bugs when i was a kid. Are squirell, deer, and snakes. And I can I have only killed one snake. My father kills rattlers, but he eats em. No joke, not being a troll there. He use to bring them home alive and such, play with em in the yard for a bit (having never been bit) then decapitate and skin them. Then have dinner later on that night.

thank you very much for answering my question. Now excuse me will i go purchase a anti-venom or something comperable to include in my geocaching backpack.

aj
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kungfu28181: My god. You are insane. -Mon Jun 30 21:41:05

Antivenom needs to be refrigerated.
Here's a handy guide to avoid being hurt by snakes.

A. identify the location of the snake
B. take three large steps away from the snake. four steps if the snake is over 10 feet long.

Well, there you have it, no need to get your fingers near the pointy bits. Nearly all snakebites come from people trying to handle or kill the snakes. So don't.
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Eryx - All the fun of a boa in a convenient pocket size!

very true meret. I probibly wouldnt cut a snakes head off im too chicken. but sorta on topic now, those snake bit kits they sell at wally world (wal-mart) are those enough to keep you alive and walking till you can get to a doctor? I would like one for the 'just in case' scenario. You know walking through the woods alone (which you should hav some one with you i know) and something happens. a backup plan is always good.

aj
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kungfu28181: My god. You are insane. -Mon Jun 30 21:41:05

Strangely, WalMart does carry a kit which is supposed to help at least a little with snake bites. It's called the Sawyer extractor and it claims to also work on insect stings, which you are of course much more likely to run into. It ran about
$12 at my local store. It's small and lightweight enough to be worth taking with you. I happily haven't had situation to use it yet but with the number of hornets and wasps in my area it's a matter of time before I'll be able to report. The other crappy kit they sell with razor blades would probably just make any situation worse. And besides the extractor, there's no generally accepted first aid for viper bites besides elevating the limb, keeping the patient calm, and getting medical assistence ASAP.
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Eryx - All the fun of a boa in a convenient pocket size!

I am reading this in a state of disbelief. How can anyone who is interested in snakes enough to post on this forum even think of killing one in it's own natural habitat?

It's bad enough we take away their enviroment but to kill them like that when they are of no danger to anyone is to deny their right to exist.

Forget anti-venom-get a good field guide and keep it with you. Then remember that great lesson; If you don't know what it is...Dont mess with it.

I am priviliged enough to know a man who's father was bitten by a (very questionably IDed snake)Pygmy Rattler. I was there one hour after the bite and talked to the man that killed it-at WALMART.

He said it as brown with a diamond pattern. Pygmy Rattlers are grey with black spots here.

The man died due to a bad allergic reaction from anti-venom. Pygmy bites are not considered life threatening.

Frank
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"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."

>>I am reading this in a state of disbelief. How can anyone who is interested in snakes enough to post on this forum even think of killing one in it's own natural habitat?
>>
>>It's bad enough we take away their enviroment but to kill them like that when they are of no danger to anyone is to deny their right to exist.
>>
>>Forget anti-venom-get a good field guide and keep it with you. Then remember that great lesson; If you don't know what it is...Dont mess with it.
>>
>>I am priviliged enough to know a man who's father was bitten by a (very questionably IDed snake)Pygmy Rattler. I was there one hour after the bite and talked to the man that killed it-at WALMART.
>>
>>He said it as brown with a diamond pattern. Pygmy Rattlers are grey with black spots here.
>>
>>The man died due to a bad allergic reaction from anti-venom. Pygmy bites are not considered life threatening.
>>
>>Frank
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>>"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."
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1.0 Corn snake (KY locale)
1.0 Black rat snake (KY locale)
1.0 Albino Black rat snake (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Everglades rat snake (Dwight Good stock)
0.1 Yellow rat snake (Dwight Good stock)
1.1 California king snake (Coastal phase)
1.0 Prairie king snake (KY locale)
0.1 Black king snake (KY locale)

Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian

This dude needs to stay away from snakes. He has no buisness trying to catch or handle ANY wild snake. It's ignorant people like that who give us true herpers a bad reputation. If you cannot tell the difference between a harmless garter and a toxic pitviper, then you have no buisness messing with it!

A fellow herper,
~JetK.

That was the doctor's fault, I think. If they didn't know how to treat the bite they should have called someone who did. That's probably the only guy in history to die from a watersnake bite.
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Eryx - All the fun of a boa in a convenient pocket size!

of course the real irony is that even if he had been bitten by a Pygmy he would have surrvived without treatment.

Frank
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"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."