Asps, very dangerous

[LittleLebowski]

http://youtu.be/ZvqkXHphvgs

7895

[Gray222]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCbfMkh940Q

[Kyle Reese]

Indy!

Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk

[Wondering Beard]

There was a woman, a long long time ago, who kept asps but she and her boyfriend lost their jobs. It is told she kissed the asps.

#venomoushistory

[RevolverRob]

Looks like a young common eastern Gartersnake - completely harmless to humans. - http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/reptiles/snakes/snakes_of_virginia.htm

Only snakes you have to worry about out that way, copperhead, cottonmouth, and timber rattlesnake.

[JAD]

We found our first Texas copperhead last weekend. The boy found it -- pretty good eye on the kid, and the fact that he was smart enough to turn tail and get mommy suggests he might be the mailman's kid.

[mtnbkr]

Only snakes you have to worry about out that way, copperhead, cottonmouth, and timber rattlesnake.

Saw this feller on a trail at the Thompson WMA outside of Northern VA last Summer (ETA, I was quite far away, using a zoom lens):

http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/g405/allencb/P1010856_zps2q94xsvh.jpg

Chris

[LittleLebowski]

Looks like a young common eastern Gartersnake - completely harmless to humans. - http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/reptiles/snakes/snakes_of_virginia.htm

Only snakes you have to worry about out that way, copperhead, cottonmouth, and timber rattlesnake.

Yup. I just like the reference from the movie :D

[littlejerry]

Almost stepped on a baby copperhead this week while running at dusk. Was at a park along the river and took a trail through a marsh. Snake was sitting in the middle of the trail just after sunset.

[mtnbkr]

Almost stepped on a baby copperhead this week while running at dusk. Was at a park along the river and took a trail through a marsh. Snake was sitting in the middle of the trail just after sunset.

When I took the pic above, there was a trail runner barreling down the trail at me and the snake. I was waving my arms yelling "snake, there's a snake on the trail". He finally copped a clue about 5' away from Mr Copperhead. He hadn't noticed the snake at all. Once I had his attention, I used a long stick to shepherd the snake off the trail and out of our collective ways.

I'm not one to go around bragging about being in condition orange all the time, but you can't go running down the middle of a semi-remote woodland trail entirely in condition white.

Chris

[GuanoLoco]

I've been bit by a copperhead before. I remember being pleased that I wasn't any older or lighter at the time and can't recommend the experience. 100% recovery - after about 6+ months - and the first few weeks SUCKED.

[NickA]

Two friends of mine were bitten by a rattlesnake and a coral snake and yeah, I don't want ANY part of that. Coral snake victim was damn lucky there was antivenin available, she almost didn't make it.

[Jeep]

Looks like a young common eastern Gartersnake - completely harmless to humans. - http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/reptiles/snakes/snakes_of_virginia.htm

Only snakes you have to worry about out that way, copperhead, cottonmouth, and timber rattlesnake.

Won't see many cottonmouths in Virginia outside the Dismal Swamp, but it certainly has a whole lot of copperheads.

[Jeep]

Saw this feller on a trail at the Thompson WMA outside of Northern VA last Summer (ETA, I was quite far away, using a zoom lens):

Chris

That is a decent size copperhead. They won't kill you, but they do have a habit of finding their way into the middle of trails and you definitely don't want to get bit by one.

[Clusterfrack]

Anyone see the rubber rattlesnake hidden under the safety table at Stage 1 at USPSA Area 1?

[MD7305]

Why do I always see these snake threads right before bed? Damn it! Thanks for the nightmares!!

[martin_j001]

My wife got this shot the other day in our driveway, from a safe distance of course. She didn't know what it was at the time... I'm hopeful the Thrasher did its thing and we have one less venomous snake around to be concerned about.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160516/13c7a7498b1f56ed374455a5ff3455c5.jpg

[GuanoLoco]

15+ years ago I lived right on local Cahaba river so I have good first hand knowledge of the number of snakes living in and around it. The poisonous snakes are mostly copperheads plus an occasional water moccasin.

For the past 8 years I've lived on a small creek maybe 1/2 a mile from the Cahaba. There are lots of minnow and whatnot in the creek, meaning there plenty of easily accessible food. I'm buried in the woods, have a fair bit or property and have NEVER seen a poisonous snake.

I do have a rather healthy collection of king snakes though. They think copperheads are yummy. I think they are extremely welcome guests and take great care not to accidentally injure them.

[drjaydvm]

Copperheads are everywhere in this part of Virginia. We are entering the prime snakebite season. Most envenomations occur at dusk on the margins of yards and trails. I treat around 100 copperhead bites a year- mostly dogs with a few cats and the very rare rabbit thrown in. Most just suffer tissue damage at the site of the bite, about 10% need antivenin due to system signs like coagulopathy.

[JR1572]

My wife got this shot the other day in our driveway, from a safe distance of course. She didn't know what it was at the time... I'm hopeful the Thrasher did its thing and we have one less venomous snake around to be concerned about.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160516/13c7a7498b1f56ed374455a5ff3455c5.jpg

Do thrashers even eat snakes? I'd have never guessed that.

JR1572

[martin_j001]

Do thrashers even eat snakes? I'd have never guessed that.

JR1572

I'm told they will/do, or at the very least will attempt to kill them. That information could be incorrect though, as I haven't taken the time to verify it myself. My wife does say these two were "fighting" but was unable to say which one appeared to be winning the confrontation.

[Irelander]

When we bought our 10.5 acres last year it was a mess of tall grass with lots of old broken down chicken coops and dog houses. I found several snakes in the mess. Pretty sure they were all garter snakes but I was in "subdue the earth" mode. My PPS took care of the first one and my suppressed Buckmark took care of the rest. It was actually a lot of fun. I don't really mind garter snakes around but with my toddler running around I wasn't going to leave any slithering reptiles around the yard. Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures.

[TAZ]

I really hate snakes. When I first bought my home we left out water tank for the dogs. NOT a good idea as the snakes from the adjoining field also loved the water source. When mowing I made the mistake of moving the bowl and a rat snake shot past me. Glad I was wearing brown shorts.

Love hiking and walking trails so you gotta learn to deal with it. What drives me nuts is the number of parents who just let their kids roam the trails ahead of them. Ran across a copperhead one day and some idiot kids were poking it with a stick and not a long one to boot. One wanted to grab it like the dead Aussie guy. Got them to stop till mommy and daddy showed up with their headphones on. Explained they were playing with a poisonous snake and both were like who'd let a poisonous snake into a park. God wasn't the answer they were looking for by the looks on heir faces.

[Robinson]

On the trails I used to run near the office we'd see copperheads quite often. Glad I never stepped on one.

[blues]

Necro'ing an older thread...

Killed my first copperhead of the season yesterday evening. Small one. Saw it on our walk as I was coming back with "Skyler" from her early evening walk. Took the long way around it, put the dog in the house and then came back out and dispatched the snake.

A year or two ago I had one on the yard when I was mowing with a scythe. It was a Mexican standoff until I cut him in half with the scythe.

Aside from P-F members:


Copperheads have many predators and are most vulnerable when young. Multiple snake taxa, including kingsnakes, racers, and cottonmouths prey on copperheads. They can also be preyed upon by bullfrogs, alligators, American crows, hawks, owls, opposums, coyotes, and feral cats.

[LOKNLOD]

There was a woman, a long long time ago, who kept asps but she and her boyfriend lost their jobs. It is told she kissed the asps.

#venomoushistory

Proving that being an aspkisser can only keep you employed for so long before it catches up with you.

ETA: damn your necromancy, blues !

[blues]

Proving that being an aspkisser can only keep you employed for so long before it catches up with you.

ETA: damn your necromancy, blues !

I just knew you'd been holding that line for so long it just needed to come out...;)

[awp_101]

ETA: damn your necromancy, blues !

Necromancing the Stone...

[blues]

Necromancing the Stone...

Holy Moses, if we're gonna riff off of old Michael Douglas movies how about the Jewel of the Nile since this discussion is about asps?

Amateurs. ;)

[awp_101]

Holy Moses, if we're gonna riff off of old Michael Douglas movies how about the Jewel of the Nile since this discussion is about asps?

Amateurs. ;)

Gifted amateur thank you very much.:p

[blues]

Gifted amateur thank you very much.:p

Sorry. I didn't mean to tread on you.

(Let me just quietly slither off after that one...)

[MistWolf]

Necromancing the Stone...

-15 points for House Not Slitherin

[awp_101]

You OK blues? You seem a bit rattled.

[blues]

I'm feelin' a lotta pent up venom...

[MistWolf]

I'm feelin' a lotta pent up venom...

Python everything then. You shouldn't let yourself get so coiled up!

[blues]

Python everything then. You shouldn't let yourself get so coiled up!

You can do better. ;)

[MistWolf]

You can do better. ;)

I didn't want to go too deep. I don't want to come across as an asp hole.