cool big black snake on porch

MPRC

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Your snakes are so much more impressive than our piddly little garter snakes. I saw a 4ft Gopher snake last week but he took off before I could get a photo op. We also just discovered immature salamanders in our pond so that's neat too.
 

Pearly

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No thank you! I really don't like snakes. If I had that many snakes living under my house I just don't know what I'd do.
Haha! Me too! But have really thoroughly enjoyed Loohan's black snake thread. He has a way of portaying them in positive light making me less afraid of them because it's not that I dislike them. I'm just scared of them. Never had any around growing up, only saw them on TV and trip to the ZOO, people didn't keep them as pets back then in my home country, and there were only a couple of species living in the wild so rare that despite of lots of different outdoor activities I had never seen one... so just grew up with this fear/phobia of an ignorant person. Many yrs later and time educating myself I'm still scared of them but not freaking out so bad any more at sight of little garden snake or legless lizard (anything with no legs= freak out!) Anyway, thank you for this thread! Love reading it!
 

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I deal with a bunch of them. Most of the ones I deal with are poisonous though. Water Moccasins, Rattlesnakes, Copperheads, and Pygmy Rattlers. I monitor lakes rivers and streams water qualities. So I see them everywhere....Like this one above my head under a bridge...Nice Water Moccasin (Also known as a Cottonmouth)Bellcow Creek 001 Snake in bridge  3-28-2017.JPG
 

Loohan

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I think i saw a 5th big one yesterday. Also poked his head out onto the step a couple times. Thought it was Angie at first but has that lighter color like Betsy.
I call this one Phil.
I may have a couple dozen more for all i know.

I do have garter snakes too; the colorful type. Haven't seen any since last year though.
 

Pearly

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I deal with a bunch of them. Most of the ones I deal with are poisonous though. Water Moccasins, Rattlesnakes, Copperheads, and Pygmy Rattlers. I monitor lakes rivers and streams water qualities. So I see them everywhere....Like this one above my head under a bridge...Nice Water Moccasin (Also known as a Cottonmouth)View attachment 209087
Sh$$$$$$$$$$$!!!!! Mamma mia!!!! I'd be having a heart attack right there if saw this thing above my head!!!
 

Pearly

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I think i saw a 5th big one yesterday. Also poked his head out onto the step a couple times. Thought it was Angie at first but has that lighter color like Betsy.
I call this one Phil.
I may have a couple dozen more for all i know.

I do have garter snakes too; the colorful type. Haven't seen any since last year though.
Oh man!!! They'll just.... keep on coming... like that????? What do they eat on your property??? Something is attracting them
 

Loohan

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Oh man!!! They'll just.... keep on coming... like that????? What do they eat on your property??? Something is attracting them

Well, mice come in, whether by the same holes or some other unknown entrance. The mice probably feed on the crickets down there, maybe other things. I saw a scorpion once (left it alone).
But i think it's mainly my charisma that attracts the snakes :-]

Occasionally i hear scratching of mice in the insulation between the floor joists at night. But then, the following night, nothing.

Also the snakes make forays outdoors on warm days; there are woods nearby.

Haven't seen them in a while, though. Seems last year also, i didn't see Fred much after mid spring or so. Maybe they get more cautious for some reason.
 

daniellenc

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Beautiful rat snake I'm so jealous and him hiding in your shoes is hilarious. Fred probably took a leave of absence due to Angie's arrival. Snakes are solitary animals and do not share space. I'm guessing your rodent supply in that hole is alive and well and they are competing for food, lol.
 

Loohan

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Beautiful rat snake I'm so jealous and him hiding in your shoes is hilarious. Fred probably took a leave of absence due to Angie's arrival. Snakes are solitary animals and do not share space. I'm guessing your rodent supply in that hole is alive and well and they are competing for food, lol.

Oh, they seem gregarious enough. As i said, Sam and Betsy were all snuggly. And as i reported in post #105, a couple times Sam was poking out the right hole while Angie was poking out the left.
 

Pearly

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Good!!! They just creep me out. I saw some baby w.moccasins once in Louisianna at the edge of a big bayou. There were several of them, little things with their clear colored markings, just swimming away in shallow water under boardwalk by visitors center. It was interesting to watch them but I was so glad to ba back in our van. Lol!
 

Pearly

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Good!!! They just creep me out. I saw some baby w.moccasins once in Louisianna at the edge of a big bayou. There were several of them, little things with their clear colored markings, just swimming away in shallow water under boardwalk by visitors center. It was interesting to watch them but I was so glad to ba back in our van. Lol!
But back to your thread @Loohan have there been any Fred or Angie sightings lately? Or maybe a clutch of their eggs somewhere?
 

Loohan

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No. Even last year as it got to be summer he was rarely seen.
I suspect the black ones sneak in and out when i'm not looking.
I have not seen any snakes, period, in a while, though i live in the woods and i am gardening, etc.
Haven't even seen any copperheads or rattlers yet this year. But no doubt that will happen soon.
 

Loohan

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In July, i saw little Phil several times. Here he is under my carport a short distance from my cabin:
Phil7.17.jpg
He is the smallest of the known 5.
I also saw Betsy sticking her head out a time or two.

Then this morning, i was treated to the presence of the majestic Fred:

He was outside, then he sniffed around the entrance hole as though he smelled a mouse or something. Perhaps he had come out the other hole but then smelled a mouse and tracked it to this hole. Mice leave urine trails to advertise their reproductive status to others.
Then he took off, apparently tracking this mouse.
 

Pearly

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In July, i saw little Phil several times. Here he is under my carport a short distance from my cabin:
View attachment 215213
He is the smallest of the known 5.
I also saw Betsy sticking her head out a time or two.

Then this morning, i was treated to the presence of the majestic Fred:

He was outside, then he sniffed around the entrance hole as though he smelled a mouse or something. Perhaps he had come out the other hole but then smelled a mouse and tracked it to this hole. Mice leave urine trails to advertise their reproductive status to others.
Then he took off, apparently tracking this mouse.
I was going to ask about what Fred was looking for poking his head around smelling things, but smelling food makes sense. Great video clip. Thanks for posting it.
 

Loohan

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Fred4.18.18.jpg

Yes! It is always good for my morale to see good Fred again. We have had 2 real warm days and a very mild night in between, and here is his first sortie of the year, i presume.
I went back out a few minutes later and he was gone; probably on the hunt for snacks.
 

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