cool big black snake on porch

Loohan

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Now, this pic is just TOO MUCH!!!! He's totally made himself at home in your shoes!!!! Do you think he maybe someone's escaped or released pet?

I live in a rural area. I doubt anyone around here keeps snakes. I first saw him several weeks ago when i was weed-eating with an electric string trimmer about 100' away from my door, around an old dead hollow tree. I almost nicked him before i noticed him! And he didn't seem to be trying to flee. Silly thing. I stopped and apologized.
Then a couple weeks later i saw him again, just a few feet from there. Spoke respectfully to him.
Then the next time i saw him was the 18th when i took that 1st pic. (I'm confused as to why my first post is dated the 19th when i had just taken that pic. I did not see him the 19th, then the 20th i saw him again.)

I named him Fred. He just looks like a Fred to me somehow. Better than Snakey-Poo, anyway.
He's back on my steps now, despite low-70s overcast humid weather. Another storm coming in.
 

Pearly

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I live in a rural area. I doubt anyone around here keeps snakes. I first saw him several weeks ago when i was weed-eating with an electric string trimmer about 100' away from my door, around an old dead hollow tree. I almost nicked him before i noticed him! And he didn't seem to be trying to flee. Silly thing. I stopped and apologized.
Then a couple weeks later i saw him again, just a few feet from there. Spoke respectfully to him.
Then the next time i saw him was the 18th when i took that 1st pic. (I'm confused as to why my first post is dated the 19th when i had just taken that pic. I did not see him the 19th, then the 20th i saw him again.)

I named him Fred. He just looks like a Fred to me somehow. Better than Snakey-Poo, anyway.
He's back on my steps now, despite low-70s overcast humid weather. Another storm coming in.
I like Fred! I think it suits him. Looks you've got yourself an outdoor pet:) congratulations!
 

MPRC

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Fred is a great name!

This is day 3 with my yard snake. We played hide and seek 3-4 times before I could scoop her up to save her from the mower. She doesn't greet me on my porch, haha.
 
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MPRC

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:)
 

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Len B

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Very nice thread, There were 2 black snakes and a garter snake that hung around our house at the beach for years. I know that one of the black snakes was killed by a neighbor last summer. Haven't seen any snakes since last year, just figured all had moved on or been killed. But last Monday, Memorial Day I saw this little fellow in the back yard (made my day) Picture 510 copy.jpg Today I was out front potting some cactus and spotted this guy with a full belly.Picture 589 copy.jpg and then after taking these pics I turned around and almost stepped on this little guy.Picture 596 copy.jpg this is not a new hatchling so I have no idea why he is wandering around my yard. Yesterday my neighbor across the street found a new hatchling snapper in her yard while she was cleaning up after her pugs.
 

Loohan

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Well, i last saw him on the 27th, except for a brief glimpse a couple days ago. On the 27th i built sort of a protective cage under the top step for him, so he wouldn't be so exposed and defenseless if an inquisitive dog comes around.
There is actually a hole in the wall he goes in and out of. I think it only leads to a wall compartment with fiberglas insulation :-( But he is secure in there. Intuitively, i sense him in there now.
Fiberglas won't hurt his hide, but he probably has inhaled a tiny bit.
A couple days ago he was partway out of the hole and resting his head on the step, but as i approached he got uncharacteristically skittish and drew back in the hole.
Yeah, i sure miss seeing him.
 

Pearly

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Well, i last saw him on the 27th, except for a brief glimpse a couple days ago. On the 27th i built sort of a protective cage under the top step for him, so he wouldn't be so exposed and defenseless if an inquisitive dog comes around.
There is actually a hole in the wall he goes in and out of. I think it only leads to a wall compartment with fiberglas insulation :-( But he is secure in there. Intuitively, i sense him in there now.
Fiberglas won't hurt his hide, but he probably has inhaled a tiny bit.
A couple days ago he was partway out of the hole and resting his head on the step, but as i approached he got uncharacteristically skittish and drew back in the hole.
Yeah, i sure miss seeing him.
Well... Maybe Fred is a... Frederica? With belly full of eggs???
 

Loohan

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Well... Maybe Fred is a... Frederica? With belly full of eggs???

Just a hunch Fred is male. However, when i last saw "him" briefly, i had doubts it was him because it seemed smaller and very skittish.
Then this morning i found this other snake there!


which i get a more female vibe off of, and have named her Angie.

I don't know anything about snake breeding habits.
 

Rue

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Woo! Lookit her go! :D

I see the word is out! Your place is the place to be!
 

Pearly

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Just a hunch Fred is male. However, when i last saw "him" briefly, i had doubts it was him because it seemed smaller and very skittish.
Then this morning i found this other snake there!


which i get a more female vibe off of, and have named her Angie.

I don't know anything about snake breeding habits.
Wow! She does look different somehow... less black, more dappled or something ... Seems not as solid black as the other snake. And "skittish" maybe because of a "vulnerable state". I'm theorizing now, that this is female either ready to breed or gravid and looking for a safe place. Great research topic though on snake breeding:)
 

Loohan

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Wow! She does look different somehow... less black, more dappled or something ... Seems not as solid black as the other snake. And "skittish" maybe because of a "vulnerable state". I'm theorizing now, that this is female either ready to breed or gravid and looking for a safe place. Great research topic though on snake breeding:)

I just went into my crawl space to look around. Evidently the snakes have access to the whole place.

Here is their hole:hole-in-wall.jpg

I have seen Fred go in there a couple times. Despite that he looks too fat for the hole.
You can see part of the protective cage i built for Fred, although i have not seen him since.

Ever since i had this cabin built in 2012, i have had mice down there, and neither i nor the carpenters could figure out how they get in.
So i had a bunch of mousetraps down there, which i just sprang, out of fear that a snake could be harmed. Plus, the snakes seem to be doing a better job, anyway. I did find 2 dead mice in the traps, but they were old and dessicated.
But i'm not sure how mice get in because this hole is hard for them to access. But if this becomes a traditional habitat for a snake clan, the issue should be resolved.
There are also crickets down there.

In 2014 i had a smaller black snake living down there that is saw about 3 times. Then a few months ago, i found a larger snake skin right near the area where the hole is.
 

Pearly

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I just went into my crawl space to look around. Evidently the snakes have access to the whole place.

Here is their hole:View attachment 176629

I have seen Fred go in there a couple times. Despite that he looks too fat for the hole.
You can see part of the protective cage i built for Fred, although i have not seen him since.

Ever since i had this cabin built in 2012, i have had mice down there, and neither i nor the carpenters could figure out how they get in.
So i had a bunch of mousetraps down there, which i just sprang, out of fear that a snake could be harmed. Plus, the snakes seem to be doing a better job, anyway. I did find 2 dead mice in the traps, but they were old and dessicated.
But i'm not sure how mice get in because this hole is hard for them to access. But if this becomes a traditional habitat for a snake clan, the issue should be resolved.
There are also crickets down there.

In 2014 i had a smaller black snake living down there that is saw about 3 times. Then a few months ago, i found a larger snake skin right near the area where the hole is.
maybe it's been Fred this whole time living there, growing, shedding...
 

Pearly

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Hey there's a new member that just signed on, new to torts, but been breeding snakes for a long time. Perhaps you can get some insight from him
 

Pearly

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@rupe, thought you might be interested in checking this thread out and perhaps enriching the thread by offering some snake expert insight
 

Loohan

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Now Angie is getting tamer. 2 days ago she was shyly peeping ar me with just her head sticking out of the hole.
This morning she's sprawled on the ledge. In the shade by the time i noticed her, but that spot would have been in the sun a bit earlier.

Angie6.10.16.jpg

I talked to her and took a few pics. She did not seem alarmed.
 

Pearly

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Now Angie is getting tamer. 2 days ago she was shyly peeping ar me with just her head sticking out of the hole.
This morning she's sprawled on the ledge. In the shade by the time i noticed her, but that spot would have been in the sun a bit earlier.

View attachment 176923

I talked to her and took a few pics. She did not seem alarmed.
Looks like she has some red color on her. Glad she's making herself at home there. I love this thread!!!
 

Loohan

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Yay! Got to see my buddy Fred again this morning:

Fred6.16.16.jpg

He was behind one of my stock tanks. I videoed him as he snaked his way across the driveway to go find some breakfast in the woods. But the vids didn't turn out that great.
Have not seen Angie again yet.
 

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