Backyard visitor By Bashan (Read 1,220 times)

[Bashan]

We had a visitor yesterday in our backyard in Chelsea, Alabama:

He (or she) had a little extra something on the tail end:

When I was editing these next pics I noticed an event happened that I didn't see from my safe spot using the telephoto lens:

[dragonsparks]

Wow Rich, I didn't know rattle snakes were that far in south-east.
My dad was from Graysville, Alabama.

Dave

[Bashan]

Oh sure man, Graysville is to the NW of Birmingham like Chelsea is to the SE. I was surprised, to say the least, when we saw the same type of rattler for the first time last year. I don't think that one was this big though. The wife looked up the Timber rattler and it's one of the most toxic rattlers and has huge fangs. It's not aggressive but will bite if stepped on, threatened, or feels trapped. I guess you can't be paranoid all the time but I'll sure as hell keep an eye out when I'm doing yard work now. We just had a boatload of pine straw spread all over the lot a few weeks ago...just what a snake likes to hide in.

[domindart]

DAAAAAAAAMN be careful!

Did you see the toad get nabbed?

[dragonsparks]

Yup you blink you miss it. LOL. I bet you look. I'd be making sure to check under scoot cover real careful cause mine lives out side.

Dave

[domindart]

Mine's outside too but never seen rattlers here. Black widows yes, but never had a run -in with one...........

[LUKE]

i have a recipe for that serpent... i used to drink snake blood, believed to be an aphrodisiac, and i proved it's true....waaay more efective than viagra,cialis and levtra combined...

the meat tho taste like duck meat...i cut the snake meat in cubes,put some vinegar,diced onion and lime,salt...perfect with beer!!!
whatever my behavior is now, i blame it to the snake blood and meat...hahahaha!!

ahhh, yah know i'm asian....we eat everythang!!!

[domindart]

Yeah, you asians and your delicacies lol So your saying the snake blood makes you hard? ,lol

[dragonsparks]

LOL Luke I think you Koo-koo fur Cocoa Puffs. When I was Texas with my Uncle. He cooked us up some Rattle snake with Cajun shake. I thought it tasted like spicy chicken. It was good.

Dave

[domindart]

I've had alligator but never snake.. yet...

[royldoc]

That is a pretty fat timber rattler, it must be feeding well on them toads. They are generally more scared of you than you are of them and would prefer to just get away. There venom is precious to them and they don't want to waste it, so they would rather not bite if they don't have to.

I grew up just southwest of Colorado Springs. Rattle snake encounters were fairly common. I would see them in the road when riding a honda 90. I would run them over, stop with the rear wheel on them then gun the throttle. They would skid across the dirt, sometimes partially skinning them. There are several varieties. The prairie rattler is the most common. I occasionally came across a western diamond back. Copper heads were even more common, and black widows are common also. I used to keep them in a mason jar. Tarantulas were also fun to catch.

Ya Luke, rattle snake is good eatin'

Roy

[jct842]

Ten to one if that guy was in my yard he would be sleeping real soon. I just keep the rattles, I tried fried rattler and for all the work and cooking I would just as soon go get a burger.

For those on the road what I do on dirt/gravel roads is to slow down some and get back brake ready, when you feel the bump on the front you lock up the rear brake and it will shred them as you slide over them. I got 5 copperheads one night about 9:00 on the 2.2 miles of dirt road to my house and one more in my drive that way..

poison snakes are not fighting fair so I even up the odds. john

[LUKE]

here, choose & ill cook it for yah!!
www.road-kill-cafe.com/roadkill.html

[Bashan]

Well we have black widows also......and some spiders! Ba-dump! I'm here all week. A friend of mine was bit, damn near died. Brown recluses too, another friend got bit by one of those and damn near died. It's frickin' dangerous around here!

No, I didn't see the toad get nabbed. I was too far away and noticed it when I was working on the photos. The wife saw the snake eating a big mouse through the window after we came inside. So the snake got a big toad and THEN a mouse. SOB is getting fat around here, he'll be jogging up and down the driveway to lose weight. Maybe I'll run with him.

[royldoc]

I've lived in Missouri my whole adult life and haven't even seen a black widow here. Now them brown recluse spiders are everywhere. I played with just about every kind of critter I came across as a kid. I ain't scared of any living thing, but them brown spiders give me the hebi - jebbies. I went fishin' with a buddy and he was sitting on a rock, he didn't know that a female had laid eggs that hatched. Now about 20 of them brown spiders was crawling all over his legs. After countless bites. He spent 3 weeks in the hospital. It took a long time for his legs to heal and he has a lot of scars. His wounds would not heal. Brown recluse venom is nasty stuff.

Roy