• Got the Contributing Memberships stuff finally worked out and made up a thread as a sort of "How-To" to help people figure out how to participate. So if you need help figuring it out, here's the thread you need to take a look at -> http://www.corvetteflorida.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3581 Thank you, everyone! Rich Z.

SSSSSNNAAKKKEESS

Z06 Rocket

Z06 Rocket

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This question is for the resident snake expert Rich. My wife was standing near in our screen enclosure and spotted this snake staring at her. I heard a scream and looked out to see her standing on a patio chair demanding me to kill the snake. I got a few pics then used a stick to carry it outside where it happily slid away into the brush. I would imagine it's harmless. Possibly a coachwhip or black racer type snake. It freaked her out to see it shake its tail and coil up a bit to mimick the rattler. I'm attaching a few pics that I hope show enough of the snake for you to decide what it is. THANKS!

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we catch them all the time. we call em black racers. i think they have a different name tho? they do mimic rattlers alot here. i hav herd it eats them. among other snakes. this is all i kno. i used to volunteer at a pet store. and i catch them daily for my snowbird neighbors. i luv them..
 
jonnyboy said:
we catch them all the time. we call em black racers. i think they have a different name tho? they do mimic rattlers alot here. i hav herd it eats them. among other snakes. this is all i kno. i used to volunteer at a pet store. and i catch them daily for my snowbird neighbors. i luv them..
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I thought so, that's why I didn't kill it and only took it outside.
 
Yeah, definitely a racer. They are harmless but will often bite when cornered or handled. Pretty high strung so they don't do well in captivity. I'm actually surprised that you got close enough for pictures as they usually take off in a flash when you walk up on them.
 
Rich Z said:
Yeah, definitely a racer. They are harmless but will often bite when cornered or handled. Pretty high strung so they don't do well in captivity. I'm actually surprised that you got close enough for pictures as they usually take off in a flash when you walk up on them.
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He tried. The screen was boggling him. He was trying to slide through it but couldn't. I was able to get close when he gave up and sat still. Not really sure how he got into the screen enclosure to begin with,,,,,,,
 
Damn I hate snakes, and we have a ton of them things here. My neighbors tell me they eat the bugs and are harmless. :yesnod:
 
16again said:
Damn I hate snakes, and we have a ton of them things here. My neighbors tell me they eat the bugs and are harmless. :yesnod:
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:iagree: and when he gets alittle bigger they will eat mice i was told.:yesnod:
 
16again said:
Damn I hate snakes, and we have a ton of them things here. My neighbors tell me they eat the bugs and are harmless. :yesnod:
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No not normally. Only a few species of snakes will eat insects. Mostly it is amphibians and rodents. Larger species will tackle birds when they are opportune, and some species like to dine on other snakes. The water varieties, of course, will feed on fish. About the only Florida snake that seems to specialize on insects is the green snake, but they are not commonly found.

Of course, there are MANY accounts of escaped or released pythons that will tackle dogs and cats. This is becoming a REAL big problem in this state...
 
I remember reading about and seeing the photos a few months ago of the python in the everglades trying to eat the gator and exploding! Now, I've lived in the state long enough to know there are gators and water snakes and all sorts of creatures in the everglades, but pythons?? That's just not right...they're out of their natural habitat and it gives me the creeps.
 
Oh they are out there alright. Matter of fact there is legislation in the works to try to prevent that. Burmese pythons are already breeding in the state. The environment is favorable for them and they really have no natural predators here. It's another one of those "fire ant" stories, for certain. Kids will buy a baby Burmese python at the local pet shop, feed it every week, and then in a year it gets around 6 foot long and is about to eat them out of house and home. When the pet shop tells them they have to start feeding it rabbits, the mom balks and tells junior to get rid of it. Nobody else wants the thing so he takes it out into the woods and releases it. Boy snake meets girl snake, and then there are eggs hatching with MORE of them..........

Heck, Florida has outlawed piranhas within the state for this same reason. Makes jumping into your local swimming hole kind of exciting with them critters swimming around in it, I would guess. :eek:
 
Rich Z said:
Oh they are out there alright. Matter of fact there is legislation in the works to try to prevent that. Burmese pythons are already breeding in the state. The environment is favorable for them and they really have no natural predators here. It's another one of those "fire ant" stories, for certain. Kids will buy a baby Burmese python at the local pet shop, feed it every week, and then in a year it gets around 6 foot long and is about to eat them out of house and home. When the pet shop tells them they have to start feeding it rabbits, the mom balks and tells junior to get rid of it. Nobody else wants the thing so he takes it out into the woods and releases it. Boy snake meets girl snake, and then there are eggs hatching with MORE of them..........

Heck, Florida has outlawed piranhas within the state for this same reason. Makes jumping into your local swimming hole kind of exciting with them critters swimming around in it, I would guess. :eek:
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:eek: :eek: :ack2: :ack2: :NoNo:
 
Oddly enough I chase off the racers around here when I see them. They eat up the lizards, and the lizards are the ones who eat up a lot of the bugs. So the lizards are doing a good job, and I don't want the racers reducing that work force.
 
Black racer and they say as long as you have those around the house, you will have no rattle snakes or mice. :eek:
 
The BEST ones to have are the Eastern Indigo snake. They look like a black racer on steroids. Very glossy blue black often with a reddish chin. I used to keep and breed them when I lived in Maryland, but it is illegal for me to do so here in Florida. They will snarf down rattlesnakes in a heartbeat. Same thing with king snakes.

We've found several rattlesnakes around here over the years. Generally we just leave them alone and they go on their way. I did have to relocate one of them who took up residence near the storage shed. Unfortunately his favorite basking spot was right where the guys coming to get the garbage would step out of their truck at. So I didn't want an incident to take place. I just put the snake into a five gallon bucket and relocated him out in the national forest. He never rattled even once the entire time.
 
I would recommend staying far away from these. The little one is 17 years old now so that does mean both of em. :D

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That's a pretty big coral snake! I wouldn't advise anyone picking up a freshly killed one as there are documented instances of the reflexes still working on the snake and a venomous bite being delivered when it is touched.
 
Rich Z said:
That's a pretty big coral snake! I wouldn't advise anyone picking up a freshly killed one as there are documented instances of the reflexes still working on the snake and a venomous bite being delivered when it is touched.
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Look closely at the pic and you will see about 1½ inches of the business end is missing.
 
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