SSSSSNNAAKKKEESS

Z06 Rocket · 05-28-2006, 03:43 PM

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!

jonnyboy · 05-28-2006, 03:49 PM

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..

Z06 Rocket · 05-28-2006, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonnyboy

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..

I thought so, that's why I didn't kill it and only took it outside.

**Rich Z** · 05-28-2006, 04:02 PM

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.

Z06 Rocket · 05-29-2006, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich Z

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.

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,,,,,,,

16again · 05-29-2006, 05:11 PM

Damn I hate snakes, and we have a ton of them things here. My neighbors tell me they eat the bugs and are harmless.

9T8Vette · 05-29-2006, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 16again

Damn I hate snakes, and we have a ton of them things here. My neighbors tell me they eat the bugs and are harmless.

and when he gets alittle bigger they will eat mice i was told.

**Rich Z** · 05-29-2006, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 16again

Damn I hate snakes, and we have a ton of them things here. My neighbors tell me they eat the bugs and are harmless.

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...

2Vettes · 05-29-2006, 08:53 PM

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.

**Rich Z** · 05-29-2006, 09:10 PM

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.