Snakes Are Out!

[Pully]

My dad and I ran across this one while hiking Payne Creek today.

Snakes Are Out!

Snakes Are Out!

My parents, Aunt, and Uncle saw a snake last week while hiking Quillan Creek.

It's time to get some leather leggings.

[Uncle Wayne]

So far I haven't seen one but I know I've been seen by some that I didn't see.  Good picture Pully.

[WolfVanZandt]

Yeah, last week, we ran across a garter snake and a dead copperhead.

[Pully]

Yeah, last week, we ran across a garter snake and a dead copperhead.

at least the copperhead was dead.. I don't mind non-poisonous snakes like these I saw today while hiking Hurricane Creek and ridge walking (went through one of the worst laurel-hells and holly bush groves I've seen)

Snakes Are Out!

Snakes Are Out!

Snakes Are Out!

[WolfVanZandt]

I've never had any problems with the poisonous snakes north of Montgomery. It seems to me that the further north you go the less aggressive the moccasin family gets.

After all, I'm poisonous too. If I bite you I guarantee you'll get a nasty infection if you don't get to a doctor. I hope you don't hold that against me.......I rarely bite people.

[PastorLarryT]

Oh yes!  (Although they will not be peeking out the next few days with near freezing Wx).

I encountered this one (a Western Diamondback, I believe) Thursday on Rainbow Canyon Trail in the Sierra Estrella Mtns, Goodyear, AZ.  I believe there are more rattlers there than around here.

[Pully]

That is a fine looking rattler.

It seems to me that the further north you go the less aggressive the moccasin family gets.

There are a few aggressive moccasins up here. While hiking around Dry Hollow near Flannagin Creek, I believe it was or a little north of there, a moccasin came out of a pond and went after my uncle.

[WolfVanZandt]

Hmmm...was that "uncle" or "ankle"?



I had that explained to me by a herpetologist once (and I'm not sure if I'm going to accept her explanation without some seasoning salt).

She said that snakes have rather poor sight and are skittish so, if they see something moving, they're going to try to get to cover. What's the sharpest shadow around? Yours. So they try to get into your shadow and you move back. Well, the shadow is moving but they really feel the need to get  under cover so they keep coming. And it looks like they're chasing you.

Again, this is not my theory so if you want to experiment, well, do it way over there. I'll have the phone ready for a quick 911 call.......

[Pully]

Uncle.

haha. well that does make sense, unless it's just a really aggressive and hungry? snake.

I've stood completely still and let a snake slither right by me before so that theory may be true.

[Jackalope]

Yep, they're out! We saw two this weekend.

The first was at Parker Falls and the second was in that pig wallow about a half mile west of the rapids on that trail that runs on the south side of the Sipsey River between what my map says is 206 and 209. (I never know what to call that trail or any of the trails in that section for that matter)

I don't know my snakes and just treat them all as poisonous but the one at Parker Falls looked like the first one in Pully's pics. He was just hanging out under a little rock with water falling on him. We watched him for a while and he finally slithered around the rock and disappeared under another one. The one at the pig wallow looked like the second snake in Pully's pics and he couldn't have gotten out of the area faster.

[Pully]

Sounds like the first one you saw was a non-poisonous water snake and the second a black racer. We saw another black racer this weekend too.

[MoBill122]

I'll have to guess thats a Brown Water Snake in the top picture too.  They are all over the creeks here in north Georgia.

[Uncle Wayne]

My wife and daughter went on the WildSouth hike through Indian Tomb hollow last weekend and saw a timber rattler.

[Joshua Szulecki]

I've had an unfortunate realization the other day when out hiking. For the past few weeks, I've been hearing and seeing lots of skittering in the leaves on the edges of trails up here in New York. After 3 years in Alabama, I discounted these as lizards. Then it occurred to me... There are no lizards here. Those are ALL snakes, and this part of NY, in particular Sterling Forest SP, has 75% of the state's rattler population. 

[Pully]

My wife and daughter went on the WildSouth hike through Indian Tomb hollow last weekend and saw a timber rattler.

I'm sure that startled some folks. Did they enjoy the hike?

Josh, I'm not so sure what you are hearing are rattlers, unless the rattlesnakes behave differently up there. I ran across two rattlers today while in Bankhead and neither one moved. I almost stepped on one.

[Joshua Szulecki]

Josh, I'm not so sure what you are hearing are rattlers, unless the rattlesnakes behave differently up there. I ran across two rattlers today while in Bankhead and neither one moved. I almost stepped on one.

Oh no, they're probably just Garter Snakes, which are also VERY common up here. These are very small snakes, based on the size of the rears I've seen, and the signs of movement, so unless they're juveniles, they're not rattlers. I have seen juvenile rattlers move suddenly at sounds, so I wouldn't rule it out, but they're probably just Garters. Still doesn't make me comfortable when hiking with the dog.