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RE: What Snake Do You Want To Be Bitten By ?
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by RonnieHurst on December 30, 2003
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I would rather take a hit from anything other than the canebrake rattlesnake. Mr. Bill Haast told me about 12 years ago to be very careful when working with them. He knew even then that they had a very high level of neurotoxins in their venom. I still get chills when I think back to the fact that this is the hot I began to work with as a child years ago. I caught my first one as a child by holding the sides of a wire screen cricket bucket in front of it and coaxing it in with a stick (see what I'm saying about chills). Over the years I have walked right near, stepped over, and once in Berrian County Georgia, even stepped on a canebrake that was well hidden in leaves. Yet I have never been bitten. In fact most never even rattled. However this is NOT a rule. I have walked up on some that have rattled and struck while I was several feet away from them. I have been lucky. But I dont temp fate. I made dumb mistakes, not from machoism, but from inexperience in my young days. Now, I just look back, thank the Lord for protection, and be careful.
PS- if you are ignorant enough to pet a hot snake on the head, please do everyone here a favor and don't allow the world to know it. And also... grow up a little.
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What Snake Do You Want To Be Bitten By ?
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by CroAdamanteus on May 13, 2004
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I thought this was a interesting article. Personally, I have not gotten a chance to encounter E. Diamondbacks or Cottonmouths in the wild, although I would love the opportunity. In my experience, as it has been duly noted, individual snakes have their own personalities and temperments. Like others I have seen copperheads that are really snappy, some placid. Same with Timber Rattlesnakes. When I have captured snakes in the field, particularly N. Copperheads and T. Rattlesnakes (the only venomous species we have in western Rutherford County, NC), typically what I have found is that for the most part both species are relatively docile, generally speaking of course. A friend of mine and I once flipped a cover board that had five N. Copperheads under it. Two lay perfectly still and would hardly budge when prodded with my hook. The other three each tried to escape. Two of the escapees didn't put up whole lot of fight when we cornered them. The third was just nasty. It backed up into a pile of sticks and struck repeatedly at my hook. Another N. Copperhead we captured and actually placed in an educational exhibit has been wonderful. Probably one of the most docile snakes I have ever worked with. It's also one of the most beautiful copperheads I've ever seen. It has never attempted to bite, it eats well, and doesn't mind being transported or moved from cage to cage.
My friend and I have also captured several Timber Rattlesnakes. Again, most were fairly even-tempered, only rattling when really agitated or sufficiently warmed up. I have an unbelievable, in your face photo of a monster Timber that I took. It was a large male that weighed around two pounds. I probably took a real chance getting as close as I did to him to get the photograph, but he was very tolerant of me getting in close to him, and this was a wild snake. He puffed up and rattled for about 30 seconds but just sat there as I slowly moved around him to take his picture. At the same time, I've had others that wouldn't have sat there that long for me to photograph them. They wouldv'e been looking for cover.
So basically to make a long story short, I don't want to get bitten by any of them, and I think that trying to associate a particular temperment to a snake species, even through supporting evidence, may perhaps cause inexperienced handlers to get the wrong idea. I think the records speak for themselves. Snakes are as different as individual people. Conditions in which they are found and the associated stresses I believe help determine a snake's behavior, regardless of the species.
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What Snake Do You Want To Be Bitten By ?
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by jared_cormier on June 13, 2004
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during a research project I am currently working on, I can thus far compare the florida cottonmouths from a population in St. Landry parish with a population of southern copperheads in Acadia parish, both have extremely mild temperments, however, it appears the mood of the snake has a great deal to do with the aggressive nature of the snake. A cottonmouth I have dubbed "Deb" has a particularly grumpy attitude when she hasn't fed in more than 12 days or so. Since I feed the copperheads at the same time, the most aggressive copperhead, dubbed "Ruby," has yet to strike at my hand, while Deb has attempted repeated times. Prior to these experiments, I believe it would be pertinent to feed these snakes on a similar schedule while being housed in controlled environments or at least similar environments before these tests are conducted, as I find copperheads and cottonmouths to be very docile snakes unless they are quite hungry.
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What Snake Do You Want To Be Bitten By ?
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by captiveherps on June 14, 2004
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My copperheads have never tried to bite me (not that I give them a chance, neither have my dusky pygmy's, my cascabels on the other hand rattle when you walk past the room they are in and go nuts when they smell food. The copperheads and cascabels are captive born the pygmys are wild caught.
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RE: What Snake Do You Want To Be Bitten By ?
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by SnakeWrangler on October 25, 2004
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Just wanted to comment on this posting. I am in the Marine Corps and in Marine Combat Training a few years ago at Camp Geiger in Jacksonville, N.C., there was a 3 ft Southern Copperhead on the trail we were hiking on. Several of the guys were getting scared so I just stood about three feet away from the snake and had them go around me. The snake did not move at all or offer to strike. Every time I have encountered coppers, they have not offered to strike unless provoked by sudden movements. Remaining calm even if you are afraid of a snake is key.
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What Snake Do You Want To Be Bitten By ?
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by Voided37 on August 18, 2007
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None of 'em.......thank you!
But if i GOTTA take a hit give me the copperhead bite. Usually less and weaker venom from all experience i've encountered and heard of. The rest of the article mirrors my experience. But I'd have to add that all snakes of the same type are individuals and have personality kinda like people, and some are real A-holes, so be-AWARE!
Good article though, THANKS!
AND I LOVE THIS WEBSITE!!!
Steve
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