New Pet. Ssssssss!

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   donotfearposted 13 years ago

   Found a new pet in the pond today. Now isn't he cute? Just 'hanging around' until I threw a dried cow patty at him. Don't think he's poisonous. No triangular head, not enough thickness in the body. Who knows? I know, the snake expert, Randy Godwin!!!!
   
   Summoning Randy Godwin please.  These babies are everywhere. Water Moccasin or not?

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      donotfearposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      
      Here it is!
      

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         Randy Godwinposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         From what I can tell by the picture, it appears to be a banded water snake.  Do not fear them, donotfear!  They are harmless as far as being venomous is concerned.  They can give a painful bite and have small fangs as many nonvenomous snakes do.
         
         Be sure the head isn't triangular or has the pit viper heat sensors usually apparent in a water moccasin before attempting to handle these snakes because a positive I.D. is hard to make from this photo!

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            donotfearposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            
            Thanks Randy!! Notice the body....the Water Moccasins native to SW ARkansas ususally have a shorter body, fatter in the middle, with the stripes less prominent. I'm convinced it's harmless, but hubby says it's a moccasin.  Can you tell from the other pic I posted?

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               Randy Godwinposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               I can't tell for sure by these photos, DNF.  But like your description of water moccasins, those in this southern Georgia area are usually darker and thicker in body.  It is also possible it is of a species of water snake I'm not familiar with or that we do not have here.
               
               But I am intrigued now and will try to give a positive ID after a little research into the species in your area.  Beautify creature though!

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                  donotfearposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  
                  Well thank you! He's still alive. Saw him swimming around in the water later. I'm sure hubby may try to kill him cause he eats the minnows and brim fish.

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                     earnestshubposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                     Please get him to just move him, he will eat small rodents and probably not come back. I hate to think of such a beautiful reptile being killed!

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            mythbusterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Mr. Godwin, can you make a suggestion about snake-o-phobia?
            
            How does one overcome fear of snakes? I tried reading a bunch of articles about snakes, hoping this would help but really, I am nowhere near as brave as donotfear and would NEVER have stuck around to "take note of" snake shape, size, head shape, etc...or maybe I shouldn't have been reading about anacondas, and certain types of snakes.
            
            Any suggestions?
            
            (sorry for the slight hi-jack, donotfear - just tryin' to catch Mr. Godwin now that he showed up and I'm still online, too)

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               donotfearposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               
               That's cool, myth! I'll tell you what you can do. Desensitize yourself. That means getting around snakes in a controlled environment and actually handle them.  Now I hate these guys in the wild, but a tame snake I'm not afraid of. Even those little greeen garter snakes that crawl in the grass. I'll pick those up. But these are too creepy.
               
               Funny you should mention it. When I was on the pilot for the reality show "Real Nightmares", (which never aired) there were other contestants who had snake phobias. I know for sure that one dude never made it through his "challenge" scene, where he was supposed to face his fear, once and for all.
               
               Good luck with this.  I had a fear of heights phobia that is much improved since I participated on that show. I wrote a hub about it..... My Reality Show Experience: the whole story.

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                  mythbusterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  Wow thx for the suggestions. I do know a couple of people I was in classes with about a year ago that I'm still friendly with and they own snakes for pets. I recently ran into one of the friends who said "Hey, LTNS - you need to stop by and visit." So, I'll do that - and ask if my friend has time to help me desensitize. (The other friend is too much of a practical joker and I'm not sure I trust that friend to "go easy" on me).
                  
                  I think the phobia runs deep but I'm really tired of it 'cos I had an "incident" when I was 4...and have been a chickenhead ever since with spiders and snakes, in particular. I've read a LOT about snakes to try and desensitize that way to no avail. I'm sure you're right and an actual "activity" of desensitization is necessary at this point.

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                     donotfearposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                     
                     Now I used to have the biggest baddest spider phobia in the world! But once I came across an old wood spider, you know, those creepy big ones...brown with a black stripe down their back. Anyhow, I was alone. Nobody to do it for me. I had to kill the wretched thing. I was terrified. I grabbed a flyswatter, took a deep breath, and let loose!  I beat the thing over and over, while pcs of it's body came apart. I was saying "Die, die, die!!!!!" as I was beating it. When I was through, I was breathing hard. But had a real sense of accomplishment. Since then, I can kill em' no problem. I even leave the good spiders.....Like this one:
                     

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                        mythbusterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                        I watched the "Spiders on Drugs" video a lot for a couple of years and got a little step over my phobia of spiders... I laughed so hard at that video...
                        
                        I can scoop up (hands) daddy longlegs now and put those outside - and I can catch other spiders (in a jar or something) I'm not sure how to identify - and put them outside...but if I'm scared, I'm a really bad Jain and will stomp the little motherhummers! <---- would like to stop that last part.
                        
                        If you get a chance....... Spiders on Drugs - on youtube - is hilarious.

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                           Randy Godwinposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                           As you may imagine, we have lots of spiders here too.  The most beautiful are the huge garden spiders which create webs in the forests and swamps. These webs can be 6 feet across and in height too.  Kinda freaky when one inadvertently gets entangled in the very strong web.
                           
                           But we have plenty of Black Widows and Brown recluse spiders here also.  These guys don't muck around and can cause very serious damage to your skin.  I've heard a Black widows venom is 18 times as potent as a rattlesnakes, just not as much venom in the bite.

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                              mythbusterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                              My great aunt was bitten by a teeny weeny little black widow. Little suckers that can do quite a lot of damage! My aunt spent about a week in the hospital but was okay after that - and very, very careful about spiders from then on in. Mind you, she suffered from ill health all her life, too, so she wasn't able to fight the effects of a spider bite very well. Perhaps someone else might have only had a short hospital stay but in any case...lessons learned.
                              
                              I think the webs are beautiful - and most spiders are harmless where I'm at. Stoopid phobias!

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                                 Randy Godwinposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                                 Occasionally a bite from a brown recluse or back widow will cause the skin and flesh to rot away even causing loss of a limb.  But this is rare.  The bites are pretty painful at any rate!

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                                    earnestshubposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                                    We have the infamous "Trapdoor" mainly in NSW. They are aggressive and deadly. They will attack you directly if you get to close.
                                    
                                    A truly beautiful creature, but much respect is needed for these guys too!

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               Randy Godwinposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               Some never conquer their fear of snakes, Mythbuster.  But getting up the nerve to actually handle small nonvenomous snakes is a start.  Even the venomous pit vipers which I encounter most here, and the canebrake species of timber rattler, are not dangerous a few feet away.  They will not attempt to chase you as many claim and only want to get away from any creature which gives off a large heat image to their heat sensing pits.
               
               Learning to see them as just rodent eaters help too.

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                  donotfearposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  
                  Good encouraging advice, Randy.

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                  mythbusterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  Okay thank you Mr. Godwin - from now on they are just mere rodent eaters, nothing else...
                  
                  Why do they have to be sooooooooooooo snake-like tho'? lol
                  
                  I appreciate your words - thx. Much in line with what donotfear has also said so I will take this advice as sound.
                  
                  Rodent eaters rodent eaters rodent eaters rodent eaters
                  
                  Yeah - that's better!
                  
                  

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   donotfearposted 13 years ago

   Come to Mama!
   
   

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      QuincyDaWonderDogposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      
      
         hold me.
      
      

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      donotfearposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      
      
      See how small the head is?  A poisonous snake would have a bigger, flatter head with rather bulbous features around the eyes, I think. I don't see how it can be venimous, but as with all reptiles and amphibeans, the bite can get infected. I don't plan to get close enough!

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   mythbusterposted 13 years ago

   (From my irrational, fearful, snake-o-phobic side) Awkkk Kill it! Or - just run! By all means, let it live - but run away. lol
   
   (From plain me) I hope Randy Godwin can let you know what kind of snake that is, donotfear. I'm impressed that you stayed close enough to notice the non-triangular head, body thickness stuff in order to come back and ask Mr. Godwin about this *gulp* lovely (eek) creature you saw.
   
   Good luck with this, donotfear.

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      donotfearposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      
      Gee thanks Mythman! I was actually standing on the edge of the pond with my 4 yr old grandson. Needless to say, he got a lesson today on snakes and safety. We watched it a long time. We were several yards away and I had to use the zoom on my camera.

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         mythbusterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         When my son and I had the occasional, similar experience, donotfear, it was my son who would give me the safety-informational talk, holding my hand, ummm not cool for a person with the handle "mythbuster" to be so chickesheaaaat, eh? lol
         
         Spiders, snakes and (can barely say it) goatman legend lol I can watch almost any horror flick, read Clive Barker, etc. - but your pics of the snakes, I can only linger on for oh.... point-8 seconds.
         
         Probably a problem here. lol

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            donotfearposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            
            Wow! It must really go deep. Have you thought about therapy? Or Hypnosis?  For real, I know how debilitating a phobia can be. I understand, you are not alone!  You can get better, I promise.

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               mythbusterposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               Yep, I'm sure I need therapy for it! But I'm also sure your desensitization idea - the actual physical contact stuff - is the sort of therapy that is next.
               
               I've already read up a lot on how desensitization works but haven't talked to anyone who has gone through the desensitization experience. Sounds like you have gone through it tho' - with the reality show experience.
               
               I have read your hub, too - didn't I comment on it? I should go back and re-read, anyway.

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   earnestshubposted 13 years ago

   Awww so cute! I love snakes!
   That is a glossy snake. Harmless and very pretty.

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   cosetteposted 13 years ago

   i think snakes are cool.

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   Mike Lickteigposted 13 years ago

   I am terrified of snakes.  Wish it were otherwise, but if I see even a small snake, I will have nightmares.  Brrrrr.

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   earnestshubposted 13 years ago

   I still think it is a glossy. Arizona elegans elegans

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      blondepoetposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Wow Earnest you know so much.
      I must admit I am a little scared of them. I think Donotfear is so brave to get so close.

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         blondepoetposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Earnest did you know that our brown snakes swim along the top of the water. I went jet skiing last week.  I saw a five foot brown swimming along the top of the water towards a tree in the middle of the dam.
         Two fisherman told me it was a king brown, was a little reluctant to swim there after that lol.
         Thought it better to stick to my jet ski.

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            earnestshubposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            This is true BP the king brown like many snakes is very boyant.
            I never worried about swimming in waterholes with snakes as a kid. They can get out of the way in the water, they will not come near you and can't strike when in water anyway as they have no leverage.
            I love snakes! Being a bush kid, I have seen literally hundreds of snakes because I was a loggers son and a fire fighter. Fires are horrible in what they do to wildlife. When back burning and clearing fire fuel, we would strip burn to allow the snakes, lizards and other friends to escape into the unburned strip we were walking in. Not a place to be phobic, you see so many tiger and other venomous snakes right in your path. After a while you just ignore them, or pick em up and move them to safer ground. I have often come back to the fire truck with a big bagful of snakes and lizards.

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      donotfearposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      
      What's a glossy, Earnest?

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         earnestshubposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         A glossy is a fairly common snake in your area. I love snakes as randy does and have made a fairly long study of them worldwide. Started in the Australian bush, where we have some magnificent snakes.
         
         The glossy is non venomous, and quite glossy looking. A truly beautiful patterned snake with distinct circular markings. I will find you a picture of one.
         
         Is this the guy? The colours may be a little different as this looks like a juvenile to me.

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            Randy Godwinposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Cool Earnest!  I didn't know you were a "snake head!"  I have been trying in vain to get a photo of the now rare "coachwhip" but they are so fast and seem to be very intelligent for a snake.

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               earnestshubposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               Smart big and fast! 4-6 ft, two varieties Western and Eastern. The Eastern is brown, the other sorta white and grey as I recall.
               Another magnificent creature. You are so lucky to have these guys!

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                  Randy Godwinposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  Like the black racer, the coachwhip will rise up above the ground and look all around in search of victims for his lunch.  The way they look at you is very unsettling as if to say "what in heck are you looking at?" 
                  
                  The largest one I've ever encountered looked to be over 8 feet long.  But now they are very rarely seen in these parts.  I recently saw an indigo snake which stretched from the center line of the highway to the grass medium by the road.  They have been reintroduced a few years ago and are making a comeback.
                  
                  I videoed an eastern hognose snake a few days ago too.  Yes, I am lucky to have so much wildlife to enjoy in my area.  I carry my camera everywhere I go when possible because of the many photo ops I have the privilege to enjoy.

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            donotfearposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            
            I don't think this is the same snake living in my pond. This snake is too orangey. Mine is more grayish brown, but the stripes aren't as prominent. Maybe it is, though, just an older version!

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   Randy Godwinposted 13 years ago

   It is not unusual for these snakes and cottonmouth moccasins to fall out of tree limbs into the boat with you while floating down the rivers in this area.  This can be very exciting, especially if they happen to fall on you!

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      donotfearposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      
      Gosh, how comforting! Makes me feel really secure about going to the bayou. They hafta' compet with the gators though. Ouch! I'd jump outta' the boat!

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