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Heaven

A political rally I presume?

The one on the left has just as an impressive set of fangs as the one on the right and they were curled up together. I didn't wait to check ID's after I saw the big one lift its head.

This is a little better picture of the head of the lighter one. You can see the triangular head a little better.



Normally, I don't shoot snakes because I like rats even less, but any venomous snake around the house is dead. I have young nieces and a nephew due to visit the ranch in a couple of weeks and I don't want them finding one of these.

Ed

22 lr

That is a bad sign.

The 'Fire is a popular place and another bad sign is:

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Those are both cotton mouth moccasins, look at the tails. The triangle shape of the head just got shot or stomped out of shape on one I'd bet.

A nonvenomous water snake doesn't have a definite, sudden transition from body to tail. It's all gradual taper. You are right about the shape of a pit viper head, but that one appears misshapen.

Shot in the head is the correct diagnosis. The smaller one has some impressive cavities in its body due to the CCI subsonic HP's running lengthwise through its body as it was moving.

The smaller ones fangs were just as long as the bigger one. With them all curled up together I was curious if one was a female (the larger) and one a male. This is the first light colored venomous snake I've killed here that wasn't a Copperhead.

Ed

12 ga. 1-1/8th ounce #7.5's .

Gunner

Looking at the picture, the first snake I identified as a cotton mouth was the brownish(lighter colored) one as most I've killed were that color. Have seen a few darker ones too.

most the cotton mouths I've seen around here have their banding a little more defined.

Don't know if that's because they're younger, or getting a better tan, or what.

Of course, asking their age is a low priority.

I saw one with black and green banding just before I stepped on him. Almost three inches in diameter and just over two feet long, minus his head and little of his body.

We get them from that color to coal black around here. I agree with the 12 ga. #7 1/2 approach to snake repellant, I can't see how you can throw those little granule thingies hard enough to properly repel a water moccasin. Anything that doesn't immediately identify itself as non-poisonous gets the 12 ga. treatment from me, I apologize to them afterwards if I mistakenly kill a harmless one. I've got cats to deal with the rats.

It's hard to see the ends of the tails because of shadows in the pics, but they appear to taper to a fine point.. Cottonmouths and copperheads have blunt tails.

But... if they have fangs, they ain't just plain old slim tailed moccasins which some DO have a little bit of a triangular head, but they ain't as flat headed as a venomous snake.

naphthalene (moth balls) is what the active ingredient is in some commercially offered "snake away" here down south

or you can just go to the dollar store and get moth balls instead of paying the extra coin for the hyped up label.


and then, it's questionable as to if the chit even works. As a former PCO, that's why I just told folks to buy it themselves while other pest control dudes charged an extra $50 for a "snake repellent"


whuteva

I tossed a few out at my place just for the hell of it, barn cats take care of most of the snakes and if they die from a venomous snakebite, fuggem. Cats are free, there's [bleep] up usually on the sidewalk outside Toys R Us being given away by girl scouts. Sure, I'll take a fresh one. lol


btw, best snake trap is submersed minnow trap. I've caught several copperheads (not cottonmoufs) in the spring branch beside the house here, also inadvertantly catch a few harmless brightly colored banded water snakes. Oh well, the minnow trap is no respector of brands. Leave the snakes to rot a couple weeks, viola- the trap is full of crawdads. Time to go fishing for bullhead catfish. Get some beer.

The ones around your area must be well fed, 'cause every moccasin and Copperhead I've killed here has had a slim, pointed tail. The moccasins all have that chunky body that abruptly goes to the skinny tip. The Copperheads here have all been slender, but with a defined break from body to slim tail.

I have yet to ask any of them their ancestry if they're anywhere close to the house. I only speak gunpowder and lead and they don't have much to say...

Ed