A Snake Story, By Todd3138 - 01/25/13 03:20 AM
So I'm posting this in Wildlife Management because, well, I managed this wildlife pretty effectively if not necessarily humanely.
In July, I decided to relocate a wood pile so it wasn't right next to our new pavilion blocking the view of the pond. We had seen some snakes in/around it before, so I was paying attention but not too concerned.
My son with with me, helping load logs in the FEL on our tractor so we could move the log pile elsewhere. As we got down to the bottom of the first section, I lifted a log at ground level and saw the tip of a snake tail slither under the remainder of the pile. Of course, my senses went into high alert mode and I was no longer just casually moving a woodpile.
As we progressed, we kept having the same experience repeat until things changed a bit probably the fourth time we saw the tail slither under the pile. As I lifted the bottom log - cautiously as I had taken to doing! - I saw not just the tail, but a curved section of body that was, big, girthy, and deadly looking with what I believed to be a copperhead pattern.
I had AJ jump up on the tractor and stay there in case it charged us. Yes, laugh if you will, but charging behavior is well documented even though no "herpetologist" will be intellectually honest enough to admit it.
The pile got smaller and smaller till I was down to just a few logs left, still with no sighting of a full snake. I was hoping beyond hope that the dumb thing would get the point and just slither down a hole and pretend we hadn't crossed paths. I was down to the last log with no sighting and was starting to notice that even though it was mid-July, it had grown amazingly cold out. That had to be the case because I noticed a slight tremor that had overtaken my entire body. No time to worry about that, though, because we were down to "curtain" number three and whatever surprise, unpleasant or otherwise, awaited me.
I reached across the log and lifted from the far side. Fortunately I had enough sense to have grabbed a small spade by that point. If the copperhead was armed, I wasn't coming into the fight sans weaponry. I may have an intense dislike for snakes, but my mother didn't raise any idiots!
Lifting that last log, I made a sound that some might say resembled that which would be uttered by a small girl upon being scared by a hiding sibling who had jumped out and screamed unexpectedly. I wouldn't say that, but think some cruel spirited folks might.
Under the log was not one big snake, but also a second, larger snake, both with what I perceived in that split second to be copperhead markings. Now, granted, you must readily concede that I had only a moment to observe, interpret, and react. After all, I had my son to think of. I began hacking at the snakes as they began charging. I concede that one began charging the other direction after my fist strike of the spade. But it had initially engaged and the fight was on.
As I focused on the running coward, I forgot about the larger, closer one until its movement caught my eye. Like a big cat, I switched my focus to it and delivered a mortal wound, nearly severing it and driving the barely connected halves deep into the dirt so it was pinned. That snake secure, I returned to the first one and finished the job.
As I looked over to my son, cheering me on wildly from his vantage point on the tractor, I began to feel a bit more secure and a bit more like a man once again. It was then I noticed the second snake, still stuck into the ground, striking the air in my direction. Oddly, I was offended and delivered the coup de gras. At that very moment, I think I screamed again, but in words this time, "There are babies spilling out of it!!!!!"
At least six little, coiled up, yolk sack (sorry, Yolk Sac, no offense intended) covered, striped snakes were spilling out of the apparent mother, their sacks ruptured and their little bodies quivering in the foreign atmosphere.
Using a dirt rake, I scooped both adult snakes onto the pavilion and, after ensuring the male was dead, began rolling the mother around with my spade, watching in amazement as more and more babies spilled out.
By that time, the neighbors had driven up to see what the commotion as all about and the husband confirmed that he believed they were copperheads. His wife and I were standing there shaking with the heebie jeebies while my son stood to the side laughing nervously and kicking at the babies.
I was pretty well convinced they were copperheads at first, but did a bunch of reading that night and have since decided they were northern water snakes. The pattern and coloration are very similar to copperheads, but the underbelly is different. The water snake has a yellow to orange belly - which these did - and the water snake typically has 18 or more live young while copperheads normally don't exceed 15 or 16. Plus, baby copperheads have a yellowish tip to their tails and these did not. Plus, they did not appear to have the classic viper shaped head, perhaps the most telling clue.
Regardless of the species, I feel good about my actions. Well, except for the potentially girlish initial reaction, but no one knows about that so I'm safe. It was a heck of an experience and I feel better having now written about it. Here is some photo documentation. Plus, my family is happy to know these vile serpents are not now living just feet from our new fire pit!
I am also proud to show off the new fire wood rack that AJ and I built not long afterward. It's 16 feet wide, 32" inches deep, and 5' from the bed to the top. I've since added a metal roof to it. The mesh is hog fencing from Tractor Supply and it's now fully stocked. Most importantly, the bed is a minimum of nearly 2 feet off the ground. Yes, I know snakes can slither up there, but I am banking on it being a far less hospitable locale for them to visit. If any of you happen to think/know differently, don't bother sharing that with me!
In July, I decided to relocate a wood pile so it wasn't right next to our new pavilion blocking the view of the pond. We had seen some snakes in/around it before, so I was paying attention but not too concerned.
My son with with me, helping load logs in the FEL on our tractor so we could move the log pile elsewhere. As we got down to the bottom of the first section, I lifted a log at ground level and saw the tip of a snake tail slither under the remainder of the pile. Of course, my senses went into high alert mode and I was no longer just casually moving a woodpile.
As we progressed, we kept having the same experience repeat until things changed a bit probably the fourth time we saw the tail slither under the pile. As I lifted the bottom log - cautiously as I had taken to doing! - I saw not just the tail, but a curved section of body that was, big, girthy, and deadly looking with what I believed to be a copperhead pattern.
I had AJ jump up on the tractor and stay there in case it charged us. Yes, laugh if you will, but charging behavior is well documented even though no "herpetologist" will be intellectually honest enough to admit it.
The pile got smaller and smaller till I was down to just a few logs left, still with no sighting of a full snake. I was hoping beyond hope that the dumb thing would get the point and just slither down a hole and pretend we hadn't crossed paths. I was down to the last log with no sighting and was starting to notice that even though it was mid-July, it had grown amazingly cold out. That had to be the case because I noticed a slight tremor that had overtaken my entire body. No time to worry about that, though, because we were down to "curtain" number three and whatever surprise, unpleasant or otherwise, awaited me.
I reached across the log and lifted from the far side. Fortunately I had enough sense to have grabbed a small spade by that point. If the copperhead was armed, I wasn't coming into the fight sans weaponry. I may have an intense dislike for snakes, but my mother didn't raise any idiots!
Lifting that last log, I made a sound that some might say resembled that which would be uttered by a small girl upon being scared by a hiding sibling who had jumped out and screamed unexpectedly. I wouldn't say that, but think some cruel spirited folks might.
Under the log was not one big snake, but also a second, larger snake, both with what I perceived in that split second to be copperhead markings. Now, granted, you must readily concede that I had only a moment to observe, interpret, and react. After all, I had my son to think of. I began hacking at the snakes as they began charging. I concede that one began charging the other direction after my fist strike of the spade. But it had initially engaged and the fight was on.
As I focused on the running coward, I forgot about the larger, closer one until its movement caught my eye. Like a big cat, I switched my focus to it and delivered a mortal wound, nearly severing it and driving the barely connected halves deep into the dirt so it was pinned. That snake secure, I returned to the first one and finished the job.
As I looked over to my son, cheering me on wildly from his vantage point on the tractor, I began to feel a bit more secure and a bit more like a man once again. It was then I noticed the second snake, still stuck into the ground, striking the air in my direction. Oddly, I was offended and delivered the coup de gras. At that very moment, I think I screamed again, but in words this time, "There are babies spilling out of it!!!!!"
At least six little, coiled up, yolk sack (sorry, Yolk Sac, no offense intended) covered, striped snakes were spilling out of the apparent mother, their sacks ruptured and their little bodies quivering in the foreign atmosphere.
Using a dirt rake, I scooped both adult snakes onto the pavilion and, after ensuring the male was dead, began rolling the mother around with my spade, watching in amazement as more and more babies spilled out.
By that time, the neighbors had driven up to see what the commotion as all about and the husband confirmed that he believed they were copperheads. His wife and I were standing there shaking with the heebie jeebies while my son stood to the side laughing nervously and kicking at the babies.
I was pretty well convinced they were copperheads at first, but did a bunch of reading that night and have since decided they were northern water snakes. The pattern and coloration are very similar to copperheads, but the underbelly is different. The water snake has a yellow to orange belly - which these did - and the water snake typically has 18 or more live young while copperheads normally don't exceed 15 or 16. Plus, baby copperheads have a yellowish tip to their tails and these did not. Plus, they did not appear to have the classic viper shaped head, perhaps the most telling clue.
Regardless of the species, I feel good about my actions. Well, except for the potentially girlish initial reaction, but no one knows about that so I'm safe. It was a heck of an experience and I feel better having now written about it. Here is some photo documentation. Plus, my family is happy to know these vile serpents are not now living just feet from our new fire pit!
I am also proud to show off the new fire wood rack that AJ and I built not long afterward. It's 16 feet wide, 32" inches deep, and 5' from the bed to the top. I've since added a metal roof to it. The mesh is hog fencing from Tractor Supply and it's now fully stocked. Most importantly, the bed is a minimum of nearly 2 feet off the ground. Yes, I know snakes can slither up there, but I am banking on it being a far less hospitable locale for them to visit. If any of you happen to think/know differently, don't bother sharing that with me!
