Malak Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 Found this little guy in my backyard this weekend. First real wild life that I have found in my back yard. I like in the city, and the only real place for these would be a near by drainage ditch. He was living in a piece of 2inch PVC that I keep in my back yard (which are used for fishing rod holders on the beach). When I picked up the pipe to shake off any dirt and or ants, he slide out, and boy was he pissed. He (maybe she) was striking at me at a rate of about one strike per second. I then used the piece of pvc to round him up, and got my brother to get a 5gallon bucket that was near by. Then we transfered him to a koolaid pitcher and put him in the fridge so he could 'chill out.' Once he was cold enough to be pretty much immobile, we IDed him as a rattlesnake. I have encountered many rattlesnakes living in Texas, but never have I come across one that did not have a rattle started yet. I guess he has not had his first molt yet. After an exhaustive search, no of his family was found, but I will be keeping an eye out for momma. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redmercury2 Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 Found this little guy in my backyard this weekend. First real wild life that I have found in my back yard. I like in the city, and the only real place for these would be a near by drainage ditch.He was living in a piece of 2inch PVC that I keep in my back yard (which are used for fishing rod holders on the beach). When I picked up the pipe to shake off any dirt and or ants, he slide out, and boy was he pissed. He (maybe she) was striking at me at a rate of about one strike per second. I then used the piece of pvc to round him up, and got my brother to get a 5gallon bucket that was near by. Then we transfered him to a koolaid pitcher and put him in the fridge so he could 'chill out.' Once he was cold enough to be pretty much immobile, we IDed him as a rattlesnake. I have encountered many rattlesnakes living in Texas, but never have I come across one that did not have a rattle started yet. I guess he has not had his first molt yet. After an exhaustive search, no of his family was found, but I will be keeping an eye out for momma. Good looking little snake. Thanks for not killing him. STEVE IRWIN would have done the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 Don't think so... Not a viper by the shape of the head. IMHO it looks like a King to me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasmap Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 Found this little guy in my backyard this weekend. First real wild life that I have found in my back yard. I like in the city, and the only real place for these would be a near by drainage ditch.He was living in a piece of 2inch PVC that I keep in my back yard (which are used for fishing rod holders on the beach). When I picked up the pipe to shake off any dirt and or ants, he slide out, and boy was he pissed. He (maybe she) was striking at me at a rate of about one strike per second. I then used the piece of pvc to round him up, and got my brother to get a 5gallon bucket that was near by. Then we transfered him to a koolaid pitcher and put him in the fridge so he could 'chill out.' Once he was cold enough to be pretty much immobile, we IDed him as a rattlesnake. I have encountered many rattlesnakes living in Texas, but never have I come across one that did not have a rattle started yet. I guess he has not had his first molt yet. After an exhaustive search, no of his family was found, but I will be keeping an eye out for momma. I'm not a snake enthusiast but are you sure that's a rattler? He doesn't have the head I normally see on rattlers. It doesn't look like it has venom pits. By that size it should definitely have rattles, I think. Like I said, I don't really know though. Either way, I don't want it in my yard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 He's a juvenille Eastern Yellow Bellied Racer.... http://www.texassnakes.net/JuvRacer.htm Many snakes will show aggressive behavior when cornered or otherwise threatened - in fact, they bet on the fact that you'll think they might be poisonous and get agressive hoping to scare you off so they can beat a retreat themselves.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn jones Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 here's a pic of a baby rattle snake. FWIW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 I remember shortly after we moved out to Austin, we found a Great Plains Rat Snake hanging on the side of our house... I knew they, and their relations (various rat snakes, like corn snakes, etc) could be arboreal, but I had no clue they could climb up the mortar in between the bricks on the side of the house... Crazy stuff! He was apparently hunting geckos and such... It took a lot of convincing my wife to leave it alone and not kill it, but in the end we left him there... Haven't seen him since... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 Have to agree with Merlin and XRe..not a rattlesnake...even the babies have a button when first born...not a viper...at least you did not panic and shoot him into 12 pieces...good job.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malak Posted September 5, 2006 Author Share Posted September 5, 2006 (edited) I don't like killing things that I don't eat. He will end up in a lab. By behavior (posture when striking), pattern, and color, the best ID we could get was rattlesnake. Head threw us off a little, but could not find any pics of any rattlers this young. Sizewise, he was tiny, maybe 7inches long, and no thicker than a pencil at the thickest point. If someone could get me a better ID, I would appreciate it. From what I understand, they don't get their first button until they molt for the first time. I got a friend that is going to come pick it up, and he will know, he sells them to a lab where they milk them to make anitvenom treatments. here is a pic of the last time we went 'snake hunting.' These are all from King Ranch, captured over two days, last spring. Edited September 5, 2006 by Malak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outerlimits Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 shoulda had that bucket at our shotgun match this past weekend... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMITH Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 Sounds like the perfect opportunity to slide over to Benny's place and commision a new Triangle Snake Shooter Supreme........ At least that way if you had to shoot a snake you would be properly equipped...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 The ones in the bucket are all Western Diamondbacks, it would appear (given away by the white and black bands at the end of their tail - a distinctive marking on those snakes). Seriously - look at the pic I linked to, keep in mind "Juvenille" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malak Posted September 5, 2006 Author Share Posted September 5, 2006 XRe: I think you win the cigar. That is pretty much this snake on the button. Yellow Bellied Racer it is. Hopefully my buddy will still have a use for it. I am no snake expert and now, everyone knows Well, that makes me feel much better, since I have a very curious 20pound boston terrier that spends alot of time in the back yard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 I'm not an expert by any stretch, either... just seem to be good at making identifications via pictures... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 If you want to catch some rattlesnakes...just drive out to Odessa about late April and prowl around the oil and gas dog houses and the gravel areas around those meter runs...literally hundreds of snakes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malak Posted September 6, 2006 Author Share Posted September 6, 2006 UPDATE: Well, my buddy said, 'thats not a rattlesnake...' so thanks for the heads up, guys. He did not recognize it off the bat, so we are going with Yellow Belly Racer. His proper ID earned him a release in a grassy lot. I think the wife is much more comfortable knowing that it was not dangerous. Again, thanks for help with ID. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Moneypenny Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 The only good snake is a dead snake! Glad he wasn't dangerous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMITH Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 I would have tried to find a way to buy a gun out of this. Tell her next summer it will be 9 feet long, eating small goats and MEAN!!! Chillerens and pets WON'T be safe!!! You need a high cap Super with a dot and a compensator and a big magwell and a custom textured grip and a couple 29 round mags and 16,000 rounds of practice ammo to fend off things like this, and lucky for her if you order now the gun will be delivered in a couple months while the snake is still limited to rabbits and stuff like that for meals. You just want to be prepared, that is all....... My wife wouldn't buy it either, but it can't hurt to try. You never know, if the story is good enough you might get the blank check for the effort and thought put in!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 I would have tried to find a way to buy a gun out of this. Tell her next summer it will be 9 feet long, eating small goats and MEAN!!! Chillerens and pets WON'T be safe!!! You need a high cap Super with a dot and a compensator and a big magwell and a custom textured grip and a couple 29 round mags and 16,000 rounds of practice ammo to fend off things like this, and lucky for her if you order now the gun will be delivered in a couple months while the snake is still limited to rabbits and stuff like that for meals. You just want to be prepared, that is all.......My wife wouldn't buy it either, but it can't hurt to try. You never know, if the story is good enough you might get the blank check for the effort and thought put in!!! Malak probably has 200+ right now..? The guy owns a gunstore... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMITH Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 Ooooooohhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!! That is even better. That has "class III dealer sample" written all over it!!!!! See, I am 'glass half full' kind of guy ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malak Posted September 6, 2006 Author Share Posted September 6, 2006 That is even better. That has "class III dealer sample" written all over it!!!!! I am working on the that angle... 'we can get rid of these pests without the neighbors having a crap' angle. I can see it now, climbing on the roof, screwing on my new Jet supressor on my 308 700/AICS, and taking out those crazy killer yellow bellied racers. hope the 168SMK will be enough to take one down, without having to track it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Norman Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 The only good snake is a dead snake! Glad he wasn't dangerous. When we moven in to our house 8 years ago, it had been vacant for about 6 months. We had about 15 snakes removed. For the next 6 years we had snakes inside on a regular basis. Only one upstairs, but very often one in the basement. Mowing the grass was always interesting. I really really do not like snakes. My wife picks them up, talks to them and sets them free in the woods behind our house. I get home and she tells me, guess what I found today. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 Be glad that you don't live in Australia... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmoney Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 Enough is enough....... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGITcQUmbBI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chp5 Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 The only good snake is a dead snake! Glad he wasn't dangerous. +1 I like Steve Irwin too, but a snake in my yard will soon see the mean end of my son's little .410. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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