Looks like we might have to start the TFF Snake Brigade.

Watched the Animal channel today and they did a run down on the 10 most deadly creatures in nature. Snakes came in 2nd place killing over 40,000 people worldwide yearly.

Yes, but how many of those killed yearly are here in the US?

Well, I cant say Im skeered of snakes, but I dont particularly want a cottonmouth in my boat. I used to live on Caddo and had a little garden plot. My then 4 year old daughter went out there one day and when I got there she was standing with in 2 feet of a coiled up cottonmouth. I snatched her up and got the shot gun and dispatched the snake to snake heaven. Long as snakes and me dont get crossways of each other I will go my way and they can go theirs. I know they are more scared of man than man is of them but I still have what you might call a very healthy respect for the critters. Heck I watch Animal Planet and those idiots that go hunting the most dangerous snakes in the world just for the fun of it. Guess some people have more tolerance of foolishness thanb others. My attitude is to leave them alone and they will leave me alone. (long as they dont get too close)

Snakes are fascinating creatures. I had the fortunate experience last year of watching one very close up. I'll make it brief... caught a few catfish while camping, left on stringer overnight and when I checked in the morning, something had thrown a munch on it. All that was left was a head. Tossed the head out into to the water and went about my business. That evening, while fishing, saw a very strange object moving towards me in the water. As it got closer, I finally figgered it out. It was a snake with the catfish head I had thrown in the lake that morning! Very odd. Apparently he wanted to join me on the rock I was on. So, I let him. He curled up a few feet from me and I went back to fishing. Wild thing was, it wasn't a very big snake and he was having some serious trouble trying to get that thing in his mouth. Especially the fins. Seeing as how he was quite preoccupied with his dinner, I got down real close, say 3" from him, to watch the festivities. It was amazing. I've seen snakes munch stuff before, but never that close. A friend of mine took pictures, but hasn't developed them yet...

Most likely a "ground" snake. They eat slugs and bugs. Search " sonora semiannulata ". Another small (but larger than the ground snake)plentiful garden snake is the brown snake (search "Storeria dekayi"). Slugs are like chicken nuggets to a brown snake. Some worm snakes also found in the north east parts of the state. but I would bet you found a "ground" snake. Arlon

snake site..
One very good reference site for texas snakes is from UT.

http://www.zo.utexas.edu/research/txherps/snakes/

Good pics of most water snakes there.

I think almost all of the kills are in southeast asian rice paddies that are manually worked. Some of them are infested with some hot cobras.

Did they count people as the number one threat? I personally fear the day that we start whacking every person we see since they might be dangerous.

In the World - There are more than 5,400,000 snake bites annually with about 125,000 deaths per year.

In the US - There�s approximately 120 species of snakes of which 26 are venomous. There are more than 10,000 snake bites annually but only 1-2 deaths per year.

In the West Texas Region - There are more that 55 snake bites annually with 90% of the bites occurring during the months of May, June, July, August, September and October


The Victims

90% are males between the ages of 18 � 38 and involve alcohol.

80% of bites are on the hand and involve deliberate handling or attempts to catch the snake

Only 15% of bites are in the foot or ankle area

98% of all envenamations in (USA) are from Pit Vipers, 1% are from Coral Snakes and 1% from others


The Bites

About 25% of all bites by venomous snakes are dry bites - do not result in envenomation (no venom is injected)

Snake venom poisoning is an emergency requiring immediate attention

Delayed or inadequate treatment may result in significant morbidity or mortality


Pre-Hospital Treatment

Wound Care - Wash the affected area with soap and water; apply a loose dressing to prevent infection

Immobilization by splinting the limb will promote oxygen exchange and slows down circulation and absorption process

Transport to a Health Care Facility Immediately - Do not run to a vehicle, bring the vehicle to the patient

Call Poison Center to advise health care facility & ensure antivenom is available

I THINK PETA HAS TAKEN OVER THE BOARD!!!!!!

There IS a difference between activism and responsibility..

Why is it OK to kill a venomous snake and not a non-venomous snake. If what some people say about snakes having their place in the ecosystem then surely the venomous ones also have theirs.

With that being said, sometimes you have to just agree to disagree. This is like trying to convince a Republican to agree with a Democrat or like trying to convince a Ford guy that Chevy is better. When it all boils down to it people are just different. Is someone wrong because they don't believe the same thing you do....NO. People are different and that's what makes this world interesting!!!

Personally, I've never killed a snake period, venomous or otherwise. Moved and walked around several venomous snakes, but I have yet to be cornered by one to the point I felt it necessary to kill it.

I have not accused anyone of being wrong. Maybe I'm wrong, that judgement is reserved for a higher authority. I have asked why someone would kill somethng harmless and left it at that. I also challenged someones ability to itentify something they killed. Agree you can't change the spots on a leopard into stripes. I can hopefully help someone with an open mind make a more informed decision the next time they run across something they don't like and just feel like killing it because they can.

I love snakes (but hate insects). Most people don't fully understand how many snakes (whether venomous or non) they have walked right over and never seen without getting bitten. I used to keep snakes and even milked some to sell venom to an antivinin manufacturer(good money.) Most tamed right down after a good bit of handling. I even used to have a bull snake that I used to put around my neck and go to the store or whatever. They are great conversation starters. At work we see a lot of snakes on the grounds. Everyone usually calls me to get rid of them. I bring 'em home and put them in the field next to my back yard. Funny though...I don't have a rodent problem!

I take serious issue with this belief. Some people believe that it is OK to lynch other people for the color of their skin. I do not. Does that mean that we are just different people as bwhatley has professed??? Or is there TRUTH in what is right and just?

I am certain that TRUTH is on my side. It is a responsibility for us to seek out what is right and wrong. Though appropriate treatment of the ecosystem may not be the most important truth to seek out, there are some serious gaps in some of the beliefs professed on this site. I hope that bwhatley and others choose to accept their responsibility to improve themselves.