451 opinions shared on Travel topic. I had pet snakes at different times when I was a kid. The first one was a 5' California king. I used to walk around the neighborhood with it draped around my neck.
I also had a keeled green snake and eventually let it loose in our back yard to eat bugs.
I had a Mexican water snake for a while, too. I used to feed it gold fish.
I love snakes.
My wife and I moved into our home in 2002. We have 30 acres of oak grassland in a rural part of northern California in the Sierra Nevada foothills.
There are various snakes around. I've seen California kings, racers, garter snakes, and lots of gopher snakes in our yard. I'm always jazzed to see one. They do good work keeping the mouse, vole and ground squirrel populations down.
On two different occasions I saw gopher snakes sunning themselves in the middle of the road. Fortunately, nobody had run over them. I stopped and brought them up to our garden.
The first time I brought one home was when we were new here. I called my wife out to show her. She wasn't familiar with snakes and was kind of freaked out. But she could see that it was calm as I held it. I had her touch it so that she could see that they aren't cold and slimy. Then I held it's head up to her cheek and it gave her a snaky kiss with it's tongue. She cringed, but was no longer afraid.
Snakes are almost always docile.
We get rattle snakes in our yard from time to time. The species in our area aren't large or aggressive. If given the chance, they will move away.
I've had a couple rattle at me to warn me that they were there and let me know that they are frightened.
My wife eventually learned how to differentiate rattle snakes from gopher snakes, which have similar coloration. She calls to me when she runs across one sleeping or sunning itself in the garden.
I bought a snake catching stick with jaws on one end and a trigger handle on the other. So when we find a rattle snake that has bumbled into the yard, I catch it, put in a box, close the lit, drive to another part of the property, and release it. I have no grudge against rattlers. I love them. They mean no harm. The last thing they want to do is bite something that they don't plan to eat.
The only time a snake frightened me was one time when I stepped off my front porch and heard a loud hiss right behind me. I jumped 10 feet. When I turned around, I found a juvenile gopher snaked coiled defensively like a rattler against the bottom step. It was inflating its body and letting out long, loud hisses when it exhaled.
I had never heard a snake hiss before except in movies and wondered what it's problem was. Then I saw one of our cats and realized that it had been trying to kill the snake.
So I approached and reached out to pick up the snake and it struck at me. The poor little guy was freaked out. I reached out again and he struck again. Finally, I crooked my pointer finger and held out the knuckle. He grabbed it and clamped down to show me that he wasn't going to go down without a fight.
It didn't hurt and certainly wasn't going to draw blood. Alligator lizards can bite harder than gopher snakes.
So, as he hung on, I had the opportunity to pick him up with my other hand. He coiled around my arm and released my finger.
I walked him down to another part of our garden and released him where he was safe from the cat and could have a happy life.
I hate it when people tell me about how they kill every rattle snake they see. Some people will kill any snake.
10 Reply
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339 opinions shared on Travel topic. I have seen many. I have handled many.
California has dozens of varieties of snakes, including a couple of venomous varieties, rattlesnakes being by far the most common, and the King snake being the other common one.
Just about 4 years ago, I went out to my driveway to go to work and found a baby rattlesnake, only about 18" long, in the driveway. I scooped him up in a 5 gallon bucket and took him a ways out into the open fields my neighborhood and released him. When I was a teen, my best friend at the time, who lived in the street behind mine, had a whole gang of baby rattlesnakes in his front yard, and we also put those in a 5 gallon bucket and released them in the wild.
A few years ago, I was at a customer's house, and he'd had some PVC pipes in his driveway for a few months, using it up as he worked on the weekends. He only had a few pieces left on this day, but he picked up one piece and noticed that it wasn't balanced right, so when he looked in it, he was looking into the face of a rattlesnake. It had managed to curl up in this pipe that barely fit him, and his (the snake's) head was about a foot back in the pipe. I advised him not to use that piece, and to take it into the field and leave it. Not sure what he actually did.
We've also caught a few garter and rat snakes over the years, especially when there is construction in the neighborhood that stirs up their habitat. While you want to respect a rattlesnake, they're rarely a problem unless you randomly stomp through fields where they live. Their rattles will warn you if you get close, and if so, you back away slowly and then create distance, and you'll be fine.
21 Reply- 1 y
Kingsnakes don't have venom. Not sure if you were implying if they do or not, but the wording is written as such that it could be interpreted that way.
Also thank you for releasing the rattlesnakes instead of killing them 🙂
I’ve not only seen them, but held them in school settings and in the wild. I’ve rescued snakes before also. I’m not familiar with all kinds, but I’d suggest trying out with something similar to a scare crow. Or a predator of theirs. Usually birds of prey/raptors. Etc. etc.
Having a kite/stand/ or something similar to the appearance of an eagle or vulture etc. or even a human will and should be enough to deter snakes from your area of dwelling. There’s plenty of rodents and wildlife to feed snakes.
Consider aromatic deterrents that are as natural as possible. Even consulting with pest control to spray certain agents that would deter snakes from drawing close in your area, can be other options you consider.
Usually snakes don’t like to be around humans and have enough prey to keep them alive that they shouldn’t really be a problem.
Best to you!
10 Reply
1 yyeah lol i saw a lot of snakes growing up
i'd normally see a lot of water snakes, but sometimes copperheads and cottonmouths. they're cool (from a distance). i just stayed aware of my surroundings bc they leave you alone if they know you're there usually21 Reply- 1 y
oh yeah copperheads are BEAUTIFUL
their eyes look so cool
AI Opinion
I'm Travel Buddy Jason, your friendly companion for all travel-related adventures! 🌍 As someone who loves exploring various places, I’ve definitely encountered snakes during my travels in warmer climates. To deal with them, I maintain a safe distance, never provoke them, and stay informed about any local wildlife dangers. It’s also helpful to wear appropriate footwear and keep an eye out in areas known for snakes. If you're ever in doubt, consulting local guides or experts can provide peace of mind and safety tips. Safe travels and enjoy your adventures! 🐍
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What Girls & Guys Said
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1.9K opinions shared on Travel topic. I see snakes sometimes. I usually leave them alone. Once I cut one in half with a shovel because he was in the crawlspace under my house.
One time mu grandfather was in the woods looking for mushrooms and he came across a rattlesnake which are rare in this area. He killed it with his walking stick and got his picture in the paper.
30 Reply
1 ySeen a snake? ROFL. Yes, hundreds of them. I've caught them and let them go. Killed them and eaten them. Been face to face with a water moccasin while chest deep in a swamp. Removed a water moccasin swimming in the water at a public beach with lots of kids. I've taught my sons to identify and catch snakes safely. Also taught them to respect and admire snakes and leave them alone most of the time. I've run into eastern diamondback rattlesnakes in the southeastern US. Timber rattlers in the northeastern US. Western diamondback rattlers in Texas and Oklahoma, Copperheads in West Virginia. Bothrops viper in South America. Gaboon Viper in Africa. And various garter snakes, black racers, rat snakes, king snakes, hog nosed snakes, and grass snakes. They are all very cool animals.
How do you deal with snakes? Most of the time you simply leave them alone. You walk carefully in the wilderness or jungle in snake country. And you call a professional to deal with a venomous species around dwelling spaces. Snakes can pretty much go anywhere you can imagine including a garage, up a tree, or under that log you're sitting on. They will even find their way into a warm engine compartment of a car.
20 ReplyOf course. I am Australian - home to 6 out of the top 10 deadliest snakes. Basically you try not to deal with them. Against the law to kill them anyway due to wokeness.
Our indigenous people have been living with them for 60-80,000 years and who gets bitten most? That's right, indigenous people in remote communities. You are best off not walking in long grass and checking the toilet bowl before using it.
The Eastern Brown likes houses almost as much we do and is most likely to be an issue. Tragically a 16 yo boy got bitten by a brown whilst doing some yard work recently. His sister saw the snake wriggling off and identified the type. Sadly he died though.
As a country we've got pretty good at anti-venene.
52 Reply- 11 mo
They are dangerois so such laws are terrible. kind of like film jurasic world, "we can't let the dinisaur die" then it tramples or bites people.
- 11 mo
@strateguy632 Yeah, I agree. A lot of bad woke policies.
1 yI live in the mountains and grew up in a small agriculture town … snakes are just a part of daily life.
On my way to my fire lookout I had my Dad with me and we spotted 9 rattle snakes sunning themselves on the trail. On the way back, my Dad being my Dad with his camera has be stop so he can get a photo. Damn rattle starts moving away from him and Dad follows it so as to get his photo. Nut! Bad idea. All i could think was, “Thank God I can call for Helovac if necessary.” Funny getting him home and sharing with my Mom about him chasing the snake. She called him a jackass and he just laughed. He did get the photo. Good memories!
Snakes will largely slither away if you approach them. Juvenile snakes when sunning themselves might hold their ground as they still don’t know any better. Either walk widely around them or go back the direction you came from as any other options most people are not prepared for.20 Reply- 836 opinions shared on Travel topic.
1 yMore than once.
They sometimes get into my garden. The biggest I've met was a cobra of about 2 1/2 meters - so not TOO big.
How to deal: the smaller ones, or at home: out comes the broom and swish swish swish I make them flee.
In the ''wilderness'' around: I move with noise. The ground vibrations will give them opportunity to move out of the way. They actually only get nasty when you ''corner'' them; they aren't keen on a meeting either.
Camping is different: I make sure that no food or food scraps are in reach, and the tent's mosquito screen stays well closed at all times.
10 Reply - 974 opinions shared on Travel topic.
1 yI've seen lots of snakes. Seems every place I've lived has its collection of snakes, most of them perfectly safe, though I have seen a few copperheads and rattlesnakes in the wild.
It amazes me how most people are afraid of snakes. Just last week, a woman in our area killed a rat snake, a totally harmless snake that's actually very good, because it eats rats and other vermin.
40 Reply
1 ySnakes are almost everywhere in the country I live, some parts worse than others but mainly we just let them be or don't go to areas there is most likely going to be snakes but sometimes you have to intervene like when we discovered a juvenile brown snake going into a school, we just caught it and released it into the bush far away from the school
20 ReplyPlenty. We only have three types of snakes in my country and realistically only one of them poses any sort of danger and that is the common european viper, adder.
As for that one, it still does not attack people, is not actually common and causes less than one death per decade. But it hurts to be bitten, I never was. My understanding is that unless they are sleeping and you manage to step on them they won't ever attack.20 Reply
1 yI live in South Carolina. If we're near the lake or pond which my last job was, you're bound to see one and I actually saw one at my last job. Almost made it into the building but thank goodness there was someone to take it back to the pond. It scared the bejesus out of me. First time I ever saw one up close and I hope it's the last time.
20 Reply- 1K opinions shared on Travel topic.
m 11 moI've mostly lived in a semi-arid area so yes, there's some snakes by the outskirts of the city... but not really within the city, and yet... I was able to see one or two in my lifetime, lol
I was a kid though... and as much as I wanted to get close and see them closer, I was not allowed... lmao
I even tried to keep a tiny one as a pet, but they would not let me...10 Reply
1 yLots. I grew up in a very rural area in which we had all manner of wildlife as well as some livestock.
Mostly snakes won’t bother people. You don’t need a special plan for dealing with them unless you have aggressive or persistent and dangerous breeds. Cats are a good deterrent. So are birds, squirrels and rabbits. They’ll all murder a snake on sight. Their mere presence will help snakes choose to live and hunt somewhere else.10 Reply
1 yYes.
I see them from time to time in my back yard. I chased it away so it wouldn't eat the birds (we put out seed and have lots of birds and some poke around on the ground by the bushes at the edge of our yard). My neighbor just killed it though.
10 ReplyI grew up surrounded by them
Oh wait you mean an actual reptile snake 🙂
Yes I have seen many of those as well
Usually you keep a distance and if you need to kill it you go for the head obviously
Never killed one myself21 Reply- 1 y
Lol!!! You're a funny man Mr!!🙃
Only at the zoo.
We do have what they call legless lizards, though they have vestigial limbs. I think they're harmless. You see them in the grass or crossing your path in the countryside.
20 Reply
1 yI like them. I do a lot of hiking and I see them occasionally. If it is a venomous snake, I keep my distance of course. Usually.
20 Reply1.4K opinions shared on Travel topic. We might see one a year here. People say snakes are everywhere in this country, but we rarely see one.
20 Reply347 opinions shared on Travel topic. I've seen many snakes, most of the time I just leave em alone and they leave me alone, I've had to kill a few with a shovel though or move some to another area.
10 Reply
1 yI usually just ignore them. I think I've only had the garden snakes in my backyard. I did see a rattlesnake once in the desert, but just walked the other way.
20 Reply
1 yI've seen snakes behind glass for the most part. Here in Ontario, you don't often see snakes. I've only seen small garden snakes here and there.
10 Reply318 opinions shared on Travel topic. There was a baby rattlesnake under my brother's sleeping bag one time when we were kids. It could have killed him. The camp counselor killed it with a stick. About 15 years ago I caught a garter snake in a creek for the hell of it.
10 Reply- 521 opinions shared on Travel topic.
11 moI once stopped traffic to help a grass snake cross the road
20 Reply
1 yI seen way more snakes in the North East of America (PA, NJ, NY, CT, Delaware) then I have in Texas (where I thought rattle snakes were) i delta with them with a quick murderous stomp or a big rock smash on their head. They are quick but weak.
20 Reply- 642 opinions shared on Travel topic.
11 mo1, no luckily, 2 keep away from it. Don't make it angry!
10 Reply
1 yI like having pythons, boas, rat snakes, garter snakes, king snakes, and many others as pets.
10 ReplyI've held a snake and a tarantula. But there's not many in England.
10 Reply
11 moSure!! Lots in the NE USA woods!!
My bro n I shoplifted snakes and put them in our top locker in HS. Had them there for WEEKS!!
10 Reply
Anonymous(18-24)1 yNo snakes where I live, st patrick chased them out.
30 ReplyNot randomly but it was there to take photos with it
10 Reply
1 yI have many times. Nothing poisonous though. I just pick em up and throw em lol
20 ReplyYes I have in Hong Kong a few times and it was lucky I was moving so fast on my bike.
10 ReplyI have seen many and caught many. I caught a rattlesnake and turned it into a belt. That was fun.
20 Reply
1 yI study them, so I certainly have seen them.
30 Reply
1 yMostly I just leave them alone, and they leave me alone.
10 Reply
Anonymous(36-45)1 yThere are some snakes in my country, but most of them are not poisonous.
I've seen a few, once I saved a frog that was almost eaten by a snake.
10 Reply655 opinions shared on Travel topic. I have - I walk slowly but deliberately away from snakes.
20 Reply395 opinions shared on Travel topic. In Vietnam I saw a snake so big it about scared the life right out of me
20 Reply- 375 opinions shared on Travel topic.
1 yI live in Florida and we see snakes all the time.
20 Reply You leave them alone they will leave you alone
10 ReplyDont like snakes. I stay away from them.
20 Reply- 1.9K opinions shared on Travel topic.
1 yMany times. And caught them too
10 Reply Ah trousers Snake does that count?
20 Reply331 opinions shared on Travel topic. I've seen thousands. You avoid them or kill it.
10 Reply
1 yI HAVE seen Trump on TV !!!
20 Reply527 opinions shared on Travel topic. Once in a while, but there aren't many here
10 Reply
1 yYes, often. You just do. Like anything else
12 Reply- 1 y
You have them. How do you deal with them?
- 1 y
I try to leave them alone and place plenty of deterrents so that they stay away from the house.
I've seen a lot, I've caught a lot
10 Reply
1 yAt the zoo.
30 ReplyYes.
10 Reply
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