OT: Snake

[Dan South]

Originally posted by Michael Jackson's real nose:

Originally posted by deanmass:

Goddam I hate snakes......brrrrrr.....

 

I thought the deal was the round pupiled snakes were non poisonous?

I'm not sure that an identification method involving getting close enough to examine their pupils is such a good idea. It might work for the non-venomous breeds but others...

The best advice is to give every snake the respect of distance. The snake doesn't want to be handled any more than you want the snake crawling into your bed at night. Look, don't touch!

 

Copperheads and rattlesnakes are vipers. Vipers have triangular heads. If you see a snake with a triangular head, do NOT attempt to handle it. Some venonous snakes, like the coral snake, the cobra, the mambas, and the Australian Brown, do not have triangular heads, yet they're still venemous, so don't assume that no triangle means no danger, only that the triangular head means bad news.

 

Vipers kill more humans than all other animals combined, including sharks, bears, lions, scorpions, tigers, crocodiles, hippos, and any other species that you can think of.

[Lee Flier]

Sheeesh Dan... snakebite deaths are more common in tropical countries (where there are far more dangerous snakes) but in the U.S., less than 10 people a year die from snakebite. It is just not a big threat - you're far more likely to get struck by lightning.

[Blue Strat]

Originally posted by F7sound -:

Quick story made the news down here a few years back: Woman sees multi-colored snake on her porch. Thinks her husband would like it as a gift since it looks like a king snake. She picks it up. It bites her. Turns out to be a deadly coral snake. Woman spends weeks in the hospital recovering. She almost dies.

What was she doing? Letting it chew on her? Coral snakes don't have very big mouths, and they'd just about have to get you between the fingers or toes to bite you.

[Dan South]

Originally posted by Lee Flier:

Sheeesh Dan... snakebite deaths are more common in tropical countries (where there are far more dangerous snakes) but in the U.S., less than 10 people a year die from snakebite. It is just not a big threat - you're far more likely to get struck by lightning.

Mmm, yes. Most snakebite deaths occur in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Amazingly, there aren't many snakebite deaths in Austrailia despite the presence of many of the world's most venomous snakes.

 

Are you implying that I've contradicted this somehow?

[Lee Flier]

Not really contradicted it so much as, I think, created an impression that snakes are a greater threat than they really are to folks in the U.S. who don't know much about snakes. Which is mostly who we're talking to here.

[F7sound -]

Originally posted by bluestrat:

Originally posted by F7sound -:

Quick story made the news down here a few years back: Woman sees multi-colored snake on her porch. Thinks her husband would like it as a gift since it looks like a king snake. She picks it up. It bites her. Turns out to be a deadly coral snake. Woman spends weeks in the hospital recovering. She almost dies.

What was she doing? Letting it chew on her? Coral snakes don't have very big mouths, and they'd just about have to get you between the fingers or toes to bite you.

Well, she picked it up and probably started fiddling with it, thinking it was harmless. It got pissed and bit her. But coral snakes are pretty mild unless you really mess with them.

 

Found a coral snake in front of my garage last year. Just looked at it and let it move on.

 

Michael Oster

F7 Sound and Vision

ReGurgiTron - I approved this message.

[Super 8]

Originally posted by NE-One:

Then something happened - I can't recall what it was, but now I am TERRIFIED of snakes. My fear is bad to the point where even a snake-like stick in the road when I'm driving causes a nearly uncontrollable fear and panic

That's understandable.

 

Snakes don't phase me much. I mean, ANYTHING that lunges at me, or surprises me, will freak me out a little. But having said that.... snakes don't bother me.

 

But I can relate to your fear because I am the same way about many bugs....centipedes in particular. I can't even describe the feeling of revulsion I feel about them. They absolutely freak me out. I think it's mostly because they are big, fast, and always surprise me. Spiders bother me too, but not like centipedes. Small spiders are fine, but could never deal with a tarantula.

 

Snakes on the other hand, are fine. I see garters around here when I'm mowing sometimes, and I'll catch it to show my son.

 

I haven't been bitten yet. My impression was that they either don't have substantial teeth, or can't break the skin.

I think they are pretty neat.

 

There are 39 species of snakes in Illinois. I've seen ONE (1). I don't know where the rest of them are, although I think most are probably down in southern Ill.....the rest are probably hanging out in NE-One's bed (sorry, just razz'n ya! )

[Lee Flier]

Originally posted by Super 8:

Spiders bother me too, but not like centipedes. Small spiders are fine, but could never deal with a tarantula.

Oh, I had a pet tarantula as a kid.

 

Snakes on the other hand, are fine. I see garters around here when I'm mowing sometimes, and I'll catch it to show my son.

 

I haven't been bitten yet. My impression was that they either don't have substantial teeth, or can't break the skin.

But have they even tried? People seem to get this impression that if an animal can bite, it will. Any time I've picked up a snake it's not the slightest bit interested in biting me. I'm gentle with it and don't make sudden moves or just grab it. The ONLY time I've ever had a snake appear to "lunge" at me is when I was at a friend's farm once and threw a metal bucket out to the edge of a garden. A rat snake was hanging out there unknown to me who was startled by the bucket, and rose up looking mighty mean. Can't blame him for that. He chilled out pretty quickly and slithered away once he found out he wasn't threatened.

 

My aforementioned pet tarantula also had several opportunities to bite me, that is, I wouldn't have blamed her if she had (the variety of tarantula I had wasn't poisonous, but can still produce a painful bite). Once for example she was crawling up my bare arm and started to fall off. She put out her fangs to pull herself back up onto my wrist. She was probably scared and could easily have sunk the fangs in at least deep enough to break the skin, but she didn't. She just put them out enough to get some traction and keep herself from falling.

[M Peasley]

I'm totally schizoid about snakes. I see their beauty, their incredible way of moving, their place in nature. On the other hand, I'm with Emily Dickenson in her poem about a "narrow fellow in the grass" in that I feel "zero at the bone" when I'm surprised by one.

 

When buying a pet at the pet store and they say, "Fanged or non-fanged?" I'll go for the "non-fanged" type every time.

 

M Peasley

[Dan South]

Originally posted by Lee Flier:

Not really contradicted it so much as, I think, created an impression that snakes are a greater threat than they really are to folks in the U.S. who don't know much about snakes. Which is mostly who we're talking to here.

Mmm, right. Sorry. In the USA, you probably have more to fear from bees or bears or dogs or deer or livestock than snakes. And you have much, much, much higher probability of being killed by an automobile than by an animal. Unless that animal is homo sapiens, but that's another topic.

 

But worldwide, snakes kill more people directly than all other animals combined. I added the word "directly," because the most dangerous animal by far is an indirect killer. It's the disease carrying mosquito. Snakes claim about 60,000 human lives per years. Mosquito borne illnesses claim about 2,000,000 human lives.

[Lee Flier]

Yeah... and you're certainly right about the auto accidents... we average 42,000 auto fatalities a year in the U.S. ALONE... vs. 15,000 murders, 20,000 deaths from flu related illness, 90 from lightning strikes, and less than 10 from snakes.

 

Maybe more people need to develop a phobia of cars.

[Dan South]

Originally posted by Lee Flier:

Yeah... and you're certainly right about the auto accidents... we average 42,000 auto fatalities a year in the U.S. ALONE... vs. 15,000 murders, 20,000 deaths from flu related illness, 90 from lightning strikes, and less than 10 from snakes.

 

Maybe more people need to develop a phobia of cars.

Oh, my God! I just saw a red BMW slithering down my street! I've never been so TERRIFIED!

 

[Super 8]

Originally posted by Lee Flier:

Oh, I had a pet tarantula as a kid.

 

Yeah, my wife digs them as well. She's also big into herps, which she studied in college. Not really snakes much, but she loves geckos and that kind of thing. I have no objections to geckos at all....she could have a gila monster for all I care, but I don't do spiders, hissing cockroaches, and I'm not terribly fond of the meal worms either. It's a pretty deep-seated fear. way too creepy-crawly for me.

 

But have they even tried? People seem to get this impression that if an animal can bite, it will..

Well, I've had a few take a swipe at me, and just out of reflex I pulled away. But I was under the impression that a snake like a garter could not actually break skin or cause pain.

 

Any time I've picked up a snake it's not the slightest bit interested in biting me. I'm gentle with it and don't make sudden moves or just grab it.

Well, most of the snakes I find have just narrowly avoided being mulched by my mower , so they don't tend to be in the best of moods when I find them.

 

 

My aforementioned pet tarantula also had several opportunities to bite me, that is, I wouldn't have blamed her if she had.

 

She was probably scared and could easily have sunk the fangs in at least deep enough to break the skin, but she didn't. She just put them out enough to get some traction and keep herself from falling.

Well, that's very commendable of your tarantula to treat you with such respect.

I realize you are trying to un-evil-fy these animals, and that's cool. Most of the fear we have of them are irrational.

 

As far as biting and attacking are concerned. Yeah, I think MOST won't bite unless provoked. But I also believe there is much truth in the saying that; "If your pet were only large enough, you would be it's next meal".

I don't think anyone's pet snake or spider actually holds any sort of concern or respect for it's owner.

When it comes to pets, I don't think you can top a good dog, or a lap cat.

[Lee Flier]

Well, dogs and cats have fangs too. And, while you probably won't believe me, I have two cats, and my pet tarantula was not too much different in behavior from my cats. They (tarantulas) are very intelligent creatures. Mine would actually come when I called her, IF she felt like it - much like a cat. If she didn't want to go back in her terrarium, she would pull some clever stunt like hiding under the bed. Much like a cat. Most of the time she was happy just sitting on my shoulder and going wherever I went. I could also put her in the palm of my hand and hold her up close to my face and she'd pat my nose. I could never say in all honesty that she didn't have any special concern for me.

 

Snakes, I can't say any of the ones I had as a kid really showed any special concern toward me, but I don't think it's really necessary that they do - the point is they had no animosity or fear toward me either. They put up with me picking them up and playing with them, and didn't seem to mind, since I never mistreated them. I just don't think that aggressiveness comes naturally to most animals unless you are either a species that they eat, or they feel you're threatening them or their young or other family. Only other exceptions are if they're sick. In general I find their behavior much more consistent and understandable than humans.

 

I do draw the line at cockroaches though, especially the hissing kind.

[Super 8]

Originally posted by Lee Flier:

I could also put her in the palm of my hand and hold her up close to my face and she'd pat my nose.

Oh gawd.... That's way past what I could do. I'm gonna have bad dreams now.

Lee, you sho be one freaky chic.

 

I do draw the line at cockroaches though, especially the hissing kind.

Okay, NOW you have my attention! After putting a giant spider's pedipalps on your face, how could a giant hissing cockroach possibly be too much for you????

 

http://www.zaxpax.com/ebay/posters/soldposters/tarantula.jpg