Pygmy Rattlesnakes

We've also got Copperheads in the area.....yech.

I was in my traditional shorts/flip flops in May, when I turned on the water faucet at the side of my house. A few minutes later, I happened to look over at the faucet and there was an adult copperhead all curled up in a striking position. I must have reached across him when I turned on the water! I then promptly dispatched him with my trusty pick-ax via a center body strike.

Upon further evaluation, it became evident that the only reason that he didn't strike was due to the fact that he had recently consumed a mouse and was rather full.

I thought that I had left those critters when I moved from the mid-west!

We've also got Copperheads in the area.....yech.

I was in my traditional shorts/flip flops in May, when I turned on the water faucet at the side of my house. A few minutes later, I happened to look over at the faucet and there was an adult copperhead all curled up in a striking position. I must have reached across him when I turned on the water! I then promptly dispatched him with my trusty pick-ax via a center body strike.

Upon further evaluation, it became evident that the only reason that he didn't strike was due to the fact that he had recently consumed a mouse and was rather full.

I thought that I had left those critters when I moved from the mid-west!

From the UF site:
In Florida, this snake occurs only in the panhandle, primarily along the Apalachicola River and its tributaries, and then in the western tip of the panhandle. The FLMNH has specimens in its collections from Jackson, Liberty, Gadsden, Calhoun, Gulf, and Escambia counties. The range might extend to other nearby areas, but there are no confirmed Florida records from outside these counties. Outside Florida, the species ranges north to Massachusetts, and west to Texas and southeastern Nebraska.
As an avid herpetologist, I have never heard of or seen a copperhead in these parts, nor can I find any documentation of such. The range may extnend to the most northern parts of our county. Not sure where you are located. It is easy to incorrectly ID a snake if you aren't familiar with them, especially when that adreneline gets flowing .

From the UF site:
In Florida, this snake occurs only in the panhandle, primarily along the Apalachicola River and its tributaries, and then in the western tip of the panhandle. The FLMNH has specimens in its collections from Jackson, Liberty, Gadsden, Calhoun, Gulf, and Escambia counties. The range might extend to other nearby areas, but there are no confirmed Florida records from outside these counties. Outside Florida, the species ranges north to Massachusetts, and west to Texas and southeastern Nebraska.
As an avid herpetologist, I have never heard of or seen a copperhead in these parts, nor can I find any documentation of such. The range may extnend to the most northern parts of our county. Not sure where you are located. It is easy to incorrectly ID a snake if you aren't familiar with them, especially when that adreneline gets flowing .

No offense, but I grew up around and have killed several copperheads. This was a copperhead. I should have taken a couple of pics. I've seen a few pygmy rattlers and a black snake or two around here, but this was the first copperhead. Size was about 2 1/2 ft.

My location is in BMB on Kingfish Street, just off of 30-A.

Sorry to hear about that. Yes, snakes can bite, but do so only in defense. Maybe you should leave the relocating to the professionals (SJ & myself )

Yes, I would never try to relocate them.
Sorry but in my yard it is off with their head, unless it is non-poisonous....

No offense, but I grew up around and have killed several copperheads. This was a copperhead. I should have taken a couple of pics. I've seen a few pygmy rattlers and a black snake or two around here, but this was the first copperhead. Size was about 2 1/2 ft.

My location is in BMB on Kingfish Street, just off of 30-A.

You're right, you should have taken pictures. I'd love to see a southern copperhead that far out of range, but I'd prefer to see it alive.

Well, as they say....if there is one, there are probably two! I'll take pics next time (hopefully there won't be a next time!) I also don't mind seeing them alive either.....as long as it isn't in my yard where my family and pets play.....

I blame my neighbor for my experience anyway.....His wife "forced" him to kill a black racer a few weeks prior. Therefore our neighborhood "guardian" ceased to exist and the "gangs" have now come in.....

SOS!!!!!!!!!!!
Save Our Snakes!!!!

As an avid herpetologist, I have never heard of or seen a copperhead in these parts, nor can I find any documentation of such. The range may extnend to the most northern parts of our county. Not sure where you are located.

Oh yea.. they are here. I have seen LIVE ones in my area on 3 different occasions. I live close to the bay off Bay drive.

I think I like this jodiFL character.

Oh yea.. they are here. I have seen LIVE ones in my area on 3 different occasions. I live close to the bay off Bay drive.

I'd LOVE to see these 'copperheads'. I suspect they are corn or red rat snakes, fox snakes, watersnakes, or possibly juvenile cottonmouths. Can you describe these 'copperheads'.
I live in the same area, and have for several years. I bike and run the trails through the state forrest. Have come accross pigmeys, eastern diamondbacks, corn snakes, racers, indigos, scarlet kings, pine snakes, hognose snakes, water snakes and cottonmouths. Still no copperheads.
Keep that camera handy

I will attempt to get you a pic of one. I identified the ones I saw through my "always-with-me little green book" (Audubon Society Field guide). While the markings on them are not as distinct as those shown in the book they are the same in pattern and placement. I attributed this to the light sand color in the area I saw them in.They definitely had the "pit" but moved quite rapidly away from me when approached. (not that I minded after I noticed the pit) Most of the rat snakes I have seen are "banded" while the markings of the copperheads stopped at the lower side.I also noticed NO markings on the head of these snakes, they were all one color
Also the only Cottonmouths I ever see are solid black with an almost yellow stripe on the side of the head.

I will attempt to get you a pic of one. I identified the ones I saw through my "always-with-me little green book" (Audubon Society Field guide). While the markings on them are not as distinct as those shown in the book they are the same in pattern and placement. I attributed this to the light sand color in the area I saw them in.They definitely had the "pit" but moved quite rapidly away from me when approached. (not that I minded after I noticed the pit) Most of the rat snakes I have seen are "banded" while the markings of the copperheads stopped at the lower side.I also noticed NO markings on the head of these snakes, they were all one color

Did they look anything like these?

Grace,

Those look like cottonmouths to me?

The copperhead i have seen has markings like the one on the left but were a lighter color like the ones on the right. And most moccasins I have seen look like the last pic

Grace,

Those look like cottonmouths to me?

Me too

:funn:

Funny I should stumble upon this thread today. Was at a friends sitting by the pool last night, lights on in the pool. And there it was, a pygmy (sp?) rattler takin a dip. Had to herd the kids and dogs into the house, while the men dealt with it. Of course they were bullet proof after all the beverages they'd had that day :roll:

I was a lifeguard for many years, mostly in Georgia, and lived in fear of taking the lid off the skimmers. (Sssshiver...)

Pictures of juvenile cottonmouth I relocated out of my garden back in June. (one of two in as many weeks) Even with all of the poking and proding, not a single strike or aggressive posture. No need to kill. Just leave them alone and they'll do the same.

Sorry to hear about that. Yes, snakes can bite, but do so only in defense. Maybe you should leave the relocating to the professionals (SJ & myself )

I've been a landscape professional, mostly in Georgia, for the last 13 years. I worked at a camp in Jasper, Georgia that was literally infested with copperheads and rattlers. Those copperheads were aggressive. I had more than one come after me. At one point I was on a sidewalk in front of a building, and the snake came around from the back, straight toward me. I was barefooted that evening, so I was backpedaling and climbing the porch railings as fast as I could. I was joined by another adult, and the snake was determined to show us who was boss. I was able to jump the rail and run for a shovel, and the snake never gave any indication that it was willing to run.

At the same camp, I used to throw tantrums when the maintenance guys killed my black snakes. The black snakes (mostly king snakes, I believe) made every effort to stay out of our way, and I particularly loved that they are territorial. The rattlers weren't aggressive, either. In fact, I never saw one myself.

The copperhead i have seen has markings like the one on the left but were a lighter color like the ones on the right. And most moccasins I have seen look like the last pic

When I was visiting Hop a couple of months ago, he ran over what he thought was a moccasin. A passer-by told us that the copperheads and cottonmouths are closely related. I didn't realize that, but Googling confirmed it...

FOR THE RECORD: Even though my practice is to kill a venomous snake rather than risk being bitten by it later, it has never brought me any joy to kill anything. I usually leave that battle to the blacksnakes and my cat. I have nothing but respect for the likes of SJ and Grace for their mercy.

This is a cottonmouh not a pygmy rattler

At one point I was on a sidewalk in front of a building, and the snake came around from the back, straight toward me. I was barefooted that evening, so I was backpedaling and climbing the porch railings as fast as I could. I was joined by another adult, and the snake was determined to show us who was boss. I was able to jump the rail and run for a shovel, and the snake never gave any indication that it was willing to run.

At the same camp, I used to throw tantrums when the maintenance guys killed my black snakes. The black snakes (mostly king snakes, I believe) made every effort to stay out of our way, and I particularly loved that they are territorial. The rattlers weren't aggressive, either. In fact, I never saw one myself.

:leaving:

I have a black snake that lives in my yard. Doesn't have an angled head and seems docile enough. I swear it seems like we have had this snake for a couple years now - and it is bigger each year. Hopefully it keeps everything else away.

But I did have a funky colored short snake living between the space of the backdoor and the door jam. I think I may have screamed more like a little girl that day - than any other day of my life. Looking back it is funny.

The 2 top pics in my post are of copperheads. The ones I have seen around here look more like the one on the right and were probably about 3'. But I saw one that was smaller had a greenish/yellow part on its tail, which I read in my handy field guide indicated a juvenile.
The bottom pic is of a cottonmouth/moccasin. I rarely see ones that are brown/tan-ish. Most of the ones I see are very dark,almost black and have a yellowish stripe on the side of the head.Also seem short and fat, never more than 3'. I have been told that they get darker as they get older so the retirement community for water moccasins must be in my neighborhood.

I am deathly terrified of snakes, hate them all (sorry) but I keep returning to this thread. I guess I'm a glutton for punishment.

When I was growing up in S. Ala., we had woods all around our property so we had our share of rattlesnakes (I always managed to "rake" across one while I was raking) and also moccasins in the river where we skied. We even went to the Rattlesnake Rodeo in Opp some years. (very nightmarish)

But PLEASE tell me that there are no snakes ON the beach! I just never thought there would be snakes slithering along the beautiful white, pristine sand!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There are no snakes on the beach, right????

(I'm gonna have nightmares tonight.)

So, I looked through my handy-dandy-always-within-close-reach, [ame="http://www.amazon.com/National-Audubon-Society-Field-Florida/dp/067944677X/ref=sr_1_1/103-5373178-7459800?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1186376491&sr=1-1"]National Audubon Society Field Guide to Florida[/ame], and, interestingly, the Copperhead is not even listed in it. The four poisonous snakes listed are the Cottonmouth, Pygmy Rattlesnake, Southeastern Diamondback, and Coral Snake. I know that we had Copperheads in north Georgia, because I've found them, but I've never personally seen any Copperheads from middle GA farther south, and I've spent many years roaming the woods and creek and river banks of south Georgia. (I'm not saying that they haven't migrated.)

But PLEASE tell me that there are no snakes ON the beach! I just never thought there would be snakes slithering along the beautiful white, pristine sand!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There are no snakes on the beach, right????

(I'm gonna have nightmares tonight.)

Haven't seen any on the actual low lying beach, and most snakes enjoy their camouflage too much, to leave it all behind for a crawl down to the beach. The short version is that the snakes follow the food source.

Remember to use that word, "never," very carefully. It gets many people into trouble. Maybe you recall the story of the American Alligator coming onto the beach in Sandestin a couple of years ago. It was described as being about 10 ft in length. People chased it back into the Gulf, and followed it for a long way down the shore, before it disappeared, not to be seen again by those people. (Alligators are fresh water animals, but mating season kind of stirs things up a bit.)

Grace,

Those look like cottonmouths to me?

They are florida cottonmouths. I'm guessing the 'copperheads' are actually juvenile cottonmouths.
Anything is possible. I'll believe it when I see it.

Y'all have me looking up snakes now. I don't like snakes.

However, it's interesting. I found some good pictures:
http://images.google.com/imgres?img...svnum=10&um=1&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&sa=N

Notice that the juvenile cottonmouths and juvenile copperheads look a whole lot alike...

We have seen several pygmy's at the Shark's Tooth golf course. Even saw one exiting a crack in the wall of the clubhouse. Nature is all around us--sometimes just too much around.

We have seen several pygmy's at the Shark's Tooth golf course. Even saw one exiting a crack in the wall of the clubhouse. Nature is all around us--sometimes just too much around.

When I read things like this, it makes me glad I'm not living down south anymore! :shock: