Pygmy Rattlesnakes

[Tom at BV]

When I posted my message about two stepper snakes (by a local). I did it with a chuckle & tounge in cheek message. I know Pygmy Rattlesnakes don't climb trees. The local probably wanted us to go home & scare the wife. Wife now has lots of big brimed hats. Guess I should tip the locals a little better than 15% in So-Wal.

 

[Franny]

Info on pygmy rattlesnakes

http://www.herpsofnc.org/herps_of_NC/snakes/Sis_mil.html

Oh my gosh!! That is the snake that was on my screened back porch last week!! The red one!! Well at least we know now, but I'm not going back there!

 

[InletBchDweller]

Just read this thread, Have quite a story about pygmies.....

My daughter (little IBD) was bitten by a pygmy rattler when she was 3. She was at my moms house over by camp creek golf course. Got her to Hospital in PC, Sacred heart did not have or did not have enough anti-venom at the time. We ended up not needing any of it at all....she was in the Hospital for 1 week. She lost the very tip end of her middle left finger. After some reconstructive surgery she is ok. Finger is a little altered. She thought the snake was "cute" b/c it was so small and so she bent down to the snake to show it her toy...so tell your youngsters that it is not a toy...We have also seen pygmys here in Inlet as well .They do blend in with nature very well and being small makes them more dangerous b/c you can not see them as well...

 

[KISH7374]

I just heard a story about the scorpions. My neighbor across the street recieved a planted cactus from her neice in Arizona. It was about 8 inches high and 3 or 4 inches around. my neighbor's daughter and my neighbor were admiring the cactus yesterday when it began to vibrate and shake. They immediatly called the florist to fing out what they could tell them. The florist told them go get out of the house as soon as possible and the florist would call an exterminator. It seems the cactus was loaded with scorpion eggs and they were statring to hatch. By the time the exterminator arrived the cactus had exploded and the little scorpions were all over the house. They will not be able to get back into the house until tomorrow. I have never heard of this and especially not up north.

 

[Rita]

I just heard a story about the scorpions. My neighbor across the street recieved a planted cactus from her neice in Arizona. It was about 8 inches high and 3 or 4 inches around. my neighbor's daughter and my neighbor were admiring the cactus yesterday when it began to vibrate and shake. They immediatly called the florist to fing out what they could tell them. The florist told them go get out of the house as soon as possible and the florist would call an exterminator. It seems the cactus was loaded with scorpion eggs and they were statring to hatch. By the time the exterminator arrived the cactus had exploded and the little scorpions were all over the house. They will not be able to get back into the house until tomorrow. I have never heard of this and especially not up north.

Wow, KISH - What an interesting story!


.

 

[KISH7374]

Really sounds like it could have been one of those urban myths. If I hadn't seen it myself I would not have believed it. I spoke to a cousin out in Las Vegas and he said that the scorpions burrow into the cactus to lay their eggs because it is cool and when they hatch they have some water and food to live on.

 

[Smiling JOe]

I just heard a story about the scorpions. My neighbor across the street recieved a planted cactus from her neice in Arizona. It was about 8 inches high and 3 or 4 inches around. my neighbor's daughter and my neighbor were admiring the cactus yesterday when it began to vibrate and shake. They immediatly called the florist to fing out what they could tell them. The florist told them go get out of the house as soon as possible and the florist would call an exterminator. It seems the cactus was loaded with scorpion eggs and they were statring to hatch. By the time the exterminator arrived the cactus had exploded and the little scorpions were all over the house. They will not be able to get back into the house until tomorrow. I have never heard of this and especially not up north.

I am calling BS on this one since I read this in an email over a year ago, almost word for word.

Who knows the name of the site for searching internet myths?

Edit: Sorry, I am incorrect. The story was almost identical. In my email, the scorpions were tarantulas. Here is a link to the stories on snopes.com

A shorter version:
[font=Arial,Verdana]My cousin claims that she knew a women, through a close friend, who had been vacationing in Arizona. She decided to dig up a cactus to take home with her. When she arrived home she potted her new cactus and placed it in her living room. She was admiring it one morning only to find that the cactus was "breathing". Puzzled, the women called the local branch of the Dept of Agriculture in her area. She was told to shut all windows and doors and get out of the house immediately. It turns out the cactus had baby tarantulas inside and burst open just a few moments after the women escaped unharmed.[/font]

 

[KISH7374]

Hey, what can I tell you SJ. My wife was there when the exterminator arrived and I was there when they were cleaning out the house.

 

[Smiling JOe]

Hey, what can I tell you SJ. My wife was there when the exterminator arrived and I was there when they were cleaning out the house.

If your wife witnessed it, that is good enough for me. Isn't it crazy/wierd how close the two stories are?

I guess there is good reason in some of the laws preventing the importing of plants/produce/and animals.

 

[steele mama]

Just read this thread, Have quite a story about pygmies.....

My daughter (little IBD) was bitten by a pygmy rattler when she was 3. She was at my moms house over by camp creek golf course. Got her to Hospital in PC, Sacred heart did not have or did not have enough anti-venom at the time. We ended up not needing any of it at all....she was in the Hospital for 1 week. She lost the very tip end of her middle left finger. After some reconstructive surgery she is ok. Finger is a little altered. She thought the snake was "cute" b/c it was so small and so she bent down to the snake to show it her toy...so tell your youngsters that it is not a toy...We have also seen pygmys here in Inlet as well .They do blend in with nature very well and being small makes them more dangerous b/c you can not see them as well...

That is very scary! In all my 52 years at Grayton, I have never seen or heard tell of the Pygmy's until this thread. I guess we have been fortunate! I have seen several other critters but not that one. As adventursome as I was when I was little, I'm surprised I didn't get bitten. Actually, I'm surprised I survived at all.:shock: