A knot of rat snakes

[Baroque Brass]

I’ve seen a lot of firsts since moving to South Georgia, and this is another one. Never seen snakes mating. I guess love is in the air, even for snakes.

 

[NCHillbilly]

Those are black racers, not rat snakes, but that's pretty durn cool.

 

[Baroque Brass]

Those are black racers, not rat snakes, but that's pretty durn cool.

A friend also said that, I don’t know how to tell the difference.

 

[fireman32]

Haven’t seen a group this year, but almost just stepped on this friendly fellow.

 

[Ruger#3]

Haven’t seen a group this year, but almost just stepped on this friendly fellow.View attachment 1224476

That’s a beauty!

 

[Jeff C.]

A friend also said that, I don’t know how to tell the difference.

Try to catch a racer and then you'll know the difference.

 

[Nicodemus]

Try to catch a racer and then you'll know the difference.

And if you do catch you better hold it right. Otherwise it will bite you six ways from Sunday. And they can have a nasty temper.

 

[Jeff C.]

They don't play well with others that's for sure. If you do catch up to one they will sure give you that look and let you know quick.

 

[Toliver]

And if you do catch you better hold it right. Otherwise it will bite you six ways from Sunday. And they can have a nasty temper.

A black racer is one of the few middle Georgia snakes I haven't caught and played with. Out of those, king snakes have been the grumpiest and one of them was the only snake that ever drew blood from me. Are racers more ill tempered than that?

I guess to be fair, it had just been fighting with a rattlesnake that somehow managed to escape so I guess it was more hangry than anything.

 

[Nicodemus]

A black racer is one of the few middle Georgia snakes I haven't caught and played with. Out of those, king snakes have been the grumpiest and one of them was the only snake that ever drew blood from me. Are racers more ill tempered than that?

I guess to be fair, it had just been fighting with a rattlesnake that somehow managed to escape so I guess it was more hangry than anything.

Yes, they`re more short tempered than a king. They can be compared to the water snake family in terms of disposition. Here`s what a four footer did to me when I relaxed my hold on it as I was carrying it to the field. And then I had to use the tweezers to pull all those needle teeth out.

 

[Jeff C.]

I haven't had the oppotunity to get my hands on a Racer yet, they are hard to catch once they feel threatened. I can tell you this I've been close enought to one that they don't take to kindly to being walked up on though. Kings I've caught on many occasions have only hit me maybe twice in many interactions with them. Might have caught them in a more docile situation too. The few racers I've encountered don't seem to have much docile in them.

The rat snakes around my homeplace seem quite docile in my experience, except one. He was a big boy for a Rat snake.

 

[Jeff C.]

Good little video on a small Black racer. This guy cements what Nic is talking about as far as handling them.

 

[fireman32]

I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again. Snakes are cool, and I let them all live with very little exception. They are beneficial and their patterns are remarkable. They make the woods more interesting knowing they’re out there and might get you, but I am not gonna handle them.

 

[Jeff C.]

I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again. Snakes are cool, and I let them all live with very little exception. They are beneficial and their patterns are remarkable. They make the woods more interesting knowing they’re out there and might get you, but I am not gonna handle them.

I understand that, but I became interested in them when I was a kid.

This little guy was just as friendly as could be sliding along a cattle panel fence panel in my back yard I put up for dogs if I had leave them for a significant time. It was mostly for an emergency type situation mostly if we were going to bevgone overnight or something unexpected.

It was really cool watching navigat that top wire.

 

[Silver Britches]

I understand that, but I became interested in them when I was a kid.

This little guy was just as friendly as could be sliding along a cattle panel fence panel in my back yard I put up for dogs if I had leave them for a significant time. It was mostly for an emergency type situation mostly if we were going to bevgone overnight or something unexpected.

It was really cool watching navigat that top wire.View attachment 1224557View attachment 1224558

That’s the extremely dangerous southern green mamba. That cat in my avatar used to catch and play with them. She never killed them, or even harmed them. She could be outside laying somewhere, all of a sudden she’d perk up and stare at something, and off she’d go. I don’t know how in the world she could hear that snake that far away, but I’ve saw her do that many times. Same with lizards, except most times them lizards didn’t make it. I miss that knucklehead.

 

[Baroque Brass]

I don’t attempt to handle snakes, I just can’t bring myself to do it. I’d just as soon not find them near the house because my wife would totally freak out if she saw one and want me to kill it. I don’t believe in killing snakes just because they’re snakes, but if it’s a venomous snake at or near the house he’ll have to go. I worry about my dogs being bitten.

 

[Jeff C.]

I don’t attempt to handle snakes, I just can’t bring myself to do it. I’d just as soon not find them near the house because my wife would totally freak out if she saw one and want me to kill it. I don’t believe in killing snakes just because they’re snakes, but if it’s a venomous snake at or near the house he’ll have to go. I worry about my dogs being bitten.

I can relate to that, mine gets real curious and often alerts me that there’s a snake on the prowl. A deep gutteral bark(different than others) comes out and I instantly think, snake. It usually is too. He doesn’t get into striking distance usually and I can get him to stand down for the most part.

 

[Nicodemus]

Last year I gave Samantha an education in snakes, the hard way. When it clamped down on the end of her nose and held on it wasn`t pleasant at all, but it ain`t supposed to be. Now she won`t even get close to one but will alert me when she finds one. Between home and the cabin we have every venomous types in the South and I don`t want to lose this dog.

 

[gobbleinwoods]

Last year I gave Samantha an education in snakes, the hard way. When it clamped down on the end of her nose and held on it wasn`t pleasant at all, but it ain`t supposed to be. Now she won`t even get close to one but will alert me when she finds one. Between home and the cabin we have every venomous types in the South and I don`t want to lose this dog.


View attachment 1224602

Did you have to pick the teeth out of the nose?

 

[Nicodemus]

Did you have to pick the teeth out of the nose?

Yep. She didn`t like that either. Well worth it though.