Will a black rat snake bite?

[ZARA]

Yeah, it didn't hurt. It just stung a bit, no more than catching yourself on some thorns, maybe less.

I'll take your word on the squirrel! Most bite pain I've ever felt is dog or human.

I've been bit by a human and a dog, scars from the dog bite, but the squirrel still wins hands down. Let me put it this way, I have been stabbed in the hand with an ice pick from playing chicken, the squirrel bite made the ice pick feel like a scratch in comparison. I don't know if the lil chit hit a nerve cluster or what, but OMG insta-pain.

Never been bit by a horse and since it's mouth is bigger than a burmeses, and I don't want to be bit by a burmese, I REALLY don't want to be bit by a horse!

 

[ZARA]

Why do guys want to pick up snakes? To me they are like any other outdoor creature - squirrel, vole, raccoon, spider, and I feel no compulsion to bother them or make friends.

That's a real question: why do guys want to pick up snakes?

Easy- they don't carry rabies.

LMAO Poor Vrai is probably scratching her head.

 

[Pete]

Why do guys want to pick up snakes? To me they are like any other outdoor creature - squirrel, vole, raccoon, spider, and I feel no compulsion to bother them or make friends.

That's a real question: why do guys want to pick up snakes?

Chicks dig it

 

[Larry Gude]

That's a real question: why do guys want to pick up snakes?

Because they are interesting.

They catch our interest. As does climbing mountains and trees. As does hunting and fishing. As does internal combustion, going faster, stronger, quicker. As does birds and flight.

How things work, what they do, taking things apart, curiosity.

I see a snake and the first thing I am compelled to do is go check it out. Then, touch it, mess with it, pick it up. I good sized snake wrapped around your arm, squeezing, is pretty cool. I picked up a tarantula at Dougs last time I was there. THAT was cool.


:shrug:

 

[Larry Gude]

Easy- they don't carry rabies.

.

Actually, my first thought was "####! Now I gotta go get rabies shots!" It took me a moment to re-process what I already knew; cold blooded (snakes)= no rabies.

 

[Larry Gude]

I REALLY don't want to be bit by a horse!

FWIW, Horse lets go right away. I think of it more as a nip than an actual bite.

 

[Gilligan]

Why do guys want to pick up snakes?

Because they respond more positively to our better pickup lines??

 

[Gilligan]

FWIW, Horse lets go right away. I think of it more as a nip than an actual bite.

There is a nip and then there is a bite. A true horse bite will crush the fold of skin and muscle they've latched on to and, even after the excruciating pain subsides, they leave a remarkably ugly set of teeth marks and bruises behind and it can take a long time to heal, depending on how much muscle they got in the bite.

 

[RoseRed]

Chicks dig it

I guess I'm not a chick. Hmmm... who knew. :shrug:

 

[glhs837]

I generally don't mess with them, but it it's a skill that might be needed, especially when you live surrounded by over 100 acres of woods. Snakes can and do end up in your space and knowing how to safely remove them can be a good thing.

 

[Foxhound]

First. Thank you Larry for another great read.

Second. Don't tell Bann, but I had to pick up and relocate a very large (2" leg span) wolf spider at her front door the other day. When she asked me what I was doing I don't remember what I said, "nothing" or "Don't ask" I think. Had it not been for the fact we were on our way to do something I am sure I would have taken some time to appreciate it before releasing it into the garden.

I have been a typical male in that spiders, snakes, frogs, and the like, have always found my interest. I find nature full of wonders, amazement, and beauty. I also find a desire to "master" nature. Which I guess is also one of the seasons why we, (men), have to pick up creepy crawlies.

 

[ZARA]

spiders, snakes, frogs, and the like, have always found my interest. I find nature full of wonders, amazement, and beauty. I also find a desire to "master" nature.

It's not only men that enjoys the simplest things in life.

 

[desertrat]

Why do guys want to pick up snakes? To me they are like any other outdoor creature - squirrel, vole, raccoon, spider, and I feel no compulsion to bother them or make friends.

That's a real question: why do guys want to pick up snakes?

Because they are there.

Because they are interesting.

They catch our interest. As does climbing mountains and trees. As does hunting and fishing. As does internal combustion, going faster, stronger, quicker. As does birds and flight.

How things work, what they do, taking things apart, curiosity.

I see a snake and the first thing I am compelled to do is go check it out. Then, touch it, mess with it, pick it up. I good sized snake wrapped around your arm, squeezing, is pretty cool. I picked up a tarantula at Dougs last time I was there. THAT was cool.


:shrug:

Letting a tarantula you just ran across crawl up your bare arm, even though against your instincts, is an interesting experience. You know you are probably safe as can be, but it just feels wrong. What's even cooler is when a VW van with some stoned hippie types happens to drive up and see what these guys are up to. Then one stoned chick sees the tarantula on your arm and totally freaks! She started to run off into the desert, but luckily remembered the jumping cactus all over. So she jumped back in the van still screaming. Made my entire weekend.

 

[Larry Gude]

Letting a tarantula you just ran across crawl up your bare arm, even though against your instincts, is an interesting experience. You know you are probably safe as can be, but it just feels wrong. What's even cooler is when a VW van with some stoned hippie types happens to drive up and see what these guys are up to. Then one stoned chick sees the tarantula on your arm and totally freaks! She started to run off into the desert, but luckily remembered the jumping cactus all over. So she jumped back in the van still screaming. Made my entire weekend.

That would have made my YEAR.

:

 

[Larry Gude]

There is a nip and then there is a bite. A true horse bite will crush the fold of skin and muscle they've latched on to and, even after the excruciating pain subsides, they leave a remarkably ugly set of teeth marks and bruises behind and it can take a long time to heal, depending on how much muscle they got in the bite.

Well, then, in that case, I ain't been horsey bit just yet!

 

[Hessian]

Visit to the kitchen

so we had (!) a 1 inch hole in the plaster of our Kitchen ceiling...

until two days ago when I looked down to see flakes of plaster on the counter.
Looking up, I come face to face with a Black snake who had pushed through the hole and was 8 inches from my face. (Ie Indiana Jones & Egyptian Temple scene)...yeah, un-nerving.

He(she?) was not interested in dropping into the bag I offered, nor the 5 gallon pail. Nor could the 4 foot long specimen retreat back up into the hole. So, after finally dropping to the floor, I kept him (her) from racing under the furniture & threw them in the bucket which still could NOT contain this serpent.

Two quick light tosses put it on the front step and the final toss sent him(her) into the shrubs...after getting a light bite for my free flying lessons.

I hope they take out the mice/ voles/moles & camel crickets...but do NOT want a return visit in the house.

Who repairs plaster ceilings?

 

[Larry Gude]

I generally don't mess with them, but it it's a skill that might be needed, especially when you live surrounded by over 100 acres of woods. Snakes can and do end up in your space and knowing how to safely remove them can be a good thing.

I see a big, fat black or rat and, first thing I think is, "Good. Vermin Patrol on duty".

 

[Larry Gude]

First. Thank you Larry for another great read.

Second. Don't tell Bann, but I had to pick up and relocate a very large (2" leg span) wolf spider at her front door the other day. When she asked me what I was doing I don't remember what I said, "nothing" or "Don't ask" I think. Had it not been for the fact we were on our way to do something I am sure I would have taken some time to appreciate it before releasing it into the garden.

I have been a typical male in that spiders, snakes, frogs, and the like, have always found my interest. I find nature full of wonders, amazement, and beauty. I also find a desire to "master" nature. Which I guess is also one of the seasons why we, (men), have to pick up creepy crawlies.

I love that. When we want them to ask we say "You don't wanna know..."

 

[RoseRed]

so we had (!) a 1 inch hole in the plaster of our Kitchen ceiling...

until two days ago when I looked down to see flakes of plaster on the counter.
Looking up, I come face to face with a Black snake who had pushed through the hole and was 8 inches from my face. (Ie Indiana Jones & Egyptian Temple scene)...yeah, un-nerving.

He(she?) was not interested in dropping into the bag I offered, nor the 5 gallon pail. Nor could the 4 foot long specimen retreat back up into the hole. So, after finally dropping to the floor, I kept him (her) from racing under the furniture & threw them in the bucket which still could NOT contain this serpent.

Two quick light tosses put it on the front step and the final toss sent him(her) into the shrubs...after getting a light bite for my free flying lessons.

I hope they take out the mice/ voles/moles & camel crickets...but do NOT want a return visit in the house.

Who repairs plaster ceilings?

You just gave me the vapors!

 

[Larry Gude]

You just gave me the vapors!

What's really cool is going through the basement and finding skins wrapped around everything. You find like 30 foot of one and it's missing the head end so, you really don't know how big he was. Is. It's like well, you know he WAS there. Now, is he STILL there and, if so, where and, if not...where? Wires, pipes, everything, every crawl space, hidey hole...every...where...