Snake Season?
Category: Local... Nature...
Posted Thursday, May 17, 2007 at 09:05 AM [GMT-6]

[Warning to Beth: As the post title implies, here there be snakes. Proceed with caution.]

With all the rain we've been getting (it's coming down steadily again this morning), it's a wonder that we're not seeing an influx of water moccasins, to go along with our other abundant imported fauna – squirrels, killers bees and, yes, even fire ants.

I've got snakes on my mind thanks to this article in today's local newspaper in which "officials" provide us with some tips for dealing with the emerging snake population (provided that summer does actually arrive this year). [One of the "officials" quoted in the article, Dr. Mark Miller, happens to be Abbye's veterinarian.]

The article contains the usual advice for avoiding rattlesnakes (back away slowly, don't meet their gaze, try not to scream like a little girl, etc.) and for treating snakebite after you inevitably forget or ignore said advice (don't cut or suck on the wound, amputate only above the wound, try not to scream like a little girl, etc.). It's all good advice – as is the idea of getting your dog vaccinated if it's going to be out and about in snake country – although it inexplicably omitted the value of carrying a .45 with snake loads (I confess to having never met anyone who, upon being surprised by a rattlesnake, can actually muster the aiming accuracy to shoot it, snake loads or not; beating it to death with the butt of a shotgun seems to be a more effective defense).

What caught my eye, however, is the local Animal Control director's reference to the poisonous snakes we deal with in this region, like coral snakes, rattlesnakes and Texas night snakes. Say what? "Texas night snakes"?

Everyone knows there are only four species of poisonous snakes in North America: coral snakes (which have to chew on you for a while to inject any venom), rattlers (our rep of choice, locally), the afore-mentioned moccasin (a nastier-tempered snake you'll be hard pressed to find), and the rattler-wannabe, the copperhead (which will jiggle its tail in dry leaves as a manifestation of rattle-envy). So, where does the Texas night snake come in?

According to this article from a UT-sponsored website, Hypsiglena torquata jani is actually classified as non-venomous, but like many herps, it's "mildly venomous" to its prey. In other words, if you're a field mouse or toad, its bite may inject enough poison to render you inert while it carries out its naturally nefarious instincts, but humans are not in any danger from the bite (well, except for gangrene from its dirty mouth, and other such minor irritants).

Interestingly, on the habitat map provided with the article, Ector and Midland counties are two of the few west Texas counties not included in the range of the species. However, snakes are notoriously poor map-readers, so I would take that with a grain of salt.

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Comments

I appreciate the specially tailored warnings, thanks!

However, this post contained some very exciting material for further thought for me. Particularly:
-The mental image of people beating snakes to death with the butts of shotguns
-The mental image of people shooting snakes
-The newly gained knowledge that there are such things as "snake loads"

Sadly, there were also items for concern:
-The idea that a coral snake has to/would want to gnaw on you.
-The knowledge that moccasins, which are sadly the varmits most likely to be found in this neck of the woods (well, and copperheads), are meaner than rattlers. I didn't know they got meaner than that.

Finally, there was one gross misrepresentation that does your readers a disservice, and that is the attempt to persuade us that screaming like a little girl is not, in fact, the EXACT response warranted by sighting of a snake.

Posted by: beth at May 17, 2007 09:23 AM

Beth, if the screaming thing works for you, feel free to let loose. Know, however, that it annoys the snake, at best, and entices it, at worst, as the sound mimics that of a jackrabbit in distress. (You didn't know that, either, did you?)

Posted by: Eric at May 17, 2007 09:39 AM

See, now that's food for thought.

What about choked up noises of stark terror, are they ok?

Posted by: beth at May 17, 2007 09:48 AM

I'd have to answer with a provisional "yes." Can you post an MP3 so we can make a more definitive call?

Posted by: Eric at May 17, 2007 09:51 AM

What if one were to implore a more mature scream? Would that work?

Posted by: Gwynne at May 17, 2007 11:07 AM

Sounds like we're heading for a scream meme. ;-)

Posted by: Eric at May 17, 2007 01:35 PM

I am more afraid of the snakes on the city council.

Posted by: jv for life at May 17, 2007 02:51 PM

Oh, gee...I'm afraid you've got this site confused with another Midland blog. ;-)

Posted by: Eric at May 17, 2007 02:56 PM

Wow. I'm thankful we normally see only the little tiny garden snakes out here, and then only occasionally. I wouldn't want to be mowing the lawn and run into anything larger than that.

When do we start the scream meme? That would be fun!

Posted by: Stephen Shores at May 17, 2007 03:48 PM

Yeah, I think my aim would be a little bit unsteady, too. However, there are people who think a .22 pistol is the right tool for the job. A hoe would be my first choice.

Posted by: Geo at May 17, 2007 03:56 PM

Stephen, it sounds worse than it is. I can count on the fingers of two hands the number of rattlers I've seen around Midland in the years I've lived here. And given how many fingers I've lost to snake bites during that time, that's not very many. ;-)

George, I'm with you. A hoe with a really long handle. (OK, truthfully, I've never been afraid of snakes, and I'd rather not kill even a rattler if I can help it. But if I had to, I'd go with the chopper.)

Posted by: Eric at May 17, 2007 04:41 PM

Yeah, but think of the stories you'd have to tell!

Posted by: Eric at May 17, 2007 06:58 PM

The husband (my hero) found a large snake (6 ft+) in our pantry and killed it with a kitchen knife. The thing that annoyed him the most was that he didn't bury it deep enough and the bird dog dug it up and killed it again. Oh how that dog hated snakes.

Posted by: Deborah at May 17, 2007 09:47 PM

Hey! That would make a great title for the sequel movie: "Snakes In A Pantry"!! It could star Rachel Ray!!! It would generate many exclamation marks!!!!

Some snakes just need killing more than once. Thankfully, we have dogs who know this.

Posted by: Eric at May 17, 2007 10:16 PM
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