Today my friend Beto and I are riding back from our state capital (Santiago de Querétaro), and I tell him I know where there is an old American school bus we might cannibalize some parts from for our church sKoolie bus (1993 Ford B700, 5.9L Cummins). So there we are poking around, and suddenly this very large "shielded cable" on the engine firewall begins to wiggle! ??? :o
Then we look under the dash by the pedals. Now I have heard of snaking a cable through the firewall before, but never thought they did it this way! ;D
Can you imagine driving down the highway, and have one of these friends slither out by the accelerator?
Hey: I am raising money for my bus. Give me a good offer, and I can send this fellow to your ex mother-in-law... ;)
Dr. Steve, central old Mexico
You can keep that feller! I actually like my Mother-In-Law.
I would have crapped my pants and then ventilated that firewall with large holes!!! I'm not a big fan of snakes.
That's pretty incredible that he looks just like a large shielded cable, though.
I doubt this feller is poisonous. But he did give us a good scare when he started wiggling!
Quote from: XE1UFO on August 18, 2010, 05:02:00 PM
I doubt this feller is poisonous. But he did give us a good scare when he started wiggling!
Poisonous or not, I'd still have crapped my pants! I don't like snakes. I've worked very hard over the years to get over my fears, but when I get startled by a snake, I start shooting things! :o
Quote from: XE1UFO
I doubt this feller is poisonous. But he did give us a good scare when he started wiggling!
Quote from: gumpy
Poisonous or not, I'd still have crapped my pants! I don't like snakes. I've worked very hard over the years to get over my fears, but when I get startled by a snake, I start shooting things! :o
I'm with you Craig, the only thing he is good for is a BELT of a start on a pair of boots! ;) (make that ANY snake!)
;D BK ;D
Coulda been worse. My son (in photo) killed this one in our garage. Jack
Jack, that poor feller was probably just looking for his mommy :o
Craig, I didn't know snakes went up that close to the north pole. :D
Thanks for sharing that XE1ufo :D
I think my computer just took a swing at that one! Only good snake is a dead one.
SNAKES ON A BUS! ;D
Allsnakes are deadly!! If they don;t hurt you, they make you hurt yourself!! I know this to be true!!
I avoid junk yards during snake season just for this reason! Im always 2nd guessing my steps and being extra cautious looking under or around my car and bus. Im a vegan, but I can absolutely do without snakes....... scary critters!!!
I dont know what I would have done in your position? Absolutely would have needed to change my clothes!!!
Jack, a 7 FOOT long snake????? OMG!!!! Look at the size of that head!!!
Carry a stick, bang around, make some noise and vibration, rattle stuff, poke with the stick, not your hand.
None of them want to mess with us, they'd rather be on their way ahead of your arrival, if you give 'em a chance.
Not my favorite critter either, I prefer to work with 'em rather than surprise 'em!
happy coaching!
buswarrior
BW,
I agree I'd rather work with them too! Like turning them into a belt, pair of boots, hat band.... ;)
;D BK ;D
Yes, a snake skin hat band for my Wallyworld straw hat would look good, tooling around on the mower...
happy coaching!
buswarrior
I'm with Gumpy, I hate snakes. We had a very large rattler over by our laundry facilities, and it was pretty good size. I just hate em period!
We have a rattlesnake roundup up every year not too far from us. They gather them up and cook em! Yuck!
Snakes are part of my religion, the good lord put everything on the earth for a reason, he put snakes here to give me something to kill and to keep me from killing son in laws.
Quote from: Dreamscape on August 19, 2010, 05:33:35 AM
I'm with Gumpy, I hate snakes. We had a very large rattler over by our laundry facilities, and it was pretty good size. I just hate em period!
We have a rattlesnake roundup up every year not too far from us. They gather them up and cook em! Yuck!
Now see there is something else they'd be good for! (and I believe that one in Jack's pic is a Diamond back rattler!)
;D BK ;D
Quote from: cody on August 19, 2010, 05:47:32 AM
Snakes are part of my religion, the good lord put everything on the earth for a reason, he put snakes here to give me something to kill and to keep me from killing son in laws.
Oh Cody I had to re-read this one at first I just scammed over it and thought you said snakes made good son in laws! ;)
;D BK ;D
Well, I've been wanting to try rattlesnake meat for some time.
I grew up in Wyoming, so rattlesnakes are not uncommon. I nearly stepped on one as I was going into the station one day after pumping gas for a customer. I think he was coming in for a cold drink.
My mother said they've had two at the station this summer, and several within the town, which is highly unusual. We didn't see any while out there.
They've told us since we moved to Minnesota that they don't come up this far (supposedly have some in the southern part of the state). However, a month ago a pastor from Teri's church was out golfing and there was a snake on the green. He asked his partner if he knew what kind of snake it was. His partner said, "Listen to it. What kind do you think it is?" :D
In this area we are supposed to have the massaugua rattler (timber rattler), I've never seen one but my grandfather said he killed one back during the depression and he had a small set of rattles in a tobacco tin, they don't get very big, only about 3 ft at the biggest unless they are directionally compromised by a good set of car tires lol. Jack has a few of the huge Eastern Diamond back rattlers in his area, now thats a major snake along with other fun species, Jack told us about a horse with a major crater in it;s flank after being nailed by one of the big ones, any snake that looks at a horse as lunch is way too much snake for me. lol
The biggest snake I ever saw was when we were doing ministry in Nicaragua. We were driving back to Managua around midnight, after a crusade. I was at the helm of a Toyota 4X4, pulling a utility trailer with about a 1,000 pounds of medicine. I crossed what I thought was a huge fire hose stretched all the way across the highway. The people in the two vehicles behind ours said it was a boa! I wonder if he cold have cleaned up Washington!
Problem with that idea is we have rules against cruel treatment of snakes, otherwise it's a great idea lol. After the pythons in florida get their full growth, they'll be a major snake too. Biggest snake we have up here is the pine snake, they get up to 6ft or so but we never see them, just garter snakes now and then, I think the mosquitos eat them.
Quote from: Busted Knuckle on August 19, 2010, 05:48:19 AM
Now see there is something else they'd be good for! (and I believe that one in Jack's pic is a Diamond back rattler!)
;D BK ;D
Yes, it was an Eastern Diamondback. Over the last 15 years, we have kiled about 7 or 8 of them at our place. If they are out in the woods or palmettos, I leave them alone, but they are not tolerated around our buildings, family, and pets.
A fellow busnuts had a python or boa about 8-9 foot get in the engine compartment of his Grand Cherokee down in the Everglades when he stopped because of the "large limb" laying on the road last winter. They think the snake was attracted to the warmth of the engine compartment. Took Park Rangers, Animal Control, and Sheriffs Deputies several hours to get it out. They found out a taser only make the snake urinate. Most South Florida LEOs are being taught how to capture boas and pythons. Jack
Here the snake to aware of is the Mojave Rattlesnake. About a month back, we had a roadrunner hanging out on the property. I liked that because they eat snakes. Last week though, a 4 foot rattlesnake started shaking at me from about 20 feet away. Even though I did appreciate his adequate warning, I started calling the roadrunner. Needless to say, it did not show up. Same old story--where are the roadrunners when you need them?
I think that if I was tasered I would be glad if I only urinated. lol
Like Lin the scariest snake here is the Mojave Green Rattlesnake, though we also have King snakes (the good ones that eat other snakes), diamond backs and probably some others too. The Mojave greens are reported by many to be extremely aggressive and the poison is extremely lethal and quick acting. My dogs were vaccinated against snake bites, but there is no vaccination for the Mojave greens. I have read that snakes can only strike half of their body length, so a 6 foot snake can only strike 3 feet away from where it is coiled. I also have read that snakes cannot climb smooth surfaces. I am wanting to do a snake proof fence which would be buried 1 foot underground (so other rodents could not burrow thru and create holes the snakes would crawl through) and have the sides of the fence at least 3 feet high and maybe made of corrugated metal put in so that the runners are vertical. The snakes around here are supposed to go into hibernation in Sept. but my brothers went shooting out in the desert one year on Cmas day with new guns and they found a nest of Mojave greens that were very active....
Well, I just got his photo from a friend. Thought you'd like to see this...
I don't know the guy, but the story is he was looking for hogs in GA with a shotgun and heard a snake rattle. Turned and fired, and this is what he got!
Craig,
I ain't to sure about the way he dresses for hunt'n hogs or snakes but I will say looks like he has a nice couple pairs of boots or maybe even a jacket right there! ;D BK ;D
my dog, a Dogo Argentino got bit by a small rattlesnake out in Acton, California. she then bit it into 3 pieces & we never did find the head... her head got pretty swollen up, but we were too far from any vet, so we washed the wound(s) with soap & water & peroxide, kept her quiet & she is still with us today! a neighbor saw the leftovers of the snake & said that he had a horse that got killed by a rattler!
I'll be that bus didn't have any mice.
Don and Cary
1973 Eagle 05
GMC 4107
Neoplan AN340
Snakes are a no no with me if it moves it is dead I don't care what type, then my darling wife will catch one and bring it to the house and say LOOK what I have she will catch a rattlesnake with a rake not me.
When we lived in Texas she would stand on a copperhead snake with her foot and then pick it up very strange women LOL
good luck
Cecil Thomas that started the old Thomas Produce with his son's over in Greensboro, NC told about working in a CCC or WPA camp building the Blue Ridge Parkway in the hills above Mt. Airy, NC after the 2nd big war...said all of a sudden the rattlesnakes were to numerous to work. Someone suggested going about 500 feet in elevation down the hills a ways and bringing in King Snakes. They did, came back a couple of weeks later and did not see any more rattlers...in fact didn't see any for years in that area!
Stopped in a Texas rest area one time when they had the Rattlesnake Round-up days going on...there were glass cages with bbiigg rattlers in them...one had a hundred dollar bill sitting on top of the cage...I asked what it was for...the guy said anyone that can put their hand on the glass, let the heat from their hand get to the snake, and when he coils and hits the glass at their hand...and not jerk back...can have the hundred dollars. Said he has had the same bill for many years!
Jack
I love snakes. I used to be scared of them but not anymore. I never knew anyone to die of snakebite but I know of 1000s of dead snakes who encountered humans. Just keepng the balance beam balanced ;D
When we travel in Mexico we often see snake skins for sale beside the road. I wouldn't have clue one what to do with one and I expect Canada Customs wouldn't let me bring it home anyway but I always think we should stop and buy some just to encourage the guys to keep on killing. I know exactly where my fear of snakes comes from - my mother. I know its irrational and baseless mainly because where I come from there's nothing more dangerous than garter snakes and not even that many of them. All that doesn't change the fact that the only place I like to see a snake is with that little round dot on the front end of a 12 gauge centred just above his miserable hide.
Less than an hour after I posted Dianne kills a snake!
JAck
My Guess - Non-venomous Mexican Black Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula nigrita)
it is a constrictor, using its powerful body to envelope and asphyxiate its prey, and therefore lacks any venom
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Black_Kingsnake (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Black_Kingsnake)
Now listen ... I am having a little trouble sleeping at night now ... we need to stop this.
Kind of ironic, a lot of folks complaining about mice, or rather, "commenting about mice" and then expressing a viewpoint that the killing the very reptiles that feed on them is a downright good idea. Wonder what a world devoid of snakes and full of rodents would be like? Personally, if it doesn't get aggressive with me, I don't kill it. They are here for a reason ... and for what it is worth .... snake roundups ought to be banned.
For instance, "If I was walking across a field and I saw a snake and a politician ... I think I would shoot the politician."
Anyway that is my take on it.
BCO
The problem is that weve upset the balance, the snake doesnt have the predator pressure it had 100 years ago. It would be great not to have to kill snakes, but without the other animals that we also dont want in our backyard, many of which that would naturally control them, if we didnt control the snake population we would be crawling with them, no pun intended.
Quote from: boxcarOkie
For instance, "If I was walking across a field and I saw a snake and a politician ... I think I would shoot the politician."[/b]
BCO
How could ya tell 'm apart!
;D BK ;D
Quote from: Busted Knuckle on May 07, 2011, 11:46:40 PM
Quote from: boxcarOkie
For instance, "If I was walking across a field and I saw a snake and a politician ... I think I would shoot the politician."[/b]
BCO
How could ya tell 'm apart!
;D BK ;D
Either of the two most likely would want to bite you ... but one of them is gonna try and stick his hands in your pocket.
BCO
Box car I could not have said it better myself. I no longer kill any snake. I have a lot of snakes around here from water mocs to corral snakes. When i find them I simply relocate them. I am much happier for it. I am no longer upsetting any balance.
Quote from: wal1809 on May 08, 2011, 07:24:32 AM
Box car I could not have said it better myself. I no longer kill any snake. I have a lot of snakes around here from water mocs to corral snakes. When i find them I simply relocate them. I am much happier for it. I am no longer upsetting any balance.
Last year, we caught seven snakes on our property, the majority of them were bull snakes. I put them in a bucket and take them somewhere else and release them. If they are not aggressive (most are not) then I am not either. We have a live and let live policy around here. If left alone, they usually make a hasty retreat and are nowhere to be found later on.
BCO