SNAKES on a plane.... I mean trail!!!

[krieg]

Went riding in Chester, SC today for the first time in almost a month. It was hot as blue blazes, dry as the desert, and "snakey". I saw 3 snakes on the trails today (literally ON the trails). Two black snakes, and one brownish snake I couldn't identify. One of the black snakes was coiled and ready to strike as he had just been run over by a rider ahead of me. The others were "crossing" and seemed content to ignore me as they fled.

I hate snakes. In all my years of riding since I was a kid, I have NEVER seen more than one snake on the same day.

 

[ScottyR]

I hate snakes. I was at the Rattlesnake Enduro in PA a few years ago and they warned us to be very careful about getting in the long grass and off the trail.

Sure enough a rider fell into the long grass and when he went to get up he found a rattlesnake had clamped onto his boot! Luckily, the boot was thick enough that the fangs did not go through.

 

[Troy F Collins]

Geeze...I guess you guys wont be visiting my house anytime soon....

I have been a snake collector since a wee lad.....I currently have many specimens....If I see a snake on the trail..I drop my bike and catch it....check him out and let him go...I do usually draw the line on poisonous ones

but snakes are a natural fear to many.....understandable

 

[ghte]

Snakes are pretty common in Oz. I try to let them be. Most don't want anything to do with us. But if rilled they sure can move on you pretty darn quick. Most snakes in Oz are poisonous. The Brown, Black, Copper Head and Tiger snakes are usually fatal if not treated within half an hour. Then there's the spiders, and the sharks, glad we don't have any lions or tigers here.

 

[skid]

oz has more critters that will kill your azz than any place I know ...

 

[Daniel508s]

You just need to scream "Enough is ENOUGH! I have had it with these mother**** snakes on this mother*****' trail!

 

[Dirtdame]

We have those critters around my neck of the woods too. Here's one now.

On the trail, last October. Didn't like me taking his picture.

 

[HuskyDude]

Lots up here in the interior. Western rattlesnake is the most common.
They like to sun themselves on the southern side of the rocks.

It's funny how when hiking, it's the only one of Gods creatures that will stop you dead in your tracks...wonder why.

 

[Poopy]

It funny how when hiking, it's the only one of Gods creatures that will stop you dead in your tracks...wonder why.

We just have bears every once in a while....they kinda stop you in your tracks.

 

[Ex HVUK]

Whilst I envy you guys in Oz and USA for the space you have and the weather, it's a small consolation to me that we don't have snakes to speak of on our crowded little island!

I couldn't be doing with snakes, especially the number of times I fall off on the rare occassion I get out on an off road bike...

Dave

 

[Wombat Boy]

Plenty of snakes in North California up Del Norte County way. Stopped to have lunch put the helmet down, 20 minutes later picked it up and there was a snake curled up in my helmet. It was a cobra...maybe not. It did not matter to me. Luckily I saw it before putting it on my head.

I hate snakes

 

[ray_ray]

We have those critters around my neck of the woods too. Here's one now.

On the trail, last October. Didn't like me taking his picture.

That's one nice rattler! Look at all the rattlers on that tail! Nice designs on his back and he looks almost blue tinted!

I saw one like this mad once .. He had 15 rattlers and he shook them so fast you could not even see them any more ... it sounded just like taking the valve core out of a tire filled with air !!! Just one long sssshhhhhhh sound ...

And I saw a rattler once swimming ... He held his rattlers straight up in the air, keeping them out of the water and dry ...

 

[RLW]

Attached is a rattler my son and I had stretched out across the an old 2-track road a couple years ago.
It was out warming in the sun on cool early morning and a little reluctant to move out of the way, but finally did.......I wanted his rattles (8 or 9) in the pic, but opted not to reach down and pull them into view

I learned something when we found another small rattlesnake last year, something I did NOT like.......I can't hear the little rattlers any more. It was a young one, with 3 rattles, my son could hear it clearly several yards away, but I had to be less than 5ft before I could make out a very light dull buzz........as much as I'm out biking/hunting/fishing out in the desert while they're out, this didn't comfort me a lot.

 

[ray_ray]

I know what your mean about early warning ... My snake stories are all from the great state of Arkansas ... You always gotta watch where you step there Ever hear of a cotton-mouth? I must have killed the granddaddy of them all once ... it must have been 6+ feet long ... Never saw one before or after that long ...

Living in WA state on the west side is easy ... no snakes! or at least no poisonous ones Something about they have not migrated west yet over the rockies Makes it real easy when in the woods stomping around or by the waters edge .... And here in the Philippines ... nothing scary here yet ...

 

[Dirtdame]

When I lived down south in Louisiana, we had cottonmouths ( aka water moccasins), copperheads and coral snakes to contend with. Here in So. Cal. it's all about the rattly snakes; Western diamondback, red western diamond back, pacific, speckled, western and sidewinder. I've seen them all except for the sidewinder.

Non poisonous snakes include speckled and banded king snakes, garter snakes, racers and rosy boas and few water snakes.

 

[ray_ray]

King snakes will eat other snakes ...maybe that is why is king!

What was that first rattler? It had a blueish tint to him or was that just the camera? He'd make a very good looking pair of boots ...

 

[Dirtdame]

King snakes will eat other snakes ...maybe that is why is king!

What was that first rattler? It had a blueish tint to him or was that just the camera? He'd make a very good looking pair of boots ...

That one was a Western rattler. Apparently they can be various hues from brownish to greyish.

 

[RLW]

They can be colored a little different between subspecies and areas, and also a little different and brighter right after a shed too.

I've seen some color variation in the different rattlesnakes we have in Idaho, but never like Dirtdames pic.......neat looking color.

 

[Clayton75]

Unfortunately snakes are quite common in South Australia due to it being a very dry state, and seeing them on the tracks during summer happens more often than not on a good ride. But most of the deadly ones we see are very timid, and head for cover at the first sign of danger. However the Tiger snakes can be the opposite and they will often head towards moving objects to see if it's worth eating. They hang out around the river areas mostly, so I don't****************************************
I couldn't tell you how many 6 foot brown or black snakes I have ridden past or over (never intentionally), but I've never had a strike land on me or the bike. You would have to be very unlucky for one to strike at you unless you hurt it, or corner it. In the bush they generally keep to themselves.

 

[Philbilly]

Snake video wouldn't upload

About 2 weeks ago saw my first Timber Rattler (about 5ft) while riding in the Uwharrie Natl Forest. This last Saturday got a video of a nice-sized Copperhead (about 4ft). In the video we all thought it was rattlesnake but later realized it was a Copperhead. Sorry, couldn't get the video to upload?