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Eastern Rat Snakes

Discussion in 'Nature/Habitat/Garden Corner' started by Brit, May 25, 2010.

  1. Brit

    Brit New Member

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    Two of them (at least I think they are rat snakes) started out on the ground in our back yard and then slithered up a tree and started mating. I am not a snake fan and this is the first time I've seen anything this big or conspicuous in our neighborhood. Yikes.

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  2. Zeratul

    Zeratul Well-Known Member

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    Yea they are getting active again this year. And you are correct, they are Rat snakes. They are not very aggressive, and only get defensive when I catch them - to move them. I have had 2 of them living around my house the past 3 years... and one of them "nested" in my mulch bed this past winter... very cool.

    The ones that we see frequently are 3-6 feet, like the ones in your pictures. One safe way to pick them up if you need is to use a plastic leaf rake. They will generally climb onto it and you can lift and safely move them. They do have teeth and will bite if you piss them off enough... but they are not poisonous. I have noticed the reduction/elimination of mice and voles around my house....
     
  3. Brit

    Brit New Member

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    "pick them up" :scaredeyes: (I might just need to give you a call next time, I couldn't touch them with a barge pole)!
     
  4. luftinarr

    luftinarr Member

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    OMFG. That totally creeps me and gives me the heebie jeebies. Gross, nasty nature. Ugh. (hey, everyone's allowed their own phobias!)
     
  5. Mr. Linux

    Mr. Linux Senior Member & Moderator Forum Staff

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    Having to chose between one of these or rodents around my yard, I would take this snake in a heartbeat ;)
     
  6. Brit

    Brit New Member

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    Ok, two randy snakes for sale. I'll take any offers at this point! But you're responsible for packing and shipping! :notfunny:
     
  7. napper

    napper New Member

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    Are Rat snakes the same as the Black snake?
     
  8. ayayagirl

    ayayagirl New Member

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    This mornings news reported that Copperhead snakes were a problem this year too. A women they interviewed was talking about her dog being bitten by one. And a girl friend of mine found one in her yard and had to call animal control to remove it. We too, found a snake in our backyard beds, however I think it was one of the rat snakes mentioned above. It slithered back under our deck when we tried to catch it. I think it ate my poor Robin's baby birds nesting in my Magnolia tree!
     
  9. Brit

    Brit New Member

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  10. Mr. Linux

    Mr. Linux Senior Member & Moderator Forum Staff

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  11. Brit

    Brit New Member

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    This? http://www.wtop.com/?nid=600&sid=1963825

    (I wish I never raised the topic now)
     
  12. KTdid

    KTdid Well-Known Member

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    Let's hope we never see the dreaded brown snake like the ones in Guam........
     
  13. luftinarr

    luftinarr Member

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    Well, that throws camping at Lake Fairfax off my list. Not that Lake Fairfax was cited in the article, but Lake Fairfax is in Fairfax County and therefore must have copperheads. The only copperhead I ever saw was while I was attending cross country camp in high school at Camp Varsity (this was in 1992 maybe?). The mf'er was curled up outside the girls' showers. Talk about flipping out...50+ girls screaming at the top of their lungs!!!
     
  14. T8erman

    T8erman Well-Known Member

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    One is usually enough! :D
     
  15. ayayagirl

    ayayagirl New Member

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    I hate to say, but the girlfriend I was referring to that found the copperhead in her yard, lives here in The Broadlands!!:scaredeyes:
     
  16. Brit

    Brit New Member

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    What is going on this year? Lyme is on the increase, snakes are on the increase. I think I want to repatriate to the UK.
     
  17. luftinarr

    luftinarr Member

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    So I'm on my way home from school (Strayer in Ashburn) taking the back road (Russell Branch Pkwy) and I see something reflecting in the road ahead of me. Yep, you guessed it. I almost ran over it I was so freaked out. And as I swerved to the right sure there enough I had to quickly swerve back to the left because there was the 2nd one! I drove home in a panic. But, thanks to the forums I have learned about rat snakes and that I still hate them
     
  18. luftinarr

    luftinarr Member

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    I'm moving to Maine.
     
  19. krmckee

    krmckee Member

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    Kim, at least you managed to avoid them. I was so sad when I ran over a squirrel doing 20mph accross Hillside yesterday. It's like I saw it happen in slow motion. It was the slowest moving squirrel I have ever seen and I couldn't go any slower. Thinking about it, it may have been squirrel suicide because it's like it almost timed for the right moment to go under my truck ;-)
     
  20. Mr. Linux

    Mr. Linux Senior Member & Moderator Forum Staff

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