Cottonmouth in backyard

[Mark Harter]

I have an elm tree stump in the backyard that had sprouts growing off of it creating a large shrub and smaller shrubs growing out of the roots. I decided to clean it up and cut the shoots off. I was picking up handfulls of the debris - no gloves - last bit I was scooping up with a flat shovel. I was pulling the shovel over the ground to gather up the last bit of sprouts and old leaves and I found this little venomous fellow. I was surprised it was a water moccossin as I am a quite aways from the closest canal. I figured plenty of copperheads but not this one. I was a little freaked thinking about grabbing up all the debris and this guy was all up in there. Part of South LA living.

 

[Josh Ward]

He looks a little worse for wear now.....

 

[tod osier]

Get that thing to a wildlife rehabilitator ASAP, it looks like it has a problem with its neck.

 

[Ben M]

You were worried about THAT little guy? He's so tiny he couldn't have hurt anybody! ;-)

Kidding of course . . . the little ones usually inject MORE venom than the big uns!

 

[mike braden]

Those little bastards are the reason why I have never made it down to the bayou. I DON'T like snakes. Shark week has got me a little freaked out too since we have been seeing the GW sharks swimming off the coast

 

[Kevin Stupp]

Mike,

It should help calm your nerves knowing that local fisherman in Hamilton Township (inland of Atlantic City) caught a 4' gator in a lake over the weekend.

Kevin

 

[Kevin Weir]

Ben,
Hate to burst the bubble of that age old myth about young ones giving more venom, but that is absolutely 100% wrong. Sometimes an adult may not inject any, but if it wants to you can get 10 times more venom than a young one can ever give. And forget that crap about potency with young snake bites. Venom is venom, there is no diff as to the strength. It's all bout volumn.
A cottonmouth may make you sick, but not much else. Still, that doesn't do much for you if your the one bitten.

 

[TimJ]

My sister in Arkansas took a picture of her boat dock a few years ago to show how high the water was and right in front was a curled up cottonmouth she hadn't seen. I like snakes but they find way too cottonmouths and copperheads for me.

btw Snake pictures always makes me think of Lee Harker. He would have liked that ones condition.

Tim

 

[Ben M]

A big un definitely COULD deliver more volume if he wanted to! Hahaha . . . I've read that the juveniles haven't yet learned to control how much they inject and just empty themselves with every bite. I'll need to recheck my data . . . thanks for the critique.

I've been enamored with snakes since I was a little boy. LOVE them!! There would have to be some pretty extreme circumstances to make me kill one . . .

 

[Mark Harter]

Ben,

As a teen, I,my brother and friends enjoyed catching , studying and feeding the various snakes in the region. But a venomous snake in the yard isnt going to cut it. Dogs were barking around it and I have 3 kids. I welcome the full spectrum of the food chain in the yard with the exception of stinging and venomous critters.

 

[Cody Williams]

First thing I ever shot as a kid was a big cottonmouth off our pier in eastern NC, with my grandpa's .410. My grandpa had a special dislike for them, having been bitten 3 times over the course of his life. They are still one of my favorite snakes though, there's nothing else out there that has quite the same bad attitude that they do!

 

[Howard]

A big un definitely COULD deliver more volume if he wanted to! Hahaha . . . I've read that the juveniles haven't yet learned to control how much they inject and just empty themselves with every bite. I'll need to recheck my data . . . thanks for the critique.

I've been enamored with snakes since I was a little boy. LOVE them!! There would have to be some pretty extreme circumstances to make me kill one . . .

The control thing with the small ones is true Ben. How's the boat comming?

 

[Ben M]

A big un definitely COULD deliver more volume if he wanted to! Hahaha . . . I've read that the juveniles haven't yet learned to control how much they inject and just empty themselves with every bite. I'll need to recheck my data . . . thanks for the critique.

I've been enamored with snakes since I was a little boy. LOVE them!! There would have to be some pretty extreme circumstances to make me kill one . . .

The control thing with the small ones is true Ben. How's the boat comming?

Oh, it's coming together! I have promised to post some more pics of my progress, but I have so little time what with a boat to build and a baby on the way and a house to sell . . . any time I DO have I spend actually putting the thing together instead of posting pics of me putting it together! Hahaha . . . but I am making progress! Thanks for asking!