Wild animal encounters

[Alumni Guy]

Same exact trail as the bear....

That’s a pretty big M F’er. Seeing these killers makes you realize our position on top of the food chain isn’t absolute or guaranteed.

 

[crosscreekcooter]

@bradgator2 - That same trail business is pretty common. In the wild, animals pretty much have a fairly common road system, almost like an interstate in some cases. Both your snake buddies are pretty healthy examples. I'm guessing the eastern is a male due to it's slender girth but the coral would be the largest I've ever seen. With nothing to judge the scale 30"? The only one I've ever found personally was in Middleburg and it was maybe 12".

 

[bradgator2]

@bradgator2 - That same trail business is pretty common. In the wild, animals pretty much have a fairly common road system, almost like an interstate in some cases. Both your snake buddies are pretty healthy examples. I'm guessing the eastern is a male due to it's slender girth but the coral would be the largest I've ever seen. With nothing to judge the scale 30"? The only one I've ever found personally was in Middleburg and it was maybe 12".

No, the Coral wasnt that long. I am guessing 14-ish inches. I also see monster Black Racers on the trail all the time. Lots of deer that have zero fear. Tons of turkeys. Gopher tortoises. It’s a fun trail.

 

[Gator By Marriage]

It’s a fun trail.

Bear, Rattlesnake, Coral Snake; hmmm....I'm think you and I have a different definition of "fun" trail. This would be more of what I think of as a "fun" trail.

 

[crosscreekcooter]

No, the Coral wasnt that long. I am guessing 14-ish inches. I also see monster Black Racers on the trail all the time. Lots of deer that have zero fear. Tons of turkeys. Gopher tortoises. It’s a fun trail.

A couple of things I didn't know about the Eastern Coral (probably a lot more than that) I read in this short article. The coral has fangs. I always heard they only had small teeth. They are in the same family (Elapidae), as are the cobras, mambas, and all of Australia's venomous snakes. Another unknown fact is their fangs do not flatten but like me remain erect. They can grow in excess of 4'. Venomous Snakes of Florida Eastern Coral Snake

It's possible the monster black racers you mentioned are Eastern Indigo. They are the longest native snake in North America and can grow to more than 9 feet and are relatively thick. They are docile and now mostly found in South Geotgia and Florida and are federally protected, They look almost purple in the sunlight. We had one that was probably 7' long that used to come through our back yard but we haven't seen him in a couple of years, probably fell victim to one of the neighbors.
A typical black racer is 3 feet and slender but can grow to 6'. Among lizards frogs rodents and maybe bird eggs they both also feed on poisonous snakes.
I'm not a snake fan but I would't displace or harm either of these two.

 

[bradgator2]

A couple of things I didn't know about the Eastern Coral (probably a lot more than that) I read in this short article. The coral has fangs. I always heard they only had small teeth. They are in the same family (Elapidae), as are the cobras, mambas, and all of Australia's venomous snakes. Another unknown fact is their fangs do not flatten but like me remain erect. They can grow in excess of 4'. Venomous Snakes of Florida Eastern Coral Snake

It's possible the monster black racers you mentioned are Eastern Indigo. They are the longest native snake in North America and can grow to more than 9 feet and are relatively thick. They are docile and now mostly found in South Geotgia and Florida and are federally protected, They look almost purple in the sunlight. We had one that was probably 7' long that used to come through our back yard but we haven't seen him in a couple of years, probably fell victim to one of the neighbors.
A typical black racer is 3 feet and slender but can grow to 6'. Among lizards frogs rodents and maybe bird eggs they both also feed on poisonous snakes.
I'm not a snake fan but I would't displace or harm either of these two.

What's also interesting is how few people have died from the Coral, yet it is so feared. The last 3 deaths are two people in the 1950s, then the antivenom came out in the 60s, and only death since... in 2006. And that jackass didnt seek medical help.

 

[G8trwood]

The grandaddy (86) of a good friend was bitten a month ago. He saw a new hole under his shed and reached down the hole to grab whatever it was. He felt the bite but couldn’t get his hand out as it hand wrapped around. When he yanked it out, saw the snake red on yellow and called neighbors. Several days of ICU and anti venom.

Always check out a hole before you stick anything in ;)

 

[MJMGator]

What's also interesting is how few people have died from the Coral, yet it is so feared. The last 3 deaths are two people in the 1950s, then the antivenom came out in the 60s, and only death since... in 2006. And that jackass didnt seek medical help.

They’re not really aggressive and I’ve never seen one move very fast...even when approached. We caught several as kids before we knew they were poisonous.

 

[MJMGator]

A couple of things I didn't know about the Eastern Coral (probably a lot more than that) I read in this short article. The coral has fangs. I always heard they only had small teeth. They are in the same family (Elapidae), as are the cobras, mambas, and all of Australia's venomous snakes. Another unknown fact is their fangs do not flatten but like me remain erect. They can grow in excess of 4'. Venomous Snakes of Florida Eastern Coral Snake

It's possible the monster black racers you mentioned are Eastern Indigo. They are the longest native snake in North America and can grow to more than 9 feet and are relatively thick. They are docile and now mostly found in South Geotgia and Florida and are federally protected, They look almost purple in the sunlight. We had one that was probably 7' long that used to come through our back yard but we haven't seen him in a couple of years, probably fell victim to one of the neighbors.
A typical black racer is 3 feet and slender but can grow to 6'. Among lizards frogs rodents and maybe bird eggs they both also feed on poisonous snakes.
I'm not a snake fan but I would't displace or harm either of these two.

I used to get some of those monster black snakes in my backyard in Georgia. I had chipmunks and baby rabbits were everywhere in the spring and the fall so I knew why they were there. It still was unnerving to see a 6-8 foot snake in your yard even though you knew it wasn’t dangerous.

 

[crosscreekcooter]

They’re not really aggressive and I’ve never seen one move very fast...even when approached. We caught several as kids before we knew they were poisonous.

When I was in middle school I had a friend that was crazy and liked to do schit for attention.. The stupid ass found a young pygmy rattlesnake and kept it in a sock in his pocket. Still can't believe the thing did't strike him.

 

[Jack o' Diamonds]

Always check out a hole before you stick anything in ;)

Excellent advice.....

 

[CDGator]

Back in 2009 my sister found this rare coral snake in her back yard in Stuart, FL. They didn’t know what it was and my brother-in-law picked it up. They contacted someone who picked it up and ended up taking it to the Florida Museum at UF where a herpetologist verified that they’ve never seen a coral snake like this before. It was even written up in some magazines.

 

[gingerlover]

When I was in middle school I had a friend that was crazy and liked to do schit for attention.. The stupid ass found a young pygmy rattlesnake and kept it in a sock in his pocket. Still can't believe the thing did't strike him.

Had a guy in high school high on something grab a moccasin by the tail and fling it as far as he could. Yet he is one of the most successful of my class.

 

[crosscreekcooter]

My buddy sent me this image of a big cat from a trail cam set up in Lincoln County, Ga. about 1/2 mile from his farm. His granddaddy spoke of seeing one hopping through a hay field there years ago, nobody believed him.

 

[CDGator]

My buddy sent me this image of a big cat from a trail cam set up in Lincoln County, Ga. about 1/2 mile from his farm. His granddaddy spoke of seeing one hopping through a hay field there years ago, nobody believed him.

wow!