[at-l] snakes

[kahley7@ptd.net (kahley7)]

At 09:25 AM 3/22/01 -0500, Tim Hewitt wrote:
OK.so I'm a snake fan.....as a girl, I worked as a shill for the local carney snake man.
While the show was corny, he did good rescue work in the field and provided lottsa venom for
anti venom.   

Praise to Mr Rattler.....king of his domain!   More than willing to shout "don't tread on me"
_if_he's awake.  If not, pray he's a sound sleeper or not panicky when roused.   

Now....the coppies......sneaky ittle devils.  More than content to keep quiet.  Mostly it works 
and you never know he's there.   

Things to remember....

Some say the snake can strike half the length of his body....fine....except it's hard to know how
long the snake is when he's all curled in a ball.  Toss a few pebbles..I SAID PEBBLES...to 
encourage him to exit stage left.  Maybe a touch with a leki but gently please!  

In the words of the Barefoot Sisters...in PA you may find it difficult 'to dig a hole and dump yer load'
so you end up moving a rock.  At least give passing thought that that rock may be the roof on a snake's
home.  A quick check may keep both you and the snake happy.  Also, if it's been cool and rainy, and
suddenly the sun is shining on that rock and you know how good it will feel to warm yourself in the
glow, well...remember that mr snake needs warming to and he probably knows about that rock.  
Just look around before you plop.  Same deal with stepping over an old blowdown (although blowdowns
don't get old enough on the AT proper to reach the stage of being prime snakey home material) if
you are exploring and need to step over, a quick look or a couple leki taps would be wise.

I have been bitten a number of times by snakes..never venomous.  ALWAYS my fault!    As OB said,
they don't like to waste time with us.  Especially the venomous type because venom is their ammo 
and they can't afford to waste it.  The one contra to this is those cute babies..they are too young 
and dumb to know and may inject their whole load, actually inflicting more damage than an adult will.

If you are hiking with a dog, train the dog to walk behind you or pray.  My dogs have walked over
numerous coppies.   Freaks me out..

For Pete's sake!!  Don't kill the resident shelter snake!!!  He is mother earth's answer to hanta virus!!!!

And if you come across that big ole rattler who has claimed the trail as his sunporch in Pa, he has a reputation for
being stubborn.  Leave him be please...he's a good ole boy...go around him.




>I saw three copperheads, all sleeping in a rock crack with a big blacksnake
>in upper PA.