Off to the beach this weekend! (also a rattlesnake)

[d_virginiana]

I'm going to the beach next week. Being highly allergic to jellyfish particles, I really enjoy the local reptiles just as much as going in the ocean :rolleyes: There's always interesting stuff around there, so I'm hoping I'll run into as many snakes, alligators, and turtles as I usually do and maybe actually remember to bring my camera!

This is a pic from last year's herping expedition. It was in shed, so the pattern is pretty obscured, but I think this was a canebrake rattler. Regardless, it was large, poisonous, and I very nearly stepped on it. I would like to extend my thanks to this lovely snake for not freaking out and biting me when I very nearly squished it.

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/216898_10150325531068035_639838034_9515637_7492864 _n.jpg

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/251571_10150325531103035_639838034_9515638_3923699 _n.jpg

[RedSidedSPR]

Have a good trip! Step on a rattler for me!:D

That's an awesome snake, I thought "cotton mouth" cause of the shed pattern... but I can see it. Ive never found one.

[kibakiba]

Snakes aren't poisonous, only plants are. Snakes, spiders, etc have venom ;)
Just a bit of a pet peeve that I have.

[Didymus20X6]

http://www.fightersgeneration.com/characters/venom-marvel.jpg
http://www.rocknrollhell.com/images/poison.jpg

[RedSidedSPR]

See? There's a difference :D

[guidofatherof5]

Have a safe trip. Looking forward to an update.

[d_virginiana]

Snakes aren't poisonous, only plants are. Snakes, spiders, etc have venom ;)
Just a bit of a pet peeve that I have.

It's so ironic that I literally just watched an episode of 1000 Ways to Die that said the exact same thing! :D

Good to know though :)

[Didymus20X6]

I bet if he bites you, you won't care which is which.

[Stefan-A]

Snakes aren't poisonous,
Except certain garters, which actually become poisonous by eating certain newts.

[BLUESIRTALIS]

It's for sure a Cottonmouth (agkistrodon piscivorus). They will wiggle there tail in the leaves to make you think it's a rattler, but so do copperheads and lots of other snakes including rat snakes, kingsnakes-milksnakes, and racers.

[RedSidedSPR]

I knew it!!!!!!!

[BLUESIRTALIS]

On hot days they are all over the banks of cypress swamps down near the coast.

[RedSidedSPR]

When I saw it it thought "that looks an awful lot like a cottonmouth"...

[BLUESIRTALIS]

Cottonmouths are considered the king of the swamp they will eat almost anything from fish,frogs,salamanders,snakes,baby birds,rodents,baby aligators,cicadas if they can fit it in there mouths they will eat it. I have 3 in captivity that only get fed mice and fish.

[RedSidedSPR]

I love those guys. They're one of my favorite snakes.

[d_virginiana]

They are pretty awesome. Haha, I've said before that my field ID skills only go as far as venomous or not-venomous :D I would like to find a rattlesnake sometime though...

[RedSidedSPR]

Ditto, i've always wanted to find one,

[Starling96]

i was thinking cotton mouth
he looks patternless
he must be old :)

[BLUESIRTALIS]

i was thinking cotton mouth
he looks patternless
he must be old :)

And mud stained.

[Starling96]

And mud stained.
haha your right :p

[PINJOHN]

best of luck with your herping hope you spot your rattler [before he spots you] you have reminded me i promised to report back on any herps from my vacation in turkey pretty unspectacular i'm afraid just one snake seen and that was dead and decomposing some kind of racer i think. sorry for hijacking your thread Lora but it wasn't worth a whole thread to report such a lack of success :o

[BLUESIRTALIS]

Im going to north myrtle beach in three weeks and i hope i can find me an ery eastern. If anyone knows of a good spot let me know please.

Thanks

[RedSidedSPR]

Let ME know! I'm going to N. Myrtle soon too!

[d_virginiana]

Well, I did get to see a rattler today! ...In the aquarium :p It was still pretty entertaining though. It got up and was following my little finger up and down the wall of its cage with that curious 'ohh, I bet I could eat that' look that my snakes get right before they chomp on something. Anyways, she seemed to enjoy the little 'hunt', and so did some of the children watching.

[PINJOHN]

Well, I did get to see a rattler today! ...In the aquarium :p It was still pretty entertaining though. It got up and was following my little finger up and down the wall of its cage with that curious 'ohh, I bet I could eat that' look that my snakes get right before they chomp on something. Anyways, she seemed to enjoy the little 'hunt', and so did some of the children watching.

i envy you your rattler experience, and it was in someways as interesting as a meeting in the wild, this way you were able to interact with the snake which couldn't happen in the wild,or at leased not without an unfortunate outcome.
after thamnophis and natrix i have always been drawn to and fascinated by rattlers, come to think about it it is probably the rattler that started my interest in snakes,i have mentioned my being a western nut films and books, and i remember from being quite young, getting upset when the hero would shoot the head off the rattlesnake to save his buddy or the damsel in distress, john Wayne, Gary cooper, roy rogers, gene Autry shame on you all, you will never know how you traumatized a young boy :D

[BLUESIRTALIS]

I find several timber rattlesnakes each year i usually find them crossing the road at night so i just pick them up with my snake hook and put them on the other side.

[PINJOHN]

I find several timber rattlesnakes each year i usually find them crossing the road at night so i just pick them up with my snake hook and put them on the other side.

an experience i can only dream of

[RedSidedSPR]

Only one I've seen was the one in our museam. Hustling Loras. He'll climb up to get to me.

[BLUESIRTALIS]

Here is a pic of a baby i caught and kept for a pet.

2202

[RedSidedSPR]

Gotta get me one a those!:D

[ConcinusMan]

Snakes aren't poisonous, only plants are. Snakes, spiders, etc have venom ;)
Just a bit of a pet peeve that I have.

Now wait a second. Garters in the area where I find the blue anery concinnus' are poisonous. They get that way from feeding heavily on rough skinned newts. Great Blue Herons, Racoons, Crows, and Cooper's Hawks have all been reported to become very ill or die after eating garter snakes in that area.;)

[RedSidedSPR]

Stefan beat ya to it. On page 1.:rolleyes:


Except certain garters, which actually become poisonous by eating certain newts.

[ConcinusMan]

So he did.:cool:

Unfortunately, the snakes pay a price for that protection. They are heavily burdened with a specific tape worm that uses the newts as an intermediate host. That tape worm has a negative impact on their health which is outwardly apparent in heavily infected snakes. Every snake I get from that area gets treated with Praziquantel and they do recover quickly.

[kibakiba]

I meant, when I said that, snakes, such as a rattlesnake, do not inject you with "poison" they inject you with "venom" ;)
Not talking about garter snakes at all.

[RedSidedSPR]

I knew what you meant, and i'm sure they did too.

[ConcinusMan]

I meant, when I said that, snakes, such as a rattlesnake, do not inject you with "poison" they inject you with "venom" ;)
Not talking about garter snakes at all.

This is true. Most venom is not poisonous, as in, not dangerous if swallowed. Must be injected.

[BLUESIRTALIS]

Richard i would like to get some metronidazole and Praziquantel do you have a source for these or do you have to get a perscription. I think Praziquantel also treats flukes.

[ConcinusMan]

Those are common ingredients in OTC dewormers for cats and dogs. You would have to know how many mg. of each is in the tablets, and of course do some math and weighing dosages with high resolution scale that can weigh at least 0.001 gram increments or better. We're talking about a scale that can weigh a grain of salt. It can be quite daunting. I guess this is the main reason for having a vet do it when it comes to very small animals like a snake.

Are you still wanting to deworm your snake? I told you I could take care of getting the accurate dosage for you and I can just send it to you. Just need to know how many grams your fasting (10-14 days no food) snake weighs.

[BLUESIRTALIS]

The thing is i don't have a good herp vet around here and a friend of mine just lost a snake to flukes. I have panacur and a dosing chart but i don't think panacur works on flukes.

[ConcinusMan]

Doesn't work on tapeworms either.

[guidofatherof5]

Drontal Plus works on tapeworms.
BayerDVM.com - Drontal® Plus (http://www.bayerdvm.com/products/drontal/drontal-plus.cfm)

Key Benefits


Three in One

Only Drontal Plus provides the power of three deworming agents in one tablet.

Efficacy — Proven to eradicate the most common intestinal parasites:

Tapeworms (E. multilocularis, E. granulosus, T. pisiformis, D. caninum).
Hookworms (A. caninum, U. stenocephala).
Roundworms (T. canis, T. leonina).
Whipworms (T. vulpis).

Synergistic Effect

Pyrantel pamoate and febantel work synergistically to eliminate more worms than either can alone.

[ConcinusMan]

Prescription only ^^^. That's what i wanted to use originally but the vet said it's prescription only and advised me to use an OTC dewormer with Praziquantel in it.

The same ingredients are available OTC, just not when combined like they are in Drontal Plus. It's the Praziquantel that makes it "Plus". Regular Drontal is available OTC and so is Praziquantel. Makes no sense does it?

Look, if you have never seen pieces of tape worm passed in the water dish or otherwise, you probably don't really need the Praziquantel but only a fecal exam will tell for sure.

Panacur is much safer for reptiles and takes care of pretty much everything but tapeworms.

I don't know why your post says "Pyrantel pamoate and febantel" but doesn't mention Praziquantel. The vet told me that's what makes it "plus".