Kentucky Snakes

[jcb]

Had a high school biology project to see how many different types of snakes we could catch in a month. Caught a total of 11 different kinds, including a yellow ring-neck snake, an immature copperhead (which we didn't ID as a copperhead until we got it in the box), and a 4.5-foot black racer.

The black racer we decided to bring as our showpiece. We put it in a styrofoam cooler and put a stack of books on top of it. After our class presentation, we left it in the biology lab.

Came back at the end of the day to get it...and the books were off the top, the top was off the cooler, and the snake was gone.

It took a full week, but one morning we heard the janitor screaming bloody murder in the Chemistry lab down the hall...

[RoadToad]

That's a great PDF, and I think anybody who's going to spend time fishing and/or hunting in Kentucky needs to read it, at least the first few pages about how to distinguish venomous from non-venomous snakes. Snakes don't scare me, but I give them plenty of respect. Bees and wasps, I'm also allergic to the point where I carry an Epi-Pen, so those scare me. And I'm REALLY glad we don't have scorpions here! I'd be scared to death of those!

I agree it's a shame how many garter snakes, rat snakes, etc. get killed because people don't know better, or don't even care. I've found a couple basking in the sun on the street in my development, and I usually try and grab them and release them near my garden, before my neighbors find them and kill them.

[colonelmeyer]

When I was 10 or 11 I was swarmed by ground hornets for the second time. Got me at least ten times the first time and 22 times the second, including twice in each eye and one solid nut shot. That day I swore a life long intifada against ground hornets. Oddly enough I like honey bees. As for snakes, if I see them first everything is fine but, if I am surprised, it could get ugly for one of us... On one Spring trip to the Gorge I must have seen at least ten rattlers on that steep hillside along 9B, BIG South Fork gave me a pretty interesting time once to. Not as worried about Cottonmouths, even though they are probably more aggressive in defending themselves, as Rattlers, they say they have one of the fastest and most painful bites.

[Olgrey]

Personally snakes do not bother me much. I have caught a lot of the nonpoisonous ones that we have in KY. Years ago, my brother and I had been mowing the yard and had lost a bolt out of the lawnmower and had started to my car to go to the country store and buy another. Well, there was this chicken snake (country name) laying there on the ground that must have been 6 ft long. I decided that I would catch it and take it to the barn to catch rats and mice and put my foot on it to hold it in place while I caught it behing the head. Needless to say I left too much of his neck sticking out and when I reached to catch him behind the head, he got me by the finger. I straightened up, shook the blood off my finger (it was like a briar scratch), inspected my finger, caught the snake and took it to the barn. I had no hard feelings toward the snake because it was my fault. Spiders now that is a whole different story. I guess it is because they are so small and easy to overlook. I have heard carpenters and brick masons talk about finding scorpions in brick brought in from Alabama for new houses. My dad told me once about finding a small one on our farm under a rock out in the field. I guess you never know what you might find.

[redneckshadrap]

"but I can't see how any hairy-chested American man can publically admit to being afraid of snakes. "

Well, I can..because I AM!....Man Card surrendered....LOL!

[zofishkentucky]

Snakes don't bother one bit. I like to catch them, take a good look, and release them. I leave the poisonous ones alone period. But I do get nervous around animals larger than myself such as cattle and horses. I wouldn't say I'm scared, but definately nervous when in a field with them.

[bassin_bug]

Snakes don't bother one bit. I like to catch them, take a good look, and release them. I leave the poisonous ones alone period. But I do get nervous around animals larger than myself such as cattle and horses. I wouldn't say I'm scared, but definately nervous when in a field with them.

Now I understand the "Superman" look in your avatar. Don't you know it's dangerous to go into a field wearing a red cape? Bulls don't like red and will run you down. My mother-in-law wore a red raincoat when crossing the pasture during a shower. Their giant bull made her jump into the lake to get away from him. lol
Goood Bull!

Excuse me, I forgot we were talking about snakes.

[nonamesleft47]

Sorry RoadToad but there are scorpions in KY. Go down to Estill or Powell county and flip over some rocks or old railroad ties. We used to catch them and fight them against black widows and other spiders when I was a kid. They are just little guys, maybe an inch or so. The sting hurts but maybe just a little more than a wasp sting. The worst sting I ever got was from a cow killer. It looks like a big red and black ant. It's actually a kind of wasp that the female doesn't have wings. I caught one in a tobacco field one time until it stung me when I was about 8. I would have sworn I was dieing. When I see them now all the hair stands up on my neck.

For snakes I'm not scared of them but poisonous ones get my blood pumping. I've been struck twice, once by a moccasin in a swamp in NC and once down in Georgia by a baby rattler. The moccasin got my pants leg where it was bunched at the ankle and pumped about a gallon of venom before I could break him loose with a machette. I had on heavy carhart pants for the briars and the fangs never reached my skin. The baby rattler struck the heel of my jump boot and got stuck. I was dragging him along and the guy walking behind me thought I was dragging a little stick. I probably stepped on him and he struck out of defense as he died and got stuck.

[billyp]

Sorry RoadToad but there are scorpions in KY. Go down to Estill or Powell county and flip over some rocks or old railroad ties. We used to catch them and fight them against black widows and other spiders when I was a kid. They are just little guys, maybe an inch or so. The sting hurts but maybe just a little more than a wasp sting. The worst sting I ever got was from a cow killer. It looks like a big red and black ant. It's actually a kind of wasp that the female doesn't have wings. I caught one in a tobacco field one time until it stung me when I was about 8. I would have sworn I was dieing. When I see them now all the hair stands up on my neck.

For snakes I'm not scared of them but poisonous ones get my blood pumping. I've been struck twice, once by a moccasin in a swamp in NC and once down in Georgia by a baby rattler. The moccasin got my pants leg where it was bunched at the ankle and pumped about a gallon of venom before I could break him loose with a machette. I had on heavy carhart pants for the briars and the fangs never reached my skin. The baby rattler struck the heel of my jump boot and got stuck. I was dragging him along and the guy walking behind me thought I was dragging a little stick. I probably stepped on him and he struck out of defense as he died and got stuck.

Nonamesleft47 your right. I live next to Powell Co. Also there has been scorpions down around Clays Ferry and Boonesborough for many years.

[Rudypoo4444]

Nonamesleft47 your right. I live next to Powell Co. Also there has been scorpions down around Clays Ferry and Boonesborough for many years.

That is another Ky creature I want to see before I die or move out of state.