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Snake Pics

roxaskid15
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StarBrand

+StarBrand

Posted
Posted

I have lots of photos but here is the best snake "log' ever......

 

September 8, 2004 by S&J (80 found)

 

Toadstool has long been a favorite spot for us- a multi million-year trip back in time at the end of a 19-mile road. We drove out to find the cache, spend the night, and to take the hike thru’ the “toadstools”. A few days prior to arriving, the area was hit with 4” of rain. The cache sat atop some woody stems, high and dry, surrounded by mud with a slimy make-up unique only to Nebraska. Travel wisely if there have been recent rains.

We went for a late-night walk to look at the stars and ended up in the sod house, a reproduction of the original that once stood here. While standing in the house, looking out the window and talking about the beauty of the desolation, we suddenly heard the unmistakable sound of a rattlesnake. Pointing the flashlight towards the (only) door, we saw the snake, sitting on the threshold, alerting us to his presence. Altho’ he never coiled to strike, his warning was unnerving enough for us to know that we should move on. But how? The snake lay across the only exit, with our excitable dog on the other side, and us trapped in the middle of a 10’x12’ hut. It quickly became apparent that it was the light that attracted the snake to us and that it would also follow the flashlight beam. I gave the dog a very firm “Stay!” command while S ran the light along the foundation away from the door. The snake followed but the angle of the light lessened as it traveled the wall, causing the snake to travel back towards the center of the room... towards us. After a few more well performed flicks of S’s wrist the snake moved far enough from the door to allow us our “escape”. Oh! How we laughed at ourselves on the way back to the trailer.

 

It would be a shame to go after this cache without allowing yourself the time to explore the area. It is both awe-inspiring and mystical. Just don’t go exploring in the dark without a flashlight and a sense of adventure! S&J, and the surprisingly obedient dog, Scarlett O’Hardin

 

[This entry was edited by S&J on Sunday, September 19, 2004 at 9:49:43 AM.]

 

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Gimpy13

+Gimpy13

Posted
Posted

Ssssnake!

 

I can't figure out how to post the photo here - the editor doesn't like my url... so there is a link up there to the picture.

 

I met this horrific monster (I um... don't...like...snakes) about a month ago outside of Houston. He was easiely six feet long.

 

The cache was on the top of a bridge. I stepped out of the car and thought "maybe there's a raccoon or turtle in the creek!" and bent over the side of the bridge only to see this terrifying beast.

 

Luckily, I was 1) not too scared to take a photo 2) a good 20 feet above this serpent.

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rtyrie

+rtyrie

Posted
Posted

My most memorable snake experience was when we were searching for a cache and did not realize we were right beside a snake hibernaculum. We just happened to be there at the exact time that the snakes were emerging in the spring. They were just Garter Snakes, but the shear number (hundreds), caused a bit of fright for some members of the family! They were literally pouring out of the rocks. Quite reminiscent of Indiana Jones. I've had many other snake encounters while caching, but this one is the most memorable, as I will not likely be at the right place at the right time again.

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wimseyguy

+wimseyguy

Posted
Posted

I didn't have the time to snap any pics of the 2' copperhead that bit me two years ago, but here are a few of the damaged finger. All that remains is a hook shaped .25" scar, and some permanent loss of sensation on the fingertip

This is two days after, and before I visited the hand doctor.

8e0960a3-2e6f-49d5-ab23-48a2ff95f7dd.jpg

 

And this is a week later, but after the doc aspirated the blood blister.

6dff6f83-ee5a-457d-bc56-f6b09f8b9818.jpg

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jilliancad

+jilliancad

Posted
Posted

Just two weekends ago. We had stopped at this really neat cache at an old abandoned farm house. I was having a great time looking around and taking pictures. I was walking and looked down just in time to see the snake that I was about to step on. It was the biggest snake I have seen not in a cage. I screamed and just froze. The boyfriend came running. Hahah he thought I was hurt or something.

I can laugh at it now but dadgum did it scare the crap out of me at the time.

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briansnat

+briansnat

Posted
Posted (edited)

Two weeks ago my wife and I did a combined backpacking/geocaching trip. I heard her scream and never saw her run so fast, particularly over steep, rocky terrain with a 30 lb pack. She had almost stepped on this and it struck at her. I think it is a hog nose snake. It was kind of cool, it had a flattened hood like a cobra.

 

f01b3f4b-12ca-45da-b5df-09106b368c08.jpg

Edited by briansnat
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Zurfco

+Zurfco

Posted
Posted

We saw a small garter snake just a few inches long on our last family trip. It was really cute.

 

One time I was fishing in the spring at an area with new construction. I had been there many times in the fall and winter. But, in the spring I guess the snakes go hunt. They live on one side of the creek I fish and hunt on the other apparently. So, as I waded out into the creek I stepped on a rope or cable that I had never noticed. I looked down and IT WAS NOT A CABLE. The cable swam off rapidly towards the other shore. First time I had seen a subsurface water snake. So I fished for a few minutes and another snake struck at the junction of my line and leader. So I'm getting a little freaked out. When just two casts later a third snake swam across and tried to strike at the popper I was throwing, I decided it was time to leave. Now, these were northern brown water snakes - harmless. But they were snakes and snakes freak me out. So, despite the fact that it was just a short while after sunrise, on my way home from the creek I stopped at the store and bought a six pack of something to help calm my nerves. By the time I got home for coffee, I had calmed down enough that the six pack was un-necessary.

 

But the worst snake story was when I was hiking with my wife and our friend L. I had been leading most of the way. We took a break at a pretty overlook. At the overlook the gals asked whether I thought I was large and in charge just because I was the man. Well, I wasn't, and was content to permit one of them to lead instead. So we set out from the overlook and my wife took TWO STEPS as the leader. TWO! On the third step she jumped back and smacked into me hard. Before I could ask her what was going on, I noticed the snake. It's head was in the berry bushes on one side of the trail and its tail was still in the undergrowth on the other. This snake was fat, happy, and very long. When the tail finally appeared, the large rattle was obvious. We were terribly freaked out, but the snake didn't seem to be bothered by us in the least. I reported the event to a Ranger we saw in the parking lot on our way out. He said, "You weren't in any danger. In twenty years as a Ranger, I've only had to treat two snake bites. Both of those were on hands. Now you tell me what those guys were doing."

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Mudfrog

+Mudfrog

Posted
Posted

Two weeks ago my wife and I did a combined backpacking/geocaching trip. I heard her scream and never saw her run so fast, particularly over steep, rocky terrain with a 30 lb pack. She had almost stepped on this and it struck at her. I think it is a hog nose snake. It was kind of cool, it had a flattened hood like a cobra.

 

Those are the coolest snakes! I've had a couple of them and they would either raise their flattened head and hiss like crazy, strike but not bite,,, and/or they would roll over and play dead, complete with tongue hanging out. :anicute:

 

We've seen many snakes while caching, here's three.

 

A beautiful Speckled King Snake

73343c3e-3ac7-4920-88dd-7243f38304a8.jpg

 

Small copperhead that was coiled up under the cache

9ee83e39-255f-468b-a84c-5a5038f28758.jpg

 

Texas Rat Snake

6396e5ee-ac16-4978-9296-01c5800ee30b.jpg

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stinger503

+stinger503

Posted
Posted

My first snake encounter was a 4 weeks ago or so. I was trying to find the best way to the cache and I noticed something moving on the path, small garter snake I think, but it ran off so I wasn't too freaked out.

 

The second encounter I was caching with my girlfriend, and I found a spot where the cache might be and started towards it around a large pile of branches. Two snakes, right by ME, darted into the branches. GF didn't believe me and I ran as fast as possible to the cache with her. As we got ready to leave the snakes started poking their heads out of the wood, so at least she saw proof that my panic attack was justified :anicute: . Needless to say we went around the way without snakes.

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BulldogBlitz

+BulldogBlitz

Posted
Posted

sorry, no pics to post for me...

 

two experiences (well three, but we won't discuss the copperhead skinning)..

 

cache a few weeks ago in a wooded greenbelt with a rock river nearby - perfect for snakes. crossed the rock river to the cache. three boulders, looking down at the gps to make sure which boulder was the target....

 

i step on a snake that was a decent size and unknown brand (know it wasn't a rattler or a coral - it was brown-ish). it scooted along really fast in one direction....me in the other. the problem was, it headed toward the cache. it went toward and continued away (but i didn't actually see it go further past). i was a little hesitant to stick my hand in the hole to get that cache.

 

other encounter was on the exit ramp of the highway near my house. a constrictor.... stretched from one side of the road to the other - it was moving across. i had no option.

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mertat

+mertat

Posted
Posted (edited)

Small copperhead that was coiled up under the cache

9ee83e39-255f-468b-a84c-5a5038f28758.jpg

Wow! What perfect camouflage - I kept thinking "There's no snake in that picture."

 

Here's a rattle snake I ran across - he didn't want to have anything to do with me and was leaving as I was taking the picture:

320501a7-3bf5-49ad-a358-372ebe72b5e9.jpg

Edited by mertat
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42at42

+42at42

Posted
Posted (edited)

Saw this little fella during a couple multi-caches in Alburgh, VT. He was nice enough to stop long enough for me to get this shot. Wasn't very long, maybe two feet.

IMG_1339.JPG

 

Looks to be a common gartersnake... Yes, I'm a bit of a herpetologist. Amateur though... HA

 

Why do they call it a garter snake. I hope women don't use these to hold up their stockings.

Edited by 42at42
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PeoriaBill

+PeoriaBill

Posted
Posted (edited)

Almost stepped on this guy while out caching. Hisses and slaps tail against the earth to imitate a rattler. I was startled and did not make the distinction till I took a second look. Not many rattlers in IL, but you never know. Peoria Bill :>)

2de7a7e5-075d-4bf8-8910-26c72ccc2def.jpg

 

FYI: Bull Snake

Edited by Peoria Bill
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Wadcutter

+Wadcutter

Posted
Posted

We didn't get a picture but wish now that we had. Here's my log for GC1KGB0:

Log notes on 04/04/10

Wadcutter couldn't find Fishing on Friday (Traditional Cache)

Headed to PCB and logged a few caches along the way.

As I got out of the truck to look for the cache Mrs WC's last words were "Carkit said it's a nice container."

We walked to where the coords pointed. I told her "Yup, sure is a nice container. Looks just like a rubber snake." I reached down and took hold of the container to retrieve the log. That's when we learned that the container was not a rubber snake nor was the snake rubber. I'm not sure who was more surprised - me or the "rubber" snake.

OK, enough of that. End of hunt. On to the next cache.

the Wadcutters

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Spectra20

+Spectra20

Posted
Posted

 

This is a great pic of a diamond back! it looks like he is trying to fly <_<

 

He was just about 3 feet long and sunning himself on the trail. When I moved in closer for the picture he started heading towards the bushes. Ironically, the cache I was after mentioned the lack of wildlife considering the posted warnings. :)

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k_statealan

k_statealan

Posted
Posted

Here's a snippet of a log on one of mine:

 

Climbed up a heaping mound of trash discards and searched through it to no avail. Uncovered my first snake (all black with a yellow stripe behind its head) and ceased that route of investigation. Shifted focus a bit to another area and ended up a dead end. Finally, shifted to another area and began to look for "stuff." I spotted a likely spot and managed to go up a very steep grade. As I crouched to reach into the hiding nook, I felt a rustling on my left wrist. As I looked over, I about wet my pants -- a juvenile copperhead (about 6 inches long) had slithered up and was crossing my hand!!!

 

I prayed to every heathen diety and our Christian supreme being that the little fellow would not scamper up my shirt sleeve. Thankfully, my prayers were answered as it moved along and then slithered over my shoe and into the leaves. I grabbed the container and moved about 15 feet away to more secure footing to sign the log.

 

As I began to return to replace the container, another 3 juveniles stuck their heads up just mere inches from where I was. I hope the cache owner does not mind, but I rehid the container in a nearby tree and not immediately in the vicinity of the snakes.

 

Thanks for a hair-raising adventure in a historical spot!! Wow!!

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roxaskid15

roxaskid15

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

Two weeks ago my wife and I did a combined backpacking/geocaching trip. I heard her scream and never saw her run so fast, particularly over steep, rocky terrain with a 30 lb pack. She had almost stepped on this and it struck at her. I think it is a hog nose snake. It was kind of cool, it had a flattened hood like a cobra.

 

Those are the coolest snakes! I've had a couple of them and they would either raise their flattened head and hiss like crazy, strike but not bite,,, and/or they would roll over and play dead, complete with tongue hanging out. :ph34r:

 

We've seen many snakes while caching, here's three.

 

 

Small copperhead that was coiled up under the cache

9ee83e39-255f-468b-a84c-5a5038f28758.jpg

 

wow nice camoflauge :ph34r:

Edited by roxaskid15
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t4e

+t4e

Posted
Posted

Wow! What perfect camouflage - I kept thinking "There's no snake in that picture."

 

 

i stared at that picture at least 5 minutes thinking the same, "there's no snake" lol

 

i don't know why i'm even looking at this thread, reptiles freak me right out

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simpjkee

+simpjkee

Posted
Posted

Saw this guy in between caches as I was crossing a wash in the Usery Mtns near Phoenix. My first rattlesnake.

 

 

Great video! I own a cache in that area and saw your log on that cache. I posted this video on the azcachers message board to share.

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Trucker Lee

+Trucker Lee

Posted
Posted

The camo on that copperhead is why high top boots are advisable in leave in areas they inhabit. And truth be told, most snakebites are on hands or feet, ankles down. Use the walking stick to move objects from over the cache and to retrieve a cache from a hole in rocks, or to poke around before sticking hand down there.

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