I READ YOUR COMMENTS AND DECIDED TO UPLOAD THIS VIDEO, EVEN THOUGH IT GOES BLURRY ONCE OR TWICE AS THE CAMERA ADJUSTS TO MY MOVEMENT.
SOME OF YOU WERE CURIOUS ABOUT HOW CLOSE I WAS.
I STAYED OUT OF HIS STRIKE ZONE AS I CIRCLED HIM FOR THE MOVIE AND STILL PICS ... AND I USED A LONG PINE BRANCH TO SCOOTCH HIM OFF THE ROAD AFTER THE PHOTO SESSION.
MY ADVICE FOR YOU IS TO GIVE EVERY VENOMOUS OR UNKNOWN SNAKE ABOUT TEN FEET AT THE MINIMUM, AND THEN ENJOY THE ENCOUNTER.
GOING CLOSER IS A PERSONAL DECISION AND NOT ENCOURAGED HERE AT PF.
HAVING SAID THAT, I OBVIOUSLY GO CLOSER FOR PHOTOS, OR TO SLIDE A SNAKE OFF THE ROAD BEFORE THE NEXT, AND MAYBE NOT SO FRIENDLY, TRUCK COMES ALONG.
I DO NOT ADVISE THAT (KEVIN EXCLUDED) AS A GENERAL POLICY.
WE ALL MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT RISK.
SOME OF YOU ACTUALLY FLY ON AIRPLANES ... SHUDDER.
I PREFER TAKING CHANCES WITH A TOOTHY, SPIKEY, OR VENOMOUS CRITTER TO BE QUITE HONEST.
ENJOY THE VIDEO.
Oh great ... I was almost across this dirt road and in the safety of the tall grass ... and here comes FC.
I just know he's going to mess with me.
I will glare at him. Maybe he will go away.
Nope. The glare is not working.
I will raise my head in a threat display.
That should do it. I'll just let him know I am aware of him and am ready.
Okay, he's pushing this thing so he gets the whole cottonmouth display and a view of my fangs.
I've gone through my list and he's working up to the grand finale.
Better back off FC!
See these fangs!
Yeah, buddy, I'm hissing at you.
That's right!
I'm packing.
Don't get any closer. Just because I keep them folded back doesn't mean I can't poke 'em in you in a heartbeat.
Ever hear of a switchblade?
Ever hear of one loaded with venom?
Well, that's more like it. Now leave me alone and let me slide off this road.
You're such a pest, FC.
Now go away.
FC-
ReplyDeleteI remember the last time I was there and we basically save one of these guys from Bubba and his truck! Maybe this was him and he remembered our act of kindness?
Lightnin
I think thanks to the attitude and the display cottonmouths will always be one of my favourite snakes.
ReplyDeleteUm...that is pretty scary. I hope you were using the zoom on your camera.... Amazing photos!
ReplyDeleteOops.....hold on, I'll be back.
ReplyDeleteNeed to take my blood pressure meds.
P
*shudder*
ReplyDeleteHave a great, snake-bite free weekend LOL
very cooperative reptile. beautiful too.
ReplyDeletehow close were you?
What a beautiful creature. But yikes, isn't that a little too close?
ReplyDeleteHi FC,
ReplyDeleteOkiedokie, I'm back, pressure down.
I'm with the snake.
Stop aggravating the little dude. His buddy might sneak uo behind you one day!!
I really hope that was a powerful zoom.
Patio
What a hilarious post - along with great photos!
ReplyDeleteWhere was Bear?
ReplyDeleteOk...that was creepy. I will not be showing my son, Tom Sawyer this post. He has already hidden a very large, stinky Indigo snake in our hall closet and put a small ring neck in his top bunk.
ReplyDeleteYou are insane!!! I sure hope you used your zoom!!!
ReplyDeletevery cool snake. very close snake. don't pester TOO much!
ReplyDeleteFC you are either very brave or very crazy ;)
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures!
ReplyDeleteKinda funny the word verification for this was "jawimp." I'd say FC is not a wimp. 8^)
Pretty cool, FC. I think I would have stuck to pictures, but the video was nice.
ReplyDeleteWOW and I was terrified when I came home last week to a snake the size of a pencil on my front porch! I know there are snakes everywhere, but in my 29 years of living in FL I have seen more snakes in my own yard than in the 19 years of running the hills of KY I did before that. And they have the nerve here to actually slither into my library! Good thing we got him out or I would still be on medical leave (Is afraid of snakes in the library a disability? I hope the school district thinks so if it ever happens again :)
ReplyDeleteThe pictures were enough thank you very much. NO need for a video.
ReplyDeletevery nice.. i really like nature and it's creatures especially snakes beauty.. Thanks..
ReplyDeleteY'all,
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked(?) the shots and video.
Moc's get a bad rap for being an offensive snake when it's more like they are too DEfensive.
They don't scoot off like other snakes. They hold their ground and if that ground is brushy or grassy, you might get too close before you know it's there.
Notice how this one never made a break for it.
Not even when I scootched her off the road with a stick. She just coiled up and slid like a doughnut across the gravel to the grassy berm as I pushed gently with the pine branch.
She never struck either, but don't count on that.
Compare her behavior to almost any other snake ... most would have been gone like a vanishing ripple the moment I got out of the JEEP.
Didja notice it's trachea?
Pretty cool, huh?
I've caught and handled a lot of snakes, from small grass snakes to some pretty damn big rattlesnakes and none of bothered me. Water moccasins make me nervous, they just seem to have nothing but bad intentions.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with the ten foot rule, especially if you don't know what kind of snake you're dealing with.
Thanks for the vote of confidence.
um, as i've said before, better you than me. but thanks for sharing, because obviously -- due to distance and freaked-out-ness -- i would never see something like this in life.
ReplyDeleteThey are the most dangerous thing out there for that reason ... they don't get out of your way but rather protect their turf. (And it is there turf so I can't blame them!)
ReplyDeleteDAWG! Mocs are one of the few snakes that I'm a bit afraid of. And diamondbacks. Just saw a clip the other day about some eejit that got hisownself bit by a DB. He was taking pictures and got too close. รถ
ReplyDeletePersonally, I give those guys a very wide berth... at least twice their body length is my general rule. Better yet, I'll shoot through the car window.
Re your previous tupelo post... too bad the old guy that usually mans the stand wasn't around. Bet you and he woulda had a gabfest. 8-] I'm not a real big honey consumer, either, but I do love me some tupelo. Ever see Ulee's Gold?
Sayre was right, the preacher who used to sell it over by Wacky Springs 'went home' a couple years back. I haven't been by to see if anybody else took over. Hey, I've bought honey from that place outside Palatka! San Mateo, right? I often wonder if they're still there. Now I'm gonna have to get over to Hosford. I've passed the road TO it a jillion times.
I'm a snake mover also. A lot of people kill a snake just because it is a snake. My father raised me to appreciate and respect snakes. I think they're beautiful. Thank you for the post ... I enjoyed the pics the video and the little story very much.
ReplyDeleteThis is HORRIFYING...but I love it! So glad you posted the video too. The photos are amazing! You're much braver than I!!
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon FC,
ReplyDeleteNeet shots and nice to see that you got it off the road. It always burns me up to see a snake dead on the road, because you know the jerk that killed it, could have avoided it.
Wow, what a beauty! As for how close you are to the snake: I've been reading your blog long enough to know that you know your way around snakes and aren't taking any foolish risks.
ReplyDeleteFC and Kevin,
ReplyDeleteI love you guys and would like to keep you around a little longer. I can see that you are not going to heed my advice. Any snake that is not green or jet black gets the 10 foot rule from me. To find out what it is other than that I would have to get closer, not gonna happen.
Keep up the good works FC. Just try to stay alive.
Billy
bold and ALL CAPS? are you trying to blind me? :-P
ReplyDeletevery cool video!
Hey! I can see it's V-NO-NO! Very cool video. So I'm a day late and a comment short- I like this one.
ReplyDeleteI was very pleased to find this site.I wanted to thank you for this great read!
ReplyDelete