Cottonmouth Taking up Residence

Many water snake species of the genus Nerodia are mistaken for
cottonmouths, particuarly older specimens with uniform coloration.
Perhaps these sites shall be of assistance.

http://www.wlf.state.la.us/apps/netgear/index.asp?cn=lawlf&pid=642
http://www.wlf.state.la.us/apps/netgear/index.asp?cn=lawlf&pid=611

Chip Anderson

2005-07-11 01:00:13 UTC

Post by Eric
Many water snake species of the genus Nerodia are mistaken for
cottonmouths, particuarly older specimens with uniform coloration.
Perhaps these sites shall be of assistance.
http://www.wlf.state.la.us/apps/netgear/index.asp?cn=lawlf&pid=642
http://www.wlf.state.la.us/apps/netgear/index.asp?cn=lawlf&pid=611

I can readily identify a cottonmouth. As a teenager, friends and I would
canoe along the banks or local waterways and collect snakes. Only one of
us ever received poisonous bites. Of course he actually kept copperheads
and water moccasins.

Thanks for the links though.

--
---
Chip

"Oderint dum metuant."
- Lucius Accius

KB2

2005-07-10 03:43:29 UTC

I would say better safe then sorry, regardless.

I know if I had children and especially if they were just having a good time
playing outside, and a cottonmouth bit them. You would be sorry...

Good luck, use a .22!

Post by Chip Anderson
I live in South Louisiana above the second bank of a bayou and on occassion
a water snake will wander through my yard. In the past, these have usually
been transients brought about by flooding from storms and such.
Now it seems that a cottonmouth of about two and a half to three feet may
have taken up residence. It was sighted moving from the yard to under the
house twice about two days apart.
I really hate having to kill it but I can't let a aggressive venemous
reptile such as the cottonmouth hang about because children play in the
yard; not to mention pets. Should I give it another day or two or hunt it
down and kill it?
I haven't seen it myself and the person who did isn't as familiar with
local snakes as I. It could be a hognose but I doubt it. Please note
that if I happen to see it in the yard, I will shoot it immediately.
--
---
Chip
"Oderint dum metuant."
- Lucius Accius

Chip Anderson

2005-07-11 01:01:37 UTC

Post by KB2
I would say better safe then sorry, regardless.
I know if I had children and especially if they were just having a
good time playing outside, and a cottonmouth bit them. You would be
sorry...
Good luck, use a .22!

It's illegal to fire .22 in my Parish. I'll use the 16 gauge.

-->snip<--

--
---
Chip

"Oderint dum metuant."
- Lucius Accius

OmManiPadmeOmelet

2005-07-10 07:11:12 UTC

Why don't you hunt it down, capture it and release it elsewhere?

There is no reason to kill it. There are plenty of places to release in
the swamps!

--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

Daniel Morrow

2005-07-10 22:21:12 UTC

Please note

Post by Chip Anderson
that if I happen to see it in the yard, I will shoot it immediately.

Why don't you hunt it down, capture it and release it elsewhere?

Yeah, really. I agree with Omelet.

Post by OmManiPadmeOmelet
There is no reason to kill it. There are plenty of places to release in
the swamps!
--
Om.

OmManiPadmeOmelet

2005-07-10 22:51:11 UTC

Post by Chip Anderson
Please note

Post by Chip Anderson
that if I happen to see it in the yard, I will shoot it immediately.

Why don't you hunt it down, capture it and release it elsewhere?

Yeah, really. I agree with Omelet.

Thank you... ;-)
And for the record, I _have_ captured cottonmouths, rattlesnakes and
copperheads using a snake hook and either relocated them personally (way
away from civilization with a local source of water) or turned them over
to Wildlife rescue...

I found it amusing once when I called a local wildlife rescue facility
and asked them if they took rattlesnakes as I had just captured one in
my chickenyard and did not have time to deal with it. The person that
answered the phone was slightly snotty and replied that they would
release it.

I replied, "well of course I knew you would! I just don't have time for
a long drive right now and want it out of here". <lol> She was mollified
and sent a volunteer to pick it up. ;-)

--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

Chip Anderson

2005-07-11 01:03:25 UTC

Post by Chip Anderson
I live in South Louisiana above the second bank of a bayou and on
occassion a water snake will wander through my yard. In the past,
these have usually been transients brought about by flooding from
storms and such.
Now it seems that a cottonmouth of about two and a half to three feet
may have taken up residence. It was sighted moving from the yard to
under the house twice about two days apart.
I really hate having to kill it but I can't let a aggressive venemous
reptile such as the cottonmouth hang about because children play in
the yard; not to mention pets. Should I give it another day or two
or hunt it down and kill it?
I haven't seen it myself and the person who did isn't as familiar
with local snakes as I. It could be a hognose but I doubt it.
Please note that if I happen to see it in the yard, I will shoot it
immediately.

Why don't you hunt it down, capture it and release it elsewhere?
There is no reason to kill it. There are plenty of places to release
in the swamps!

No effing way will I attempt to live capture a cottonmouth. I have a crazy
friend that used to and he has the scars to show it.

--
---
Chip

"Oderint dum metuant."
- Lucius Accius

OmManiPadmeOmelet

2005-07-11 01:29:12 UTC

Post by Chip Anderson
I live in South Louisiana above the second bank of a bayou and on
occassion a water snake will wander through my yard. In the past,
these have usually been transients brought about by flooding from
storms and such.
Now it seems that a cottonmouth of about two and a half to three feet
may have taken up residence. It was sighted moving from the yard to
under the house twice about two days apart.
I really hate having to kill it but I can't let a aggressive venemous
reptile such as the cottonmouth hang about because children play in
the yard; not to mention pets. Should I give it another day or two
or hunt it down and kill it?
I haven't seen it myself and the person who did isn't as familiar
with local snakes as I. It could be a hognose but I doubt it.
Please note that if I happen to see it in the yard, I will shoot it
immediately.

Why don't you hunt it down, capture it and release it elsewhere?
There is no reason to kill it. There are plenty of places to release
in the swamps!

No effing way will I attempt to live capture a cottonmouth. I have a crazy
friend that used to and he has the scars to show it.

I've captured them and never had a problem...

Proper technique is all it takes.

But, if you are not comfortable with handling snakes like that, I
understand. ;-)

I'd suggest you not handle _any_ wild snakes then as the safe ones bite
too! While the others are not dangerous, the bites can get infected.

Cheers and good luck!

Frankly, it's quite a thrill (for me at least) to capture pit vipers,
but I am very, very careful and have yet to be bitten. <knocking on
wood>.

--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

Chip Anderson

2005-07-11 01:41:28 UTC

Post by Chip Anderson
I live in South Louisiana above the second bank of a bayou and on
occassion a water snake will wander through my yard. In the past,
these have usually been transients brought about by flooding from
storms and such.
Now it seems that a cottonmouth of about two and a half to three
feet may have taken up residence. It was sighted moving from the
yard to under the house twice about two days apart.
I really hate having to kill it but I can't let a aggressive
venemous reptile such as the cottonmouth hang about because
children play in the yard; not to mention pets. Should I give it
another day or two or hunt it down and kill it?
I haven't seen it myself and the person who did isn't as familiar
with local snakes as I. It could be a hognose but I doubt it.
Please note that if I happen to see it in the yard, I will shoot
it immediately.

Why don't you hunt it down, capture it and release it elsewhere?
There is no reason to kill it. There are plenty of places to
release in the swamps!

No effing way will I attempt to live capture a cottonmouth. I have a
crazy friend that used to and he has the scars to show it.

Yes, I've been bitten many times. We never used hooks or nooses. A big
diamond back watersnake can hit pretty hard. Thankfully, the bites never
became infected.

Post by OmManiPadmeOmelet
Cheers and good luck!
Frankly, it's quite a thrill (for me at least) to capture pit vipers,
but I am very, very careful and have yet to be bitten. <knocking on
wood>.

Yes, I think that's why my friend did it.

--
---
Chip

"Oderint dum metuant."
- Lucius Accius

OmManiPadmeOmelet

2005-07-11 06:27:10 UTC

Post by Chip Anderson
Yes, I've been bitten many times. We never used hooks or nooses. A big
diamond back watersnake can hit pretty hard. Thankfully, the bites never
became infected.

A simple snake (pinning) hook is easy to make and makes snake capture a
lot easier and safer. What we mostly have around here are racers and
Texas Rat Snakes. I don't find it pleasant to be bitten so I keep a
pinning hook handy in the back yard and one by the back door.

Go to the pawn shop and purchase an inexpensive putter/golf club. Cut
out the upper part of the club so that the remaining metal forms a flat
hook. File it smooth.

Makes a nice looking tool and it's a decent handle length. They can sell
for up to $60.00 each. ;-) A club from the pawn shop usually runs about
$5.00.

You can probably pay a welder $10.00 to do the cutting for you if you
don't want to spend a lot of time with a hack saw. A reciprocating saw
with a metal blade also works.

Post by OmManiPadmeOmelet
Cheers and good luck!
Frankly, it's quite a thrill (for me at least) to capture pit vipers,
but I am very, very careful and have yet to be bitten. <knocking on
wood>.

Yes, I think that's why my friend did it.

The rush lasts for hours. ;-)

--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

griffin

2005-07-10 16:11:57 UTC

I agree with Om. Why not just catch it and release it elsewhere if you feel
comfortable doing so, or see if you can find someone who will do so for you.
Where do you live, btw? Baton Rouge is my hometown :)

griffin

Chip Anderson

2005-07-11 01:06:51 UTC

Post by griffin

Post by Chip Anderson
I live in South Louisiana above the second bank of a bayou and on
occassion a water snake will wander through my yard. In the past,
these have usually been transients brought about by flooding from
storms and such.
Now it seems that a cottonmouth of about two and a half to three feet
may have taken up residence. It was sighted moving from the yard to
under the house twice about two days apart.
I really hate having to kill it but I can't let a aggressive venemous
reptile such as the cottonmouth hang about because children play in
the yard; not to mention pets. Should I give it another day or two
or hunt it down and kill it?
I haven't seen it myself and the person who did isn't as familiar
with local snakes as I. It could be a hognose but I doubt it.
Please note that if I happen to see it in the yard, I will shoot it
immediately.

I agree with Om. Why not just catch it and release it elsewhere if you
feel comfortable doing so, or see if you can find someone who will do
so for you. Where do you live, btw? Baton Rouge is my hometown :)

I live in New Iberia. The Sherrif would shoot it too.

--
---
Chip

"Oderint dum metuant."
- Lucius Accius

warrigal

2005-07-13 03:01:05 UTC

Post by Chip Anderson
I haven't seen it myself and the person who did isn't as familiar with
local snakes as I. It could be a hognose but I doubt it. Please note
that if I happen to see it in the yard, I will shoot it immediately.

If you keep your yard is tidy you won't have a problem with it hanging
around. If your yard is full of crap and rodents I guess you'll be too
lazy to clean it up and you'll just shoot it anyway.

Chip Anderson

2005-07-25 05:38:07 UTC

Post by warrigal

If you keep your yard is tidy you won't have a problem with it hanging
around. If your yard is full of crap and rodents I guess you'll be too
lazy to clean it up and you'll just shoot it anyway.

Um, I live in the sub-tropics and my backyard is an acre of various trees,
flower beds, and herb and vegetable gardens. With the riding lawn-mower it
takes over an hour to cut the grass. To top it off, there is a bayou about
100 yards off.

In my yard, you may see fox squirrels, flying squirrels, possum, raccoons,
small screech and big horned owls that go hoo hoo hoohoooo, small brown
snakes, big green lizards, skinks, humming birds, flocks of grackles,
cardinals, mockingbirds, bluejays and the occassional egret. Crawfish make
their homes around my drainage ditch.

When I was a child, I recall seeing my cat, Fluffy, face off a nutria rat
that was bigger than him. More recently, my neighbor, who is from England,
knocked on my door to have me move a possum from the road. It was standing
in the road challenging her car and she didn't care to run it over. No, I
didn't shoot it, I grabbed a big stick and nudged it off the road. It
complained the whole time but that was just for show. It seemed happy to
have an excuse to leave off from challenging the car.

As for rats and mice, when we kept animals such as chickens, rabbits,
quail, beagles and pointers, there was no way too keeps rats away from the
feed shed. I had a grand time killing them.

--
---
Chip

"Oderint dum metuant."
- Lucius Accius

Cindy

2005-07-25 17:44:12 UTC

*snip*

Post by Chip Anderson
As for rats and mice, when we kept animals such as chickens, rabbits,
quail, beagles and pointers, there was no way too keeps rats away
from the feed shed. I had a grand time killing them.

When I was a kid, we had the small rectangular hay bales. Dad would leave
the bottom layer of the haystack on the ground to be dozed up and burned
later, because the bales would be all mousey and the cows wouldn't eat
them. So my brother and I would go turn the bales over and stomp the mice
or let the dogs chase them. Great screaming fun, especially when one ran up
your leg! Sometimes we'd see how many we could catch and put in a 5-gal.
bucket, then find something evil to do to them. Kids.
;)
Cindy

Riverbuny

2005-07-29 00:26:59 UTC

Post by Cindy
*snip*

OMG I do hope your kidding

Grainne Gillespie

2005-07-30 01:04:34 UTC

Post by Riverbuny

Post by Cindy
When I was a kid, we had the small rectangular hay bales. Dad would leave
the bottom layer of the haystack on the ground to be dozed up and burned
later, because the bales would be all mousey and the cows wouldn't eat
them. So my brother and I would go turn the bales over and stomp the mice
or let the dogs chase them. Great screaming fun, especially when one ran up
your leg! Sometimes we'd see how many we could catch and put in a 5-gal.
bucket, then find something evil to do to them. Kids.
;)
Cindy

OMG I do hope your kidding

You do know that mice are considered vermin on farms and that farmers think
killing them is a good thing?

Cindy

2005-07-30 03:15:01 UTC

Post by Riverbuny

Post by Cindy
When I was a kid, we had the small rectangular hay bales. Dad
would leave the bottom layer of the haystack on the ground to be
dozed up and burned later, because the bales would be all mousey
and the cows wouldn't eat them. So my brother and I would go turn
the bales over and stomp the mice or let the dogs chase them.
Great screaming fun, especially when one ran up your leg!
Sometimes we'd see how many we could catch and put in a 5-gal.
bucket, then find something evil to do to them. Kids. ;)
Cindy

OMG I do hope your kidding

You do know that mice are considered vermin on farms and that farmers
think killing them is a good thing?

There you have it in a nutshell.
:)

Cindy

2005-07-31 20:39:52 UTC

Post by Riverbuny
OMG I do hope your kidding

You do know that mice are considered vermin on farms and that farmers
think killing them is a good thing?

There you have it in a nutshell.
:)

Also, wouldn't you consider mice living in your kitchen and chewing up your
cereal, flour and whatever they can get vermin, and something to get rid of?
Not much difference IMO if they're ruining the farmer's cow feed.

Cindy

b***@cs.toronto.no-uce.edu

2005-07-31 21:57:28 UTC

Post by Riverbuny
OMG I do hope your kidding

You do know that mice are considered vermin on farms and that farmers
think killing them is a good thing?

There you have it in a nutshell.
:)

The issue is not whether mice are vermin, it's what you do to get rid
of them. I think most people would regard more humane methods as
preferable. You implied that you and your little friends took them off
to have fun killing them cruelly. I don't think torturing animals to
death, vermin or no, is a good activity for children, and that's what
other posters are reacting to.

crotalus

2005-08-01 20:53:48 UTC

I think we are suppose to help Chip get rid of the cottonmouth, without
killing it. The fact is I would kill a million mice before taking the
life of a snake, even the venomous ones. Mice are vermin. Mice and rats
have been spreading disease throughout time. When there populations get
out of control that is when they are harmfull. Today they are still
harming people and causing millions of dollars worth of damage. The
number one purpose of rats and mice are to feed other animals. What is
sad is that so many animals that eat these nasty critters are being
killed themselves. The only thing I like about rats and mice is that
they keep other animals alive! It is a little scary that killing
becomes fun, but that is what kids do.

When I was a kid we put a mouse in a styrofoam cup and set it sail in a
pond. We threw rocks at it until the mouse no longer had a boat. The
mouse started swiming and quickly became a meal for a largemouth bass.
I also once shot a robin with a bb gun that I was trying to miss, my
brother wanted me to shot it. I cryed myself to sleep that night and
many after. There is a big differance between killing a mouse and
killing real wildlife.

At the moment I have lyme disease as do many people. Guess where it
comes from, mice and rats! It does not come from the tick, just spread
by it. So lets do our part and kill off these basterds and just leave
enough for the real wildlife, what little is left, to survive on.

Sorry if I offended anyone, I just hate to hear people defend these
nasty animals that are only here as prey.

Chip Anderson

2005-08-04 04:53:59 UTC

Post by crotalus
I think we are suppose to help Chip get rid of the cottonmouth, without
killing it. The fact is I would kill a million mice before taking the

-->snip<--

I think the snake must have left. There was a cat with some kittens that
had stopped staying under the house near the back steps and took to
sleeping on benches. They seem to have moved back under the house.

--
---
Chip

"Oderint dum metuant."
- Lucius Accius

warrigal

2005-08-11 04:33:33 UTC

Post by crotalus
I think we are suppose to help Chip get rid of the cottonmouth, without
killing it. The fact is I would kill a million mice before taking the

-->snip<--
I think the snake must have left. There was a cat with some kittens that
had stopped staying under the house near the back steps and took to
sleeping on benches. They seem to have moved back under the house.

Todays special is toxoplasma gondii mud pie. Ditch the cats and keep
the snake, statistics say you'll be much safer

Riverbuny

2005-08-10 13:23:23 UTC

Post by Riverbuny
OMG I do hope your kidding

You do know that mice are considered vermin on farms and that farmers
think killing them is a good thing?

There you have it in a nutshell.
:)

Yes I do, we've had trouble one fall/winter with field mice. They got
inside and I used the "have a heart" trap to get them. When I drove them
out in the country to let them go I saw that one had had babies. It was
too cold for them to survive so I kept them in a terrarium until spring.
This past year we had rats get inside and do damage my DH wasn't fooling
around this time and we had to use poison to be rid of them. I knew it
had to be done but hated like hell to do it. I hate to see any living
thing suffer, even spiders, which I hate, I'll save out of the pool.
Linda

Cindy

2005-07-31 20:39:52 UTC

Post by Riverbuny
OMG I do hope your kidding

You do know that mice are considered vermin on farms and that farmers
think killing them is a good thing?

There you have it in a nutshell.
:)

Chip Anderson

2005-07-31 02:41:46 UTC

Post by Riverbuny

Post by Cindy
*snip*

When I was a kid, we had the small rectangular hay bales. Dad would
leave the bottom layer of the haystack on the ground to be dozed up
and burned later, because the bales would be all mousey and the cows
wouldn't eat them. So my brother and I would go turn the bales over
and stomp the mice or let the dogs chase them. Great screaming fun,
especially when one ran up your leg! Sometimes we'd see how many we
could catch and put in a 5-gal. bucket, then find something evil to
do to them. Kids. ;)
Cindy

OMG I do hope your kidding

I seriously doubt it. I used to hang out a friend's dairy farm in Cade,
Louisiana when I was a kid. Also my grandpa's barnyard was great fun to
play in to.

As an aside, Mom said she always worried about us getting into trouble in
the pig pens. She needn't have worried, the sows with piglets could be
downright mean and we gave them great respect and a wide berth.

Apologies for digressing so far off topic.

--
---
Chip

"Oderint dum metuant."
- Lucius Accius

warrigal

2005-07-26 02:31:47 UTC

Post by Chip Anderson
Um, I live in the sub-tropics and my backyard is an acre of various trees,
flower beds, and herb and vegetable gardens. With the riding lawn-mower it
takes over an hour to cut the grass. To top it off, there is a bayou about
100 yards off.
In my yard, you may see fox squirrels, flying squirrels, possum, raccoons,
small screech and big horned owls that go hoo hoo hoohoooo, small brown
snakes, big green lizards, skinks, humming birds, flocks of grackles,
cardinals, mockingbirds, bluejays and the occassional egret. Crawfish make
their homes around my drainage ditch.

You'll never be rid of snakes in that sort of environment, it's
paradise. Suggest you put the effort into teaching the children snake
awareness rather than chasing ghosts.

Chip Anderson

2005-07-26 21:46:31 UTC

Post by warrigal

Post by Chip Anderson
Um, I live in the sub-tropics and my backyard is an acre of various
trees, flower beds, and herb and vegetable gardens. With the riding
lawn-mower it takes over an hour to cut the grass. To top it off,
there is a bayou about 100 yards off.
In my yard, you may see fox squirrels, flying squirrels, possum,
raccoons, small screech and big horned owls that go hoo hoo hoohoooo,
small brown snakes, big green lizards, skinks, humming birds, flocks
of grackles, cardinals, mockingbirds, bluejays and the occassional
egret. Crawfish make their homes around my drainage ditch.

You'll never be rid of snakes in that sort of environment, it's
paradise. Suggest you put the effort into teaching the children snake
awareness rather than chasing ghosts.

Most snakes don't bother me or mine; vemonous ones do. Fortunately, they
seem to number only about one in twenty hereabouts.

My nephews and nieces catch and play with the smaller non-venemous snakes.

--
---
Chip

"Oderint dum metuant."
- Lucius Accius

crotalus

2005-07-27 19:16:43 UTC

Hey Chip,
there are a lot of cottonmouths in Louisiana. I caught my first in a
slough off the long I-10 bridge.

If you got to kill it kill it. As a child in Houston TX I killed snakes
and my dad always told me to leave them alone, he said we are just
visitors in there home. I stoped killing after I realzed what he meant
and have become a nature freak to make up for the lives I did take. I
am not going to beg you not to kill it or throw any enviromental BS on
you. There are plenty of cottomouths living withen there range. If you
are interested in saving it the people here posted some good methods of
doing so. I have caught thousands of cottonmouths and despite what
people say they are not aggressive. You are probally thinking I have
lost my mind but this is very true. The open mouth display is used
frequantly and looks very scary to someone who dont know them but it is
just a ploy to get you away from them. The smaller less venomous
copperhead is much more quick to strike. To this day I have never
actually been struck at by a cottonmouth and I have put my boot in
there open mouths, they just open there mouth wider. Its all a show. I
am not saying you should reach down and pick it up caus you will get
bit. There heat sensitive pits will tell them when to make a strike,
one that will result in a hit! A moving cottonmouth can be picked by
its tail supporting its body with a stick, if it acts like it is going
to do something push the head away with the stick. Very simple. I got a
feeling you dont want to kill it or you would not be here, whatever you
decide to do good luck and be carefull.

Chip Anderson

2005-07-31 02:34:51 UTC