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Kirby Smart the Snake Killer

derek4tide

derek4tide

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Jan 19, 2005
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Tidetwin said:
Water Snakes can be large, fat and surly like a lot of people I know. :) Cottonmouths lose their coloration with age.

My guess is that Kirby killed something fairly harmless . . . similar to ND's offense.
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Growing up on the Tennessee River, I killed a 6 foot cottonmouth as a kid.....is that big? ;)
 
B

bamafaninOhiO

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Tidetwin said:
Water Snakes can be large, fat and surly like a lot of people I know. :) Cottonmouths lose their coloration with age.

My guess is that Kirby killed something fairly harmless . . . similar to ND's offense.
Click to expand...
that looks a little big for a cotton mouth....thats a very large snake, and most cotton mouths tend to be less than 3 feet in length...
 
FitToBeTide

FitToBeTide

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If you live in the south, you've got a snake story. I have many. Found this guy all snug as a bug on my deck a while back. Brown water snake about 4' long, non-poisonous, common here on the water where live. He had to have dropped down from the roof or climbed the siding to get up there. CKS has what looks like a chunky body cottonmouth.
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bamacon

bamacon

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That looks like a Cottonmouth aka Water Moccasin especially given where he is standing. Chicken snakes also get huge and look very similar to the CM. I was weedeating last summer and almost hit one. It was 6 feet long. After a quick trip to the truck it was a little shorter. About a head shorter.:)
 
TIDE-HSV

TIDE-HSV

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Oct 13, 1999
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The thick body argues for a moccasin. The long, slender tail argues against. However, the main problem with it's being a moccasin - or any type of pit viper at all - is the slender head and thick neck. All pit vipers, which includes all venomous snakes in the country except for the coral snake in FL and southern coastal regions, have a thick, triangular head and thin neck, which this snake obviously doesn't. The triangle is to accommodate the glands which hold the venom. Outside the coral, that's the most defining characteristic. We live on top of a mountain in 3 acres of woods and we have endless rodents - mice, voles, chipmunks, squirrels - you name it. We love our snakes, our allies in keeping their populations down. We have an amateur herpetologist who also lives on the mountain, so, when we do turn up the odd rattler, we just call Bill to come pick it up. The venomous snakes are also more interested in rodents and other small prey and any contact with humans is totally accidental. We're careful, as I have been since I was a kid. I've been coexisting with them in the woods for a long time. I'm just very conscious of where I place my hands and feet...
 
C

Crimson Speed

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Oct 2, 2005
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TIDE-HSV said:
The thick body argues for a moccasin. The long, slender tail argues against. However, the main problem with it's being a moccasin - or any type of pit viper at all - is the slender head and thick neck. All pit vipers, which includes all venomous snakes in the country except for the coral snake in FL and southern coastal regions, have a thick, triangular head and thin neck, which this snake obviously doesn't. The triangle is to accommodate the glands which hold the venom. Outside the coral, that's the most defining characteristic.
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Exactly. All pit vipers (rattlers, copperheads, and cotton mouth/water moccasins) have a very distinctive wide flat triangular shaped head and a very small neck. If if doesn't, they are not one of the above. Coral snakes are totally different and, while venomous and deadly, they do not have the triangular shaped head. Kirby's kill does not appear to be the dangerous variety, unless it could give someone a heart attack when they stumble upon one.
Our home in Tennessee is surrounded by woods and we see them from time to time. My motto is that they are free to roam the woods and I leave them along, but I will not stand for snakes in my yard, period.
 
UnNFormedFan

UnNFormedFan

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Dec 22, 2009
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I live on 80 acres of hunting land in LA and I am covered up with snakes. THis one while would scare the bejesus out of me I think is a non poisonous snake of an unknown variety. Best thing about him is he is dead.
 
BamaFlum

BamaFlum

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Dec 11, 2002
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TIDE-HSV said:
The thick body argues for a moccasin. The long, slender tail argues against. However, the main problem with it's being a moccasin - or any type of pit viper at all - is the slender head and thick neck. All pit vipers, which includes all venomous snakes in the country except for the coral snake in FL and southern coastal regions, have a thick, triangular head and thin neck, which this snake obviously doesn't. The triangle is to accommodate the glands which hold the venom. Outside the coral, that's the most defining characteristic. We live on top of a mountain in 3 acres of woods and we have endless rodents - mice, voles, chipmunks, squirrels - you name it. We love our snakes, our allies in keeping their populations down. We have an amateur herpetologist who also lives on the mountain, so, when we do turn up the odd rattler, we just call Bill to come pick it up. The venomous snakes are also more interested in rodents and other small prey and any contact with humans is totally accidental. We're careful, as I have been since I was a kid. I've been coexisting with them in the woods for a long time. I'm just very conscious of where I place my hands and feet...
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Snakes are very beneficial and even though I'm not find of them, they don't skeer me. Now my wife and daughter...not so much. I buncha Earl could hear their screams in Huntsville if a snake wandered into our yard.
 
A

Alasippi

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Aug 31, 2007
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derek4tide said:
Looks like a cottonmouth from this angle.
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I'd agree, I don't see any rattlers. Amazing that in North,Bama a cottonmouth is more black and banded.
In South, Mississippi they're almost chocolate velvety brown with no bands at all.
I know, I killed two in my backyard last summer. I hate those things. They'll actually come after you if you're in their territory.
sip
 
A

Alasippi

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1FitToBeTide said:
If you live in the south, you've got a snake story. I have many. Found this guy all snug as a bug on my deck a while back. Brown water snake about 4' long, non-poisonous, common here on the water where live. He had to have dropped down from the roof or climbed the siding to get up there. CKS has what looks like a chunky body cottonmouth.
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Dude, look at that thick body and the white around that mouth. Plus the shape of the head. I think that's a cotton mouth my man. They love high areas like trees and such. sip
 
B

BubbaOne

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Jun 27, 2007
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I live in S. Georgia where rattlers and cotton mouths abound. We have a 9 ft king snake that lives around our house been there years; scary but friendly. Kirby is holding a huge water snake. He does not have a triangular her and his tail is too long and narrow. I would bet someone else did the deed and Kirby picked it up for show since he is standing on a rocky surface in flip flops. It might just be a water snake but something that big would be unafraid of you. There is a reason they make 20 gauge pump action shotguns.
 
FitToBeTide

FitToBeTide

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'Sip, I knowz my snakes. Got a good look at him when I did the extraction. Brownie, like I said. Not a problem. Wish he'd go after the muskrats destroying my seawall...
 
D

deliveryman35

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Looks like a chicken snake to me....they can be big and intimidating, but they aren't poisonous.

All you snake-haters, don't forget, snakes ARE good for one thing--they help keep the rodent population in check. I'd rather have a few snakes slithering around out in the woods than be up to our ears in rats, mice, and other disease-carrying vermin.
 
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Go Bama

Go Bama

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deliveryman35 said:
Looks like a chicken snake to me....they can be big and intimidating, but they aren't poisonous.

All you snake-haters, don't forget, snakes ARE good for one thing--they help keep the rodent population in check. I'd rather have a few snakes slithering around out in the woods than be up to our ears in rats, mice, and other disease-carrying vermin.
Click to expand...
My two cats control the rodent and snake population very well at my house. I only have one acre. If I had more I might consider a few pet snakes ... but probably not.
 
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