Pictures are Better Than The Finds

[Nana40]

I went to the park yesterday and found a few coins and a cheap necklace. Stayed a little over an hour. I think I have hunted this place out! This afternoon my son called and asked if Charlie and I wanted to go fishing at Locust Fork river. Sounded like fun to me, so we packed up and headed on over. They fished and I detected all the fishing weights. :P

While digging around, Charlie yelled for me to bring the camera. I looked up and saw a big fish just jumping around like crazy! I ran to the truck and grabbed the camera and got back to the bank just in time to see this HUGE snake dragging a big 'ole catfish onto a rock! The first pic is for perspective so's you can see the size of the river. That fisherman is my son. He had waded across to the other side...

This snake was on the other side of the river from us. He had to have been close to, if not over five feet long..

notice his tail wrapped around the rock to the left...

What an exciting thing to experience! I'm not quite sure what kind of snake this is, so any thoughts welcomed.
Nana

 

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[mastereagle22]

Wow will you look at that zipper pull!!!!!

Oh did someone say snake?

I have to agree, it looks like a good ol copperhead to me. There are several of them living in an old burned down farm house foundation area I want to hunt right now, but it isn't worth getting bit over in my opinion. To me even the small snakes look big but his one is HUGE!!

Nice pics.

 

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[JRich98150]

Nana,
Those are some pretty amazing photos! I'm not sure what kind of snake that might actually be but I always try to keep my distance from any of them if I'm out detecting. In fact I don't often venture where I would be by myself and there might be cover for any snake to hide in or around. I've been wanting to buy a pair of snake boots and after seeing your unusual photos I'm sure I'll be buying a pair soon. I have a book that shows the different snakes in the USofA but I've never had the desire to hold it next to any snake for positive identification. I'm not that scarred of snakes but unless I know they are not poisonous I give them plenty of room. What an unusual nature situation you were lucky enough to see. Maybe you've been watching animal planet too much LOL. It's even more amazing that you were actually able to go back and get your camera and get those rare photos. GOOD JOB! Thanks for sharing. I'll be steering clear of the lakes and streams for awhile now LOL.

JRich

 

[Boobydoo]

That's one hungry snake, yikes. Great photos Nana.
What an adventure, thanks for sharing!

Smiles!
Scoob

 

[Lucky boy]

the only good snake is a dead snake....whata whopper

 

[Mirage]

Wouldn't those catfish barb's hurt when the snake tries to swallow it?

I'm glad we don't have poisonous snakes up here. Makes me nervous enough just seeing them while hunting.

Bob

 

[COUNTRY GIRL]

How long would you guess that nasty thing is? I would have never thought a snake would eat a fish. I sure would have high tailedd it out of there!

By the way forgot all about your great finds after seeing that snake. Thanks for sharing Nana!

 

[ivan salis]

oh yeh grown snakes eat fish -- lots of fish like bass and catfish are big time "little" snake eaters --those rubber "worms" you use for bass fishing look just like a "lil" snake to a hungry bass -- when the snakes grow up they "return" the favor whenever they can -- Ivan

 

[couch tater]

Great photo! Looks like the majority of people are saying copperhead, but I would say that based on the evidence that is a large northern watersnake. They look similar to copperheads and it is easy to confuse the two species. I have taken pictures of many snakes here in GA and just putting my 2 cents out there.

PS - "Only good snake is a dead snake" is not true. The huge majority are harmless, and the venomous ones will only bite as a last resort. It is a sad state of affairs that many people label snakes as bad. Read up on them and you will find out that they aint' so bad afterall 8)

 

[Evolution]

Three things.

#1 Good finds there Nana.

#2 That is the biggest copperhead I ever saw. If it is indeed a copperhead.

#3 Mastereagle loves zipper pulls.

 

[John (Ma)]

Great pictures! nice finds but like you say, what a sight!

 

[Ridley]

Cool photos!

...and people laugh at me about being leery about swimming in lakes and rivers. Never mind the salt water!

Thanks for sharing!



Ridley

 

[couch tater]

Here is a picture I took of a watersnake eating a fish. It made my day for sure. I still dont see how it reeled that brim to the shore without an uglystick . Anyways, just thought I would share it.

 

[Baldingboy]

Yeah, I have had fish on a stringer before and pulled it out of the water and had a snake dangling from it. This one pond I would fish, this would happen with turtles too, until I <uh'em> removed them.

 

[Skrimpy]

Nana, I have spent quite a few years handling snakes, and at first, I figured yours was a common "northern watersnake", I have personally handled specimens that approach 5' in length(although that is VERY large). But in looking at the photo, I noticed the snake appears to only be two "colors", which makes me believe, rather strongly that you got a great pic of the largest copperhead I have EVER seen. Odds are that if it is a copperhead, it is a female, and if she's that big, she has definately had babies, so be careful in that area, huh ?? Copperheads can be really, really good at hiding.

I am not any snake expert but I'd be darned if I didn't think it was a copperhead too! What I have always heard about north american poinsonous snakes (with the exception of the coral snake) is that their heads are much thicker than their body and shaped like an arrowhead (which it appears to be from your picture but its a tough ankle). Watch yourself there! Especially if you're a long hike from the car and or long ride from a hospital. A pit viper bite can cost you the use of a limb, the limb itself, or more likely, your life if you get bit without a quick dose of local snake antivenin. On top of that its going to hurt like a S.O.B. Probably so bad that you wouldn't even be able to get back to the car.

 

[hollowpointred]

it could be a cottonmouth too as they have brown markings like that sometimes too. or maybe just a brown watersnake. i wouldnt get close enough to find out!

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...ottonmouth&gbv=2&svnum=10&hl=en&safe=off&sa=G

 

[SHERMANVILLE ILLINOIS]

Nana,

thanks for posting; interesting.

Memories and photos are neat.

have a good un...........
SHERMANVILLE

 

[ModernMiner]

Nana,
What you lacked in MDing finds this trip, you sure made up with fantastic photos. Amazing shots!
Glad no one walked up on that monster snake. Very scary.
Congrats on your finds. That zipper pull is the bomb.
Oh yeah, here is another picture of a copper head.
-MM-

 

[DanL]

I've been studying reptiles (and snakes in particular) for over 30 years and that's definitely a northern water snake. They can get to 5' in length (although snakes of that size are normally a bit darker than this one) and, despite the name, they're actually very common in Alabama. The pattern on a copperhead is quite a bit different (less banded and more like patches). Anyway, google pictures of each and you'll be able to see what I mean.

 

[Pentico]

Awesome pictures!
Hey good finds too.
Hey how was the fishing?
ChrisP

 

[Skrimpy]

PS - "Only good snake is a dead snake" is not true. The huge majority are harmless, and the venomous ones will only bite as a last resort. It is a sad state of affairs that many people label snakes as bad. Read up on them and you will find out that they aint' so bad afterall

Yeah. Black snakes are AWESOME! They are HUGE, and they EAT poisonous snakes.