Dave Zimmerly
Contributor
...and let's not forget about the snapping turtles and leaches.
Dave (aka "Squirt")
Dave (aka "Squirt")
ever dive farm pond?
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TheRedHead:
The original poster didn't say where he was from. A little further south from where I am, I have seen cotton mouths around the rivers but I haven't seen them in lakes or ponds though I'm sure they could be there. I don't know what real level of threat they pose. I've dived around gators in Florida, a couple of sharks, walked the woods all over the country and ran into all sorts of snakes, not to mention bears and I'm still here. LOL
If we can make cuddly pets of sharks why not the poor misunderstood cotton mouth? Enough on the sharks already. If you really want to be one with the underwater world give a cotton mouth a kiss today.
MikeFerrara:
After we put you on the airplane, I kiss a cottonmouth. :lol:
When I was a kid, I was fishing in Sardis, MS with my father and we moved the boat under an overhanging cypress tree and a cottonmouth just dropped out of the tree right next to me. If I hadn't been paralyzed with fear I would have jumped out of the boat. My father was a woodsman who grew up in the country and he pinned the snake's head and released it in the lake. But I had nightmares about that snake for years and I'm not diving with them. :shakehead
I've been diving in some pretty nasty places... but there could be Nazi gold sitting on top of an intact Spanish treasure galleon, and you still couldn't convince me to wet my toe in a farm pond.
fishb0y:
'smatter? No appreciation for diving in an 'organic fertilizer tea'
It is important to fully rinse yourself and your gear afterword, and if you do it over your garden, you get extra benefits from that dive.
Not sure why... I've dove some really mucky places... but something about a mill pond gives me the willies... besides... there's blacksnakes...:sofa:
midnite135
Contributor
Ooh a subject I know a bit about. Inserting random information below!
There are 4 types of poisonous snakes in the USA. (not including the different ones in each species, IE Timber Rattler, Western Diamondback rattler)
Cottonmouths, Copperheads, Rattlesnakes, and Coral Snakes.
Of the 4, three are Pit Vipers which allow them to sense prey with heat pits located to each side of its face. The 4th is a coral snake which is a tiny cousin to the cobra (similar venom) but they are the least dangerous because of their size, number, regions, likelihood of being bitten.
Of the 3 Pit Vipers...
Rattlesnakes dont tend to be found swimming much (I am guessing their tails dont do well in long submersion) but they do like to be near water.
Copperheads wouldnt avoid the water but still wouldnt be that common, they like grassy/bushy areas like fields of hay, blackberry bushes (which mice like) etc.
Cottonmouth's AKA Water Moccassin AKA Blacksnakes are the snakes that tend to live right on the banks of rivers, lakes, ponds etc. They usually put out a fairly musky odor when you get near enough. They are generally dark enough that you cannot distinguish a pattern but I have seen them in a light grey color. They tend to swim differently than most other water snakes. Most snakes swim body down head up, Cottonmouths usually swim with their whole bodies on top of the water. They can also strike underneath the water which is how they get the fish. Generally they are very curious and often scare the bejeezus out of boaters when they approach.
Chance of being bitten is not very high if you leave them alone, but they may come near you anyways. If you are bitten of course seek medical help (no tourniquet's, cutting and sucking, etc) Chance of death from one of these bites is also very low, higher if very old or very young.
Most snakes with venom inject very little of it in the bite (maybe 10%) A few are known to be a bit nastier like the Western Diamondback rattlesnake which can inject almost all of it (90%) in a single bite when provoked. Where others, like the Timber rattlesnake are known to be fairly docile and likely wont strike unless stepped on. (exceptions to the rule abound im sure)
I am not an expert but I have always had a strong interest, for those who have seen Lonesome Dove just be careful crossing rivers on horseback after a storm.
Pit Viper venom is fairly mild in comparison to the horrible types some other countries deal with.
Identification - Pit Vipers (Rattlesnakes, Cottonmouth, Copperheads) tend to have a fatter body than most snakes proportionally, they are the only US snakes with eliptical eyes (like a cat) They also tend to have a triangular shaped head.
The coral snake is the only poisonous US snake without eliptical eyes, its identified by its bands of color. Red stripes over Yellow seperated by black. Other snakes have similar colors in the US but the patterns are different. There is a saying ive heard several ways.. Red on black, friend to Jack. Red on Yellow, kills a fellow.
-Josh
There are 4 types of poisonous snakes in the USA. (not including the different ones in each species, IE Timber Rattler, Western Diamondback rattler)
Cottonmouths, Copperheads, Rattlesnakes, and Coral Snakes.
Of the 4, three are Pit Vipers which allow them to sense prey with heat pits located to each side of its face. The 4th is a coral snake which is a tiny cousin to the cobra (similar venom) but they are the least dangerous because of their size, number, regions, likelihood of being bitten.
Of the 3 Pit Vipers...
Rattlesnakes dont tend to be found swimming much (I am guessing their tails dont do well in long submersion) but they do like to be near water.
Copperheads wouldnt avoid the water but still wouldnt be that common, they like grassy/bushy areas like fields of hay, blackberry bushes (which mice like) etc.
Cottonmouth's AKA Water Moccassin AKA Blacksnakes are the snakes that tend to live right on the banks of rivers, lakes, ponds etc. They usually put out a fairly musky odor when you get near enough. They are generally dark enough that you cannot distinguish a pattern but I have seen them in a light grey color. They tend to swim differently than most other water snakes. Most snakes swim body down head up, Cottonmouths usually swim with their whole bodies on top of the water. They can also strike underneath the water which is how they get the fish. Generally they are very curious and often scare the bejeezus out of boaters when they approach.
Chance of being bitten is not very high if you leave them alone, but they may come near you anyways. If you are bitten of course seek medical help (no tourniquet's, cutting and sucking, etc) Chance of death from one of these bites is also very low, higher if very old or very young.
Most snakes with venom inject very little of it in the bite (maybe 10%) A few are known to be a bit nastier like the Western Diamondback rattlesnake which can inject almost all of it (90%) in a single bite when provoked. Where others, like the Timber rattlesnake are known to be fairly docile and likely wont strike unless stepped on. (exceptions to the rule abound im sure)
I am not an expert but I have always had a strong interest, for those who have seen Lonesome Dove just be careful crossing rivers on horseback after a storm.
Pit Viper venom is fairly mild in comparison to the horrible types some other countries deal with.
Identification - Pit Vipers (Rattlesnakes, Cottonmouth, Copperheads) tend to have a fatter body than most snakes proportionally, they are the only US snakes with eliptical eyes (like a cat) They also tend to have a triangular shaped head.
The coral snake is the only poisonous US snake without eliptical eyes, its identified by its bands of color. Red stripes over Yellow seperated by black. Other snakes have similar colors in the US but the patterns are different. There is a saying ive heard several ways.. Red on black, friend to Jack. Red on Yellow, kills a fellow.
-Josh
I don't care if their kisses taste like lollipops... I want nothing to do with them.
I'm with Fishboy, no diving with pit vipers - period!
Here is a good solution....Make you cousin be the snake bait as part of the finder's fee, while you go diving in muck up to your knees! To heck with the snakes watch out for the cows!
Being from KS I don't think that I go diving in a farm pond, even though I went black water diving in FL last month! Well then again maybe I would, but it would have to be spring feed.
Being from KS I don't think that I go diving in a farm pond, even though I went black water diving in FL last month! Well then again maybe I would, but it would have to be spring feed.
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