New shop snake!

[tom]

Back in the corner behind the drill press, where I store hazardous materials for later disposal, he sleeps... Tom

[Larry Blanchard]

I like snakes, but how do you hear a warning rattle with a power tool running?

[dpb]

I certainly hope Tom is in habit of wearing his boots in the shop if going to let it nest there permanently--they're useful and I don't kill them but certainly do move them away from the places that are commonly inhabited/working.

They'll warn if they have time and feel encroached upon, but stick a hand in front of one not knowing it happens to be there or step on his tail and he'll strike first, warn later....got the t-shirt; fortunately, did have on boots and that was the saver of the calf muscle. That was

50 years ago or so and I hope it's yet another 50 before a repeat performance.

[tom]

Holy *! So he missed you? Yes, I'm careful. I saw him from about 3 feet away, while I was moving toward the recycling area in the corner. He was so cold he didn't move after petting/waking him with a loop of rope on a stick. You don't really step/reach into unknown territory anywhere here, even if it's within 200 feet of the house. And I built that drill press cabinet specially so a snake couldn't hide easily. I suppose I'll soon repair that garage door gasket. Tom

[Steve Turner]

Where are you located?

[-MIKE-]

My 1st guess, Arizona.

2nd guess, New Mexico.

[tom]

Tucson.

[-MIKE-]

Ding, ding, ding!

What's my prize?

Yeah, yeah, I know. :-)

[Lew Hodgett]

RE: Subject

I'll pass.

Lew

[Mark & Juanita]

Dude! Glad things turned out OK. Saw further down you are in Tucson also. Not sure my approach would have been to tap him with a rope on a stick -- more like smack him firmly with a pointy stick

[dpb]

Well, no, he didn't really miss, just that he got just below the top of the boot shaft (every cowboy wears his boots punchin' cattle :) ). I dismounted at gate to open and he was on backside of the post sorta' around it in the weeds/grass. I stepped either on or close enough to the rattler end that he felt it and reached around the front side and got my other boot full on. Left a goodly set of double scratches and the tip of one fang. Fortunately, he then retreated into the warning pose and it was a draw although I'm sure while he was startled I was far more frightened. I was about 14/15...

The other fable besides the "they'll _always_ warn" one disproved that day was that "the horse will always know they're there first"...

Haven't seen too many this summer probably because the horde of barn cats pretty much keeps the rodents and most other stuff out of the barn and other outbuildings (the coyotes haven't been doing their job of thinning the herd very effectively). See them most often sunning in the road...

We've never had a real infestation right around us but over west of town

10-15 miles where they have always had prairie dog infestations you don't do anything w/o looking first...

--

[tom]

Unless you've moved recently, I'm less than a couple of miles from you. Tom

[Swingman]

I'm pretty much a live and let live kind of guy, but I do have a country boys attitude about snakes ... poisonous one can be tough on your dogs and grandchildren.

[dpb]

dpb wrote: ...

... Cats, too... :)

--

[Larry Blanchard]

I used to catch garter, king, and black snakes and turn them loose in our garden. Never had to spray for bugs :-).

Now I have a wife who's deathly afraid of them, but since I'm getting too old to spend a lot of time gardeniing I don't care.

[Phisherman]

I have a blue-tailed skink in my shop that sits on top of a concrete block when the sunlight hits it. Some day he will catch that pesky cricket hiding in the sawdust. I provide a small water dish for him, and he takes care of the spiders.

[charlie]

i've heard that people have been killing the so many of the ones who do rattle that the ones who don't are reproducing and passing down that trait. i had one that was living under my trash can who didn't rattle til i poked him with the long handled shovel.

didn't think the wife could move that fast tho. she makes me take out the trash now.

regards, charlie cave creek, az

[Larry Blanchard]

That could well be. I have a strong suspicion that cougars are losing their fear of humans now that they aren't hunted any more. The fear is no longer a survival trait.

[charlie]

you mean like this?

?action=view&current=IMG_4698.jpgthis was my back patio with the neighborhood bobcat

regards, charlie cave creek, az

[Larry Jaques]

On Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:27:00 -0500, the infamous dpb scrawled the following:

And let's hope they're not the type with the cut-down tops, huh?