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susieqz

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Posted Reply with quote  #1 
saw a new snake in my garden. it was scarey but i didn't harm it because it had no rattles, but i need to know it it's dangerous.
it wasn't there long enow to get a pic, but  it's some kind of mutant.

it was 6' long, but no thicker than my thumb. a rattler would be thicker than my fist at that length. i never saw such a thin snake.

it was vaguely rattler colored, but the last 6'' up to n including the head was pinkish red.

i know this isn't much info, but i really need to know if this is evil. i shoot rattlers but approve of snakes in general.

i won't harm nice snakes, but at 6' he's scary. will he hurt me if i leave him alone?

the reason i shoot rattlers is that sometimes they put you in the hospital with no rattling.

if this guy wants to hang out n eat mice n birds n not hurt me, i'll make him welcome.

any ideas? i'm not familiar with new mexico wild life, so please help.
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susie 
wish list:  nothing. i can't grow cuttings  . right now, i have  6 trees showing no signs of fmv. i'd like to keep it that way' 

i was told that if i couldn't deal with fmv, i should grow peaches, so i got a peach tree to live with my clean figs.
greenbud

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Posted Reply with quote  #2 
Hi Suzieqz, I don't what kind of snake but I am glad you didn't kill it automatically.  I just read down in GA, wildlife officials are bringing in more non-poisonous snakes to counter act the huge number of copperheads and rattlers coming into suburban living space. 

I hope they do an adequate level of education in the area so non-poisonous snakes are able to achieve the desired results.  Hope someone can identify this critter for you quickly.  Lotta hopes...
susieqz

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Posted Reply with quote  #3 
oh, i never kill non poisonous snakes. until a hawk ate him, i had a bull snake in residence that ate rattlers, mice n birds. the most valuable livestock i ever owned.
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susie 
wish list:  nothing. i can't grow cuttings  . right now, i have  6 trees showing no signs of fmv. i'd like to keep it that way' 

i was told that if i couldn't deal with fmv, i should grow peaches, so i got a peach tree to live with my clean figs.
Happychicken

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Posted Reply with quote  #4 
Look at pics of a ring neck snake see if that's it
susieqz

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Posted Reply with quote  #5 
thanks chick. i guess not but i'm feeling better. new mex only lists 8 rattlers n coral snakes as poisonous. this was neither of those.
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susie 
wish list:  nothing. i can't grow cuttings  . right now, i have  6 trees showing no signs of fmv. i'd like to keep it that way' 

i was told that if i couldn't deal with fmv, i should grow peaches, so i got a peach tree to live with my clean figs.
greysmith

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Posted Reply with quote  #6 
To be that long and that thin it's almost certainly nonpoisonous. In this country poisonous snakes are fat for their length, the coral snake is an exception but they don't get that long and are distinctively marked.
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FiggieFive_0

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Posted Reply with quote  #7 
For safety sake, treat it as if it were poisonous until you can positively identify it.  Better safe than sorry.  Thank God, there's no snakes here ;)!

Nate
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Nate

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jtp

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Posted Reply with quote  #8 
If the pupil of the eye is round, non-venomous. If it has a cat's eye, venomous.
susieqz

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Posted Reply with quote  #9 
thanks guys. i wasn't gonna touch it in any case. is that true, john?

not sure i can get close enow to determine eye shape. i don't want to.
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susie 
wish list:  nothing. i can't grow cuttings  . right now, i have  6 trees showing no signs of fmv. i'd like to keep it that way' 

i was told that if i couldn't deal with fmv, i should grow peaches, so i got a peach tree to live with my clean figs.
rcantor

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Posted Reply with quote  #10 
http://nmherpsociety.org/reptiles/snakes/index.html has some photos.  The absent pictures can be found on the web. 

http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/pages/c.f.piceus.html this one has a variable amount of pink

http://nmherpsociety.org/reptiles/snakes/coluberflagellumtestaceus/index.html is similar but from these photos less pink
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susieqz

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Posted Reply with quote  #11 
thanks bob. i checked those. i already went thru all new mex snakes. none are shoelace thin. none have red only on the last part of the neck n head.

as far as i can tell, this snake doesn't exist , but it's here.
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susie 
wish list:  nothing. i can't grow cuttings  . right now, i have  6 trees showing no signs of fmv. i'd like to keep it that way' 

i was told that if i couldn't deal with fmv, i should grow peaches, so i got a peach tree to live with my clean figs.
TucsonKen

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Posted Reply with quote  #12 
Susie, my fairly educated guess is that it was probably a coachwhip snake (Masticophis flagellum). Throughout the southwest, it's a common, non-venomous snake that is slender-bodied as you describe, and gets quite long--six feet would not be unusual. There are several subspecies, and the pattern and coloration are highly variable. They range from solid jet black to mottled brown, olive, tan, or red. The underside, particularly near and including the tail, is often bright pink or red. One subspecies is commonly referred to as a "red racer"). They will eat most any small animal they can catch, including lizards, snakes (even rattlesnakes), mice, and small birds and their eggs. I once found one that had grabbed a baby cottontail, which hopped off when the snake saw me and decided to escape. While not venomous, I don't recommend trying to pick one up, as most tend to be enthusiastic biters when captured. (Incidentally, pupil shape is not a reliable indicator of whether a snake is venomous--nor is head shape. If you're concerned about it, find out which venomous species live in your area, and learn to recognize them.)

[image]  [image]

[image]  [image]
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Ken
Tucson, Arizona
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susieqz

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Posted Reply with quote  #13 
thanks ken.  when i looked a t bobs sites, they came closest.

the top left pic with different colors is a match.

haha, no, i'm not gonna pick it up. but as long as it's not venomous we can coexist.

hopefully it eats vermin.
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susie 
wish list:  nothing. i can't grow cuttings  . right now, i have  6 trees showing no signs of fmv. i'd like to keep it that way' 

i was told that if i couldn't deal with fmv, i should grow peaches, so i got a peach tree to live with my clean figs.
FrozenJoe

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Posted Reply with quote  #14 
Susie I'm not sure what kind of snake that was.  I never saw one like that before.  It's probably not poisonous.  But like Nate said it's a good idea to be cautious until you know for sure.
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Joe
Phoenix Area (Zone 9)
I am MrFrozenJoe on YouTube.
I am arizonafigs on eBay.
susieqz

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Posted Reply with quote  #15 
thanks joe.  i bet it's a coach whip with weird colors.

i didn't see it move fast, i froze when i saw it.

as long as its not venomous, i won't shoot it, but i won't get near it either.

i still wish i had a bull snake. when he lived here, there were no mice, no rattlers n birds never came near my figs.
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susie 
wish list:  nothing. i can't grow cuttings  . right now, i have  6 trees showing no signs of fmv. i'd like to keep it that way' 

i was told that if i couldn't deal with fmv, i should grow peaches, so i got a peach tree to live with my clean figs.
COGardener

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Posted Reply with quote  #16 
There is  a "pink phase" coach whip.  They are great to have around, you are super lucky.  If you get tired of him, feel free to ship him to me.  :)

Scott
susieqz

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Posted Reply with quote  #17 
scott, why are they great to have around?
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susie 
wish list:  nothing. i can't grow cuttings  . right now, i have  6 trees showing no signs of fmv. i'd like to keep it that way' 

i was told that if i couldn't deal with fmv, i should grow peaches, so i got a peach tree to live with my clean figs.
mgginva

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Posted Reply with quote  #18 
If a stagecoach with lazy horses comes by you can probably get a good price for him.
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Michael in Virginia (zone 7a) Wish list:   Perretta, 
susieqz

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Posted Reply with quote  #19 
if he eats mice, he has a home here
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susie 
wish list:  nothing. i can't grow cuttings  . right now, i have  6 trees showing no signs of fmv. i'd like to keep it that way' 

i was told that if i couldn't deal with fmv, i should grow peaches, so i got a peach tree to live with my clean figs.
needaclone

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Posted Reply with quote  #20 
Michael,
  I had to read that, wait 5 minutes, and then read it again before I finally got it.
Jim
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Clarksburg, NJ - Zone 6b Wishlist - A wise man recommended: Nero600M .  Malta Black . Tacoma (Takoma) Violet . Gino's . Adriatic JH  . Vista Mission . Florea . Atreano .  ...also...RdB, Bethlehem Black, Negronne, Grise de St. Jean, Livano, Col de Dame Blanc/Gris/Noir, Vasilika Sika, Longue D'Aout, Italian 258, Pennsylvania 6-5000
susieqz

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Posted Reply with quote  #21 
i have a great fondness for critters that eat vermin.

gonna make a snake cottage. one kind member told me a big old pot covered with branches keeps them comfy.
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susie 
wish list:  nothing. i can't grow cuttings  . right now, i have  6 trees showing no signs of fmv. i'd like to keep it that way' 

i was told that if i couldn't deal with fmv, i should grow peaches, so i got a peach tree to live with my clean figs.
greysmith

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Posted Reply with quote  #22 
Just a piece of plywood will do, if it's in a place with.rodents, or a brush pile. I put some roofing tin down around my elephant garlic bed. Lift it and there's a lot of rodent tunnels under it. I found two shed snake skins in the bed when I was harvesting the garlic.
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FMD

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Posted Reply with quote  #23 
Speaking of snakes, when I got home from work today I found one ensnared in bird netting that I use across my shed door. It was a beautiful long black snake hanging there limp and motionless. Had it been a sunny day or been there longer, it would surely have died. It took me about an hour to cut it out of the netting, all the while twisting, hissing and snapping at me. When stressed they give off a pungent malodorous musk. Anyway, it was a successful rescue. Glad it lived.
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Frank
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North Florida Figs
susieqz

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Posted Reply with quote  #24 
thanks for the tip grey. frank, when i shot the rattler it stank horridly.
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susie 
wish list:  nothing. i can't grow cuttings  . right now, i have  6 trees showing no signs of fmv. i'd like to keep it that way' 

i was told that if i couldn't deal with fmv, i should grow peaches, so i got a peach tree to live with my clean figs.
DesertDance

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Posted Reply with quote  #25 
It's harmless.  Let it live and eat all the bad critters.  If it has no rattles, harmless.  We don't live where they have cottonmouths...  Saddest song ever sung.  Can't hear it or think of it without tears... Mel Tillis Cottonmouth

Saddest song I ever heard.  Family laughs at moma crying.  Can't hear that song without tears. 

Suzi
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Zone 9b, Southern California. "First year they sleep, Second year they creep, Third year they leap!"  Wish List:  I wish all of you happy fig collecting!  My wishes have been fulfilled!
bullet08

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Posted Reply with quote  #26 
i don't like them. but i won't kill them as long as they don't hiss at me. the moment they show aggression, they are dead.
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Pete
Durham, NC
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"don't talk to me about naval tradition. It's nothing but rum, sodomy and the lash." - sir winston churchill
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***** all my figs have FMV/FMD, in case you're wondering. *****
***** and... i don't sell things. what little i have will be posted here in winter for first come first serve base to be shared. no, i'm not a socialist...*****
jenn42

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Posted Reply with quote  #27 
Unfortunately I do, well not personally, but my husband will kill any snakes we find in our property. I have 2 little ones that love to roam around plus we have chickens. Killed one last year that had eaten 7 eggs that were about 4 days from hatching. It was about 7ft long.

We've also killed many rattle snakes. Hate them things. The way I see it, I've got a cat who loves to get the rats & rabbits & birds. Great cat!

Snakes, no thanks!!
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Jenn
Austin, TX Zone 8b

Wish List: CDD, Bryant-Dark Unknown, Red Lebanese, ORoarke, Calvert

Will hopefully have cuttings to trade next year as my yearlings mature
susieqz

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Posted Reply with quote  #28 
i listendto that cotton mouth  song, suzi. it clearly shows that killing venomous snakes on sight is a great idea. i feel vindicated.
pete, i can't wait to see agression. if they alays rattled before stiking, i'd leave them alone, but sometimes they don't. some are just meani'm told that's usually around when they shed skin.
jenn, cats are great, but not where coyotes think they are yummie.
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susie 
wish list:  nothing. i can't grow cuttings  . right now, i have  6 trees showing no signs of fmv. i'd like to keep it that way' 

i was told that if i couldn't deal with fmv, i should grow peaches, so i got a peach tree to live with my clean figs.
rafed

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Posted Reply with quote  #29 
I'm sorry for coming off so negative and mean and not trying to start something.

But to me, a good snake is a dead snake.

But they make nice belts and boots.

Thank you
susieqz

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Posted Reply with quote  #30 
rafed, i never think you are mean.

i gotta  tell you that the right snake is a treasure. when the bull snake lived here, he ate rattlers n mice. they were extinct around here.
plus, birds never came near the figs because he liked to sun himself near them.

the  government says i'm not supposed to kill the hawk that killed him, but i wish i did.

if another bull snake moves in, hawks beware.
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susie 
wish list:  nothing. i can't grow cuttings  . right now, i have  6 trees showing no signs of fmv. i'd like to keep it that way' 

i was told that if i couldn't deal with fmv, i should grow peaches, so i got a peach tree to live with my clean figs.
rafed

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Posted Reply with quote  #31 
I'll ask Tony Lama if they can make me a pair Bull Snake boots in size 14EE.;)
susieqz

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Posted Reply with quote  #32 
raf, only you city folks have the luxury of eliminating potential allies.

here on the high plains mice n rattlers are an absolute plague. i hate them. i hate killing them, but i do.
without the bull snake i kill at least one rattler every year. shooting one is very scarey.

i looked into buying a new bull snake online, but all i could find were hand raised snakes.
only wild snakes that are smart can live here.
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susie 
wish list:  nothing. i can't grow cuttings  . right now, i have  6 trees showing no signs of fmv. i'd like to keep it that way' 

i was told that if i couldn't deal with fmv, i should grow peaches, so i got a peach tree to live with my clean figs.
rafed

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Posted Reply with quote  #33 
Suzie,

Let's buy each other a pair of boots.

You buy me the boots and I'll buy you a pair of the following,

Take your pick,

Attached Images
jpeg Goldfish_in_Shoe_by_MarshmallowInvader.jpg (40.41 KB, 5 views)
jpeg rodent-shoes.jpg (12.97 KB, 5 views)
susieqz

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Posted Reply with quote  #34 
haha, i'm 5'8''. i'd be over 6' in those.

men find that threatening, tho i do like heels..
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susie 
wish list:  nothing. i can't grow cuttings  . right now, i have  6 trees showing no signs of fmv. i'd like to keep it that way' 

i was told that if i couldn't deal with fmv, i should grow peaches, so i got a peach tree to live with my clean figs.
rafed

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Posted Reply with quote  #35 
I'll get you both pairs then;)
susieqz

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Posted Reply with quote  #36 
oooh, some flirting here?better use pm for that. giggle.
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susie 
wish list:  nothing. i can't grow cuttings  . right now, i have  6 trees showing no signs of fmv. i'd like to keep it that way' 

i was told that if i couldn't deal with fmv, i should grow peaches, so i got a peach tree to live with my clean figs.
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