• Unwelcome visitor at my front door

    From Wilson@21:1/5 to All on Mon May 17 18:09:23 2021
    On 5/17/2021 5:23 PM, super70s wrote:
    http://web.blomand.net/~dennmac/snake.html

    Anybody have a guess what kind of snake this is? Solid dark grey in
    color. Picture isn't too clear since I took it from behind the glass
    storm door.

    The last place on my property I expected to encounter a snake since he
    had to climb 6 rows of brick stairs to get to the top of the porch, or
    maybe shimmy up a gutter.

    At least it isn't a copperhead which I've come across a few times in
    past years.

    I finally scared him away with a leaf blower (the wind did the job since
    of course snakes are deaf
    A little hard to tell in the picture, but I'm going with Rat or Corn snake.
    Not poisonous and probably beneficial. Don't know where you are because that could make a lot of difference, but most vipers have a triangular head.

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  • From super70s@21:1/5 to All on Mon May 17 16:23:36 2021
    http://web.blomand.net/~dennmac/snake.html

    Anybody have a guess what kind of snake this is? Solid dark grey in
    color. Picture isn't too clear since I took it from behind the glass
    storm door.

    The last place on my property I expected to encounter a snake since he
    had to climb 6 rows of brick stairs to get to the top of the porch, or
    maybe shimmy up a gutter.

    At least it isn't a copperhead which I've come across a few times in
    past years.

    I finally scared him away with a leaf blower (the wind did the job since
    of course snakes are deaf).

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  • From jmcquown@21:1/5 to Wilson on Mon May 17 19:43:12 2021
    On 5/17/2021 6:09 PM, Wilson wrote:
    On 5/17/2021 5:23 PM, super70s wrote:
    http://web.blomand.net/~dennmac/snake.html

    Anybody have a guess what kind of snake this is? Solid dark grey in
    color. Picture isn't too clear since I took it from behind the glass
    storm door.

    The last place on my property I expected to encounter a snake since he
    had to climb 6 rows of brick stairs to get to the top of the porch, or
    maybe shimmy up a gutter.

    At least it isn't a copperhead which I've come across a few times in
    past years.

    I finally scared him away with a leaf blower (the wind did the job since
    of course snakes are deaf
    A little hard to tell in the picture, but I'm going with Rat or Corn
    snake. Not poisonous and probably beneficial. Don't know where you are because that could make a lot of difference, but most vipers have a triangular head.

    It is hard to tell from the photo but I agree it looks like what you're describing, Wilson. Rat, corn or what I just call a common black snake
    here in Southern SC. They aren't venomous. They can get quite long and
    of course they can climb steps. They can even climb trees.

    Example: Bringing this back to birds, some years ago there was a mated
    pair of cardinals nesting in the pyracantha "tree" growing next to my
    garage. I could see the tree through the large dining room picture window.

    One day I heard a huge commotion. Looked out and the cardinals were
    going crazy, diving at something. There was a black snake/corn/rat
    snake climbing up the pyracatha to where they had a newborn in the nest.

    Those birds managed to scare it off the first time. But the snake was persistent. It came back. This time nothing they could do would stop
    it. I witnessed the snake come back down with the baby, head first in
    it's mouth, no doubt neck snapped and already dead. The snake went
    underneath the cement foundation of my house. It was quite distressing
    to see. But that's nature.

    The parents were extremely distraught. The poor birds kept pip-pipping, calling to each other, flying a short distance away, coming back to the
    next. After about three hours they abandoned the nest.

    All this to say, of course snakes can climb. :) It will likely be
    nesting somewhere near those brick steps, too. Cool and dark.

    Jill

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  • From super70s@21:1/5 to Wilson on Mon May 17 18:20:14 2021
    In article <0111785d-3165-d077-6b49-70e03902fa08@nearyou.com>,
    Wilson <nowhere@nearyou.com> wrote:

    On 5/17/2021 5:23 PM, super70s wrote:
    http://web.blomand.net/~dennmac/snake.html

    Anybody have a guess what kind of snake this is? Solid dark grey in
    color. Picture isn't too clear since I took it from behind the glass
    storm door.

    The last place on my property I expected to encounter a snake since he
    had to climb 6 rows of brick stairs to get to the top of the porch, or maybe shimmy up a gutter.

    At least it isn't a copperhead which I've come across a few times in
    past years.

    I finally scared him away with a leaf blower (the wind did the job since
    of course snakes are deaf
    A little hard to tell in the picture, but I'm going with Rat or Corn snake. Not poisonous and probably beneficial. Don't know where you are because that could make a lot of difference, but most vipers have a triangular head.

    Thanks, I didn't think it was poisonous. I'm in Tennessee, at the foot
    of a mountain.

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  • From jmcquown@21:1/5 to All on Mon May 17 19:46:31 2021
    On 5/17/2021 7:20 PM, super70s wrote:
    In article <0111785d-3165-d077-6b49-70e03902fa08@nearyou.com>,
    Wilson <nowhere@nearyou.com> wrote:

    On 5/17/2021 5:23 PM, super70s wrote:
    http://web.blomand.net/~dennmac/snake.html

    Anybody have a guess what kind of snake this is? Solid dark grey in
    color. Picture isn't too clear since I took it from behind the glass
    storm door.

    The last place on my property I expected to encounter a snake since he
    had to climb 6 rows of brick stairs to get to the top of the porch, or
    maybe shimmy up a gutter.

    At least it isn't a copperhead which I've come across a few times in
    past years.

    I finally scared him away with a leaf blower (the wind did the job since >>> of course snakes are deaf
    A little hard to tell in the picture, but I'm going with Rat or Corn snake. >> Not poisonous and probably beneficial. Don't know where you are because that >> could make a lot of difference, but most vipers have a triangular head.

    Thanks, I didn't think it was poisonous. I'm in Tennessee, at the foot
    of a mountain.

    Don't be surprised if it hasn't found a nice cool place to nest under or
    near those brick steps. Sometimes they do have to come out and sun
    themselves to get warm and those bricks provide both.

    Jill

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  • From super70s@21:1/5 to jmcquown on Tue May 18 02:46:08 2021
    In article <vfDoI.340486$ST2.158210@fx47.iad>,
    jmcquown <j_mcquown@comcast.net> wrote:

    On 5/17/2021 7:20 PM, super70s wrote:
    In article <0111785d-3165-d077-6b49-70e03902fa08@nearyou.com>,
    Wilson <nowhere@nearyou.com> wrote:

    On 5/17/2021 5:23 PM, super70s wrote:
    http://web.blomand.net/~dennmac/snake.html

    Anybody have a guess what kind of snake this is? Solid dark grey in
    color. Picture isn't too clear since I took it from behind the glass
    storm door.

    The last place on my property I expected to encounter a snake since he >>> had to climb 6 rows of brick stairs to get to the top of the porch, or >>> maybe shimmy up a gutter.

    At least it isn't a copperhead which I've come across a few times in
    past years.

    I finally scared him away with a leaf blower (the wind did the job since >>> of course snakes are deaf

    A little hard to tell in the picture, but I'm going with Rat or Corn
    snake.
    Not poisonous and probably beneficial. Don't know where you are because
    that could make a lot of difference, but most vipers have a triangular
    head.

    Thanks, I didn't think it was poisonous. I'm in Tennessee, at the foot
    of a mountain.

    Don't be surprised if it hasn't found a nice cool place to nest under or
    near those brick steps. Sometimes they do have to come out and sun themselves to get warm and those bricks provide both.

    Jill

    I often see small lizards hanging out on those steps in the summer, I
    don't know if snakes will eat lizards, kind of like cannibalism? lol

    A couple of weeks ago I opened my back door which is level to the ground
    and what looked like a baby version of this same snake had made it's way
    past the rubber guard of the storm door and into the space where the
    main door is. I took a broom and escorted him into the woods. I'd freak
    if I opened the back door and saw one the size of the one that was on
    the porch, lol.

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  • From Leon Fisk@21:1/5 to super70s@super70s.invalid on Tue May 18 08:47:30 2021
    On Mon, 17 May 2021 18:20:14 -0500
    super70s <super70s@super70s.invalid> wrote:

    In article <0111785d-3165-d077-6b49-70e03902fa08@nearyou.com>,
    Wilson <nowhere@nearyou.com> wrote:

    On 5/17/2021 5:23 PM, super70s wrote:
    [...]
    A little hard to tell in the picture, but I'm going with Rat or Corn snake. >> Not poisonous and probably beneficial. Don't know where you are because that >> could make a lot of difference, but most vipers have a triangular head.

    Thanks, I didn't think it was poisonous. I'm in Tennessee, at the foot
    of a mountain.

    Some info on your local snakes here:

    http://tennsnakes.org

    I'm happy to see snakes around the place. They mostly eat stuff that
    causes me woe...

    --
    Leon Fisk
    Grand Rapids MI

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  • From Wilson@21:1/5 to All on Tue May 18 14:09:14 2021
    On 5/18/2021 3:46 AM, super70s wrote:
    In article <vfDoI.340486$ST2.158210@fx47.iad>,
    jmcquown <j_mcquown@comcast.net> wrote:

    On 5/17/2021 7:20 PM, super70s wrote:
    In article <0111785d-3165-d077-6b49-70e03902fa08@nearyou.com>,
    Wilson <nowhere@nearyou.com> wrote:

    On 5/17/2021 5:23 PM, super70s wrote:
    http://web.blomand.net/~dennmac/snake.html

    Anybody have a guess what kind of snake this is? Solid dark grey in
    color. Picture isn't too clear since I took it from behind the glass >>>>> storm door.

    The last place on my property I expected to encounter a snake since he >>>>> had to climb 6 rows of brick stairs to get to the top of the porch, or >>>>> maybe shimmy up a gutter.

    At least it isn't a copperhead which I've come across a few times in >>>>> past years.

    I finally scared him away with a leaf blower (the wind did the job since >>>>> of course snakes are deaf

    A little hard to tell in the picture, but I'm going with Rat or Corn
    snake.
    Not poisonous and probably beneficial. Don't know where you are because >>>> that could make a lot of difference, but most vipers have a triangular >>>> head.

    Thanks, I didn't think it was poisonous. I'm in Tennessee, at the foot
    of a mountain.

    Don't be surprised if it hasn't found a nice cool place to nest under or
    near those brick steps. Sometimes they do have to come out and sun
    themselves to get warm and those bricks provide both.

    Jill

    I often see small lizards hanging out on those steps in the summer, I
    don't know if snakes will eat lizards, kind of like cannibalism? lol
    They're both reptiles, but we, and many things we eat, are mammals. So maybe not quite cannibalism. ;)

    A couple of weeks ago I opened my back door which is level to the ground
    and what looked like a baby version of this same snake had made it's way
    past the rubber guard of the storm door and into the space where the
    main door is. I took a broom and escorted him into the woods. I'd freak
    if I opened the back door and saw one the size of the one that was on
    the porch, lol.


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  • From super70s@21:1/5 to Leon Fisk on Tue May 18 12:43:15 2021
    In article <s80d12$i17$1@dont-email.me>,
    Leon Fisk <lfiskgr@gmail.invalid> wrote:

    On Mon, 17 May 2021 18:20:14 -0500
    super70s <super70s@super70s.invalid> wrote:

    In article <0111785d-3165-d077-6b49-70e03902fa08@nearyou.com>,
    Wilson <nowhere@nearyou.com> wrote:

    On 5/17/2021 5:23 PM, super70s wrote:
    [...]
    A little hard to tell in the picture, but I'm going with Rat or Corn
    snake.
    Not poisonous and probably beneficial. Don't know where you are because
    that could make a lot of difference, but most vipers have a triangular head.

    Thanks, I didn't think it was poisonous. I'm in Tennessee, at the foot
    of a mountain.

    Some info on your local snakes here:

    http://tennsnakes.org

    I'm happy to see snakes around the place. They mostly eat stuff that
    causes me woe...

    Thanks for that, my snake could be the "North American Racer" since it
    was totally gray (some of the same snake species are totally dark and in
    other pictures have patterns -- must be a male/female thing).

    Says it's a very common snake and a "good climber and our fastest snake
    known to reach speeds of 5-7 mph."

    Reminds me of that old Doobie Brothers tune, "Snake man's on my trail,
    and I only stepped outside to pick up all the US mail."

    You were right about all the beneficial aspects of snakes, they list
    several at the bottom of the main page.

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