Calling Lars39, about that cottonmouth moccasin picture. U-O-Me Ambien!

[DemoTex]

You owe me some Ambien for sleep lost. Kidding. I sent that picture to a couple of erstwhile herpetologists I know, and they both say that might be a record size cotton-mouth. How big WAS that SOB? Eight feet? Is that you in the picture with the snakester?
Meanwhile, today Nick cornered a six foot black snake in our courtyard in the city! I coaxed the snakester out into the garden with a stick. Snakes 1/Rats 0.
There was Trof's O/P with the small cottonmouth moccasin he killed. I posted to that with the story about the copperhead my mountain house buyer killed a couple of weeks ago. My GOP sister (former staff to three GOP Alabama 1st District Congressmen), who lives near Trof in Point Clear (Repubs live in Point Clear, Dems live in Fairhope), told me today that a neighbor just killed a 28" copperhead in their subdivision.


Lars39's snakester picture. Sweet dreams.

[Lars39]

1. LOL Me and you both!

I'll see if I can find out how big it was. I know it was killed in the Big Sandy, TN 'bottoms'.
I don't know how tall the guy in the picture is, but I do know his brothers are easily 6'2" or so.
I can pm you his name if the herpetologists want to get in contact with him.

Spring has sprung...thoughts of that copperhead in a subdivision is pretty scary, too.

[DemoTex]

2. Thanks for the quick response, Lars39.

Yes, PM me his name if that is OK with him. My cousin is a retired professor of herpetology at Auburn, and he is into this story. I take it that is not you in that picture. Eh?
Forget the Ambien too. Shiraz is killing the snakesters tonight.

Mac


Flight of three huntin' snakesters

[flamin lib]

3. Q: How big do they get?

A: They grow as long as they live and once they reach a coupla' feet they live as long as they want to.

Hey, that's one great big fella'. Hide the small children and dogs . . .

'Course it's a hoax and not a very good one.

[DemoTex]

4. I hope to hell it is a hoax! Otherwise my Folbot kayak is for sale.

State case for hoax or forever dream of big snakesters.

Mac

[Lars39]

5. What makes you think it's a hoax?

[flamin lib]

6. Well, enlarge it and see if you can find the fella's hand and arm.

Then look at the support that's holding the snake up and try to find where it comes from. There's a total disconnect between the snake and the rest of the picture. The snake seems to be floating in front of the man and his arm/hand is in a position consistent with holding a rifle on a sling over his shoulder. Besides, if the snake was that large it would weigh a LOT and the guy holding it would show the shift in stance to support the weight--he's standing straight up.

'Course I could be wrong. Was once before. Thought I made a mistake and discovered I was right all along . . .

[Lars39]

7. I think the angle is weird because he's holding it on an L-shaped

branch. Hopefully I'll have more info tomorrow. :D

[flamin lib]

8. The shadow across the fellow's chest doesn't suggest a support

like you describe--still looks like he's holding a rifle slung over his shoulder and there's no sift in stance to support a weight that must be close to 80 pounds.

But like I said, I have been wrong in the past.

[DemoTex]

9. My perspective exactly!

The snakster is draped over a stick "support." Hssssssss.

[Ladyhawk]

10. It doesn't look quite real to me, but that may be because cottonmouths

aren't supposed to come that big. :silly:

I have eleven pet snakes and have always been interested in them. To me, that snake looks like it's made of rubber, but of course the picture isn't that clear. :shrug:

On edit: I look at it again and can see the backbone and supporting lateral muscles. Then I look at it and think, "But they just don't GET that big." :silly: I mean, that's bigger than an Eastern diamondback.

On second edit: Maybe he's holding the snake really close to the camera???

[flamin lib]

11. If you enlarge the picture a LOT you can see that the pixelation

is slightly different on the snake and the rest of the image. It looks like the background was shot with the camera held horizontally and the snake picture was shot vertically.

Besides, they grow 'em really big along the gulf coast and about 4-5 feet is the biggest I've ever seen.