Copperheads!!!!!!!

[ironkladd]

Boy Ive been away for awhile..Anyway............usually about this time a get around to cleaning our pool, Well this morning i was cleaning the leaves and debris out of the top drain(using a pole) and heard a rattle as i got to the bottom of the leaves sure enough two copperheads. One is about maybe 3 feet and the other about two. We have never had venomous snakes around here and they look well fed. Any suggesions on what i should do??

[supersnake]

find out if its a local breed if so its probably wild and needs to be released in a refuge.if not, keep them or find out if someone owns them.

[Genevieve]

Copperheads are not Rattlesnakes just to let you know. It probably wasn't a copperhead. Where do you live? if you are on the east coast it could be an Eastern DiamondBack or the more rare Timberrattler. There are other rattlesnakes but without knowing where you are located, I can't really help you identifiy it.
Handle any unknown snake with caution.

[Genevieve]

wait, are you in texas?
if you are theres a whole lot of venamous reptiles that have the potential to be in your pool. Not to mention a number of rattlers. I'm sure theres somewhere in your town that you can find out if there are any dangerous reptiles known to be in the area.

[telefrag]

copperheads will vibrate their tails, like many other snakes when disturbed.






Hey IronKladd... dont you live in the DFW area? If you let me know where, I can probably help you find a place close (yet not too close) to your house to re-release them (that is if you still have them)

[BWSmith]

Yup, like Telefrag said, many snakes including copperheads and cottonmouths vibrate their tails when agitated. If they do that in dried leaves, it sounds like a little rattle.

Here is the question: Are they mimicking Rattlesnakes or did Rattlesnakes just develop this mechanism to a greater extent?

	Cottonmouth Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus) - Also known as a Water Moccasin.

[trinitywolf]

I don't believe its mimicry Brain. I think that Rattlesnakes have evolved to accommodate more effectively in that department then some other species.
What's your take?

[BWSmith]

I believe that they took a standard defense mechanism common to most North American snakes (tail vibrating) and evolved a more advanced and effective means of using that defense.


What never ceases to amaze me is that a "deaf" animal evolves an audible defense mechanism.

[SoberGuy]

Or does the rattle produce some good vibrations for other "deaf" animals to pick up on, and also "just happens" tp produce noise?

[ironkladd]

Yea telefrag im in everman and I do still have them. A friend of mine who use to work at the zoo, and he said he thinks someone realesed them because one is a trans pecos or something like that.

[haroldo359]

got pics?