# Snake's are good!



## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

Snakes alive (and booming) on Ohio lake shores

MARBLEHEAD, Ohio (AP) - Snake populations are booming on the Lake Erie shores and islands in northwest Ohio, and one expert says the reason is there's plenty of food.
WEWS-TV reports it found large numbers of water snakes swimming in the lake, sunning themselves on rocks and even slithering onto boats in Ohio communities along the lake's western end.
Ohio State University researcher Kristin Stanford tells the Cleveland television station the snakes are northern water snakes and Lake Erie water snakes, which are harmless. She says their numbers are exploding because the lake is full of round goby fish, an invasive species the snakes feed on.
Stanford says the islands are home to an estimated 12,000 Lake Erie water snakes. She works out of Ohio State's Stone Laboratory field station on South Bass Island.


----------



## Eyemakecalls2 (Apr 13, 2011)

I'm fine with snakes. I will say no-matter how much you handle one, look away at any given moment and the slithery creature will bite you in the neck. How do i know you ask? I have worked alot with them when I was younger. They can not be trusted! If I see them I don't shoot them. Sometimes I will pick them up and put them out of harms way. But for the most part I just give them the space they need. I haven't seen many rattlers lately I wonder if they are on the decline.


----------



## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

Eyemakecalls2 you speak a lot of sense!


----------



## bones44 (Jan 7, 2011)

They're good for the environment and don't hurt a thing. Like Em2, just give them space to move on.


----------



## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Rattlers and sidewinders always seem to come down with an acute case of lead poisoning when I'm around.

Non poisonous are fine with me.


----------



## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

I am glad you found this Matt. Again I enjoy seeing snakes and find them good to have around. I think I may have mentioned seeing many water snakes in the Maumee river a tributary of Lake Erie. I also when younger used to fish allong the dikes of lake Erie and saw hundreds of water snakes and this was 30 years ago. So I think there has always been alot of them. They live off of all kinds of thing not just those goby's they refered too, in fact I find it surprising they said that. I saw them catching everything from insects to frogs, from mice to rats.

They are very benificial and I appreicate the fact that they are here !!

Some very large and fats one I might add.


----------



## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

youngdon said:


> Rattlers and sidewinders always seem to come down with an acute case of lead poisoning when I'm around.


You really are so bad!


----------



## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Yep evil to the core !! Thats me alright.


----------



## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

I feel the good within you, let go of your hate!


----------



## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

A little higher and to the right please !


----------



## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

A little higher and to the right please !


----------



## Eyemakecalls2 (Apr 13, 2011)

I gotta say water snakes and shotguns must mix pretty good. Couldn't help it. Must have been thinkin of fat ones or something.


----------



## SWAMPBUCK10PT (Apr 5, 2010)

*I really don't like snakes much-----I let a Gardner pass through the yard the other day-He was headed for the garden--about 2 1/2 foot---Usally kill any snake I run into --Pine snakes for sure-but now that I'm older I try to let them BE---They-Still give me the creeps----Stepped on a Sea Snake In Veitnam--wading in the south china sea-In "68"---Never forgot him------sb*


----------



## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

SWAMPBUCK10PT said:


> *I really don't like snakes much-----I let a Gardner pass through the yard the other day-He was headed for the garden--about 2 1/2 foot---Usally kill any snake I run into --Pine snakes for sure-but now that I'm older I try to let them BE---They-Still give me the creeps----Stepped on a Sea Snake In Veitnam--wading in the south china sea-In "68"---Never forgot him------sb*


 Just about stepped on a sea snake once, believe it or not the venom of a sea snake is the deadliest of them all BUT it can't give the same about of venom as a rattlesnake as it has such small fangs, if it could you would have something like 6 seconds or more to live.


----------



## On a call (Mar 3, 2010)

6 seconds...that is not even enough time to say


----------



## bones44 (Jan 7, 2011)

When I was in the Persian Gulf we use to see them every day. Beautiful and quite large. Funny thing is, they were in the same water we were in and never bothered us. I've been told they're very docile unless you grab one. DUH......


----------



## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

Sorry to say this Rick but as dangerous as the sea snakes are the worlds deadliest snake is the Inland Taipan ( Oxyuranus microlepidotus ) once known as the Fierce Snake, followed then by the Eastern Brown and the Coastal Taipan of Australia. Then cross over to Africa and you'll find the Black Mamba, Puff Adder and the Gaboom Viper then maybe Asia for the King Cobra and Russell's Viper. Even your native Rattle Snakes don't score that high compared to the one's above!


----------



## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

*If bitten and venom is injected)
*The most venomous snake on earth is the *Belcher's Sea Snake* (Hydrophis Belcheri) or the _Faint Banded Sea Snake_, some consider the *Inland Taipan* (Oxyuranus microlepidotus) an/or the *Beaked Sea Snake* (Enhydrina schistosa) to be the most toxic, however, _with recent and more accurate studies_ 2010 prove the Belcheri has a *100 times more toxic* *venom* then the two above or any other snake on earth. 
It has a paddle-like tail, breathes air and can hold it's breath up to 8 hours, a few milligrams of venom can kill over a thousand people. 
It's habitat has a wide range in the South Pacific. 
*Excluding the Belcher's Sea Snake* _the next most venomous snakes on earth according to their venom rating are:_
2- *Inland Tiapan* (Oxyuranus Microlepidotus). 
3- *Common Indian Krait* (Bungarus Caeruleus). 
4- *Philippine Cobra* (Naja Philippinensis). 
5- *King Cobra* (Ophiophagus Hanna). 
6- *Russell's Viper* (Vipera Russellii). 
7- *Black Mamba* (Dendroaspis Polylepis). 
8- *Yellow Jawed Tommygoff* (Bothrops Asper). 
9- *Multibanded krait* (Bungarus Multicinctus). 
10- *Tigar Snake* (Notechis Scutatus). 
11- *Jararacussu* (Bothrops Jararacussu).


----------



## bones44 (Jan 7, 2011)

Boy, you guys sure know your snakes !! I know like two of them....


----------



## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

I just know how to push buttons.....and walk dogs.


----------



## SWAMPBUCK10PT (Apr 5, 2010)

_We'd drop off the Marine Grunts in a LZ---and they we'er more scared of the snakes than the vc-----They call one by the name of the one step--I don't know its real name--I NEVER Saw ONE but heard some scary stories about them--Glad I was in the Marine Airwing-----HMH 463---Marble Mountain-vietnam_


----------



## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

SWAMPBUCK10PT said:


> _We'd drop off the Marine Grunts in a LZ---and they we'er more scared of the snakes than the vc-----They call one by the name of the one step--I don't know its real name--I NEVER Saw ONE but heard some scary stories about them--Glad I was in the Marine Airwing-----HMH 463---Marble Mountain-vietnam_


 HA!! Right on Skip, in Panama during night maneuvers in the jungle they have Bushmasters and Ferdelances, honking deadly snakes, think it was the Ferdelances that would drop out of tree's onto their victim was how they hunted, WELL their were a few screams in the night , they would find the guys gear but not him, usually 3 or 4 days later they would track him down but pretty well scratched off the team. HA!!


----------



## knapper (Feb 5, 2010)

Stop the snake talk its creeping me out. Why do you think I like living here, no snakes just bears and some bugs.


----------



## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

youngdon said:


> *If bitten and venom is injected)
> *The most venomous snake on earth is the *Belcher's Sea Snake* (Hydrophis Belcheri) or the _Faint Banded Sea Snake_, some consider the *Inland Taipan* (Oxyuranus microlepidotus) an/or the *Beaked Sea Snake* (Enhydrina schistosa) to be the most toxic, however, _with recent and more accurate studies_ 2010 prove the Belcheri has a *100 times more toxic* *venom* then the two above or any other snake on earth.
> It has a paddle-like tail, breathes air and can hold it's breath up to 8 hours, a few milligrams of venom can kill over a thousand people.
> It's habitat has a wide range in the South Pacific.
> ...


I'd rather be stuck in a telephone box with any of the sea snakes than any of the above land snakes thats why they are more deadly!


----------



## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

http://www.bukisa.com/articles/76525_worlds-most-venomous-snakes

http://www.wisegeek.com/which-snake-venom-is-most-toxic.htm

There's 2 different site's that give different results. You can spend all day looking to prove one or the other! They are both bloody toxic!


----------



## bones44 (Jan 7, 2011)

We only have one in Michigan and they're endangered. It's called the Massasauga Rattlesnake. Not real dangerous and very shy. Only grow to a maximum of three feet. I've only ever seen one in my life and it acted like I wasn't even there. They live in bogs and swamps.


----------



## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

While your getting some photo's of butterfly's Tom you can have a look for one of those for me too!


----------



## bones44 (Jan 7, 2011)

Would love to find another one just for the photo op. Do you have hognose snakes in the UK ? Those are very neat snakes.


----------



## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

No just grass snake, adder and smooth snake.


----------



## bones44 (Jan 7, 2011)

If you get a chance look it up on the web. They're a very interesting creature. I've caught and released several.


----------



## Mattuk (Oct 16, 2010)

I think I know it but will have a look Tom, thank you.


----------

