Texas

[tcmstalcup]

I am not a reptile person at all but I like bull snakes. Usually non aggressive and my son and I have picked several up in the pasture. Gorgeous patterns.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Red and Yellow...kills a fellow Red and Black....venom lack

What kind of a snake is this?

How do you tell a bull snake from a rattlesnake in the field? The head shape? Does the rattle sound different? Where does the rattle of a bull snake come from? I've been lucky to have only seen those checkered garter snakes on my property, but there must be lots of others around. I'd really like to know how to identify the poisonous ones from the non venomous ones when you only have a quick look at it as it scurries away.

Thanks.

 

[shesaredroan]

Good morning Texas thread.
I too have black widows, and have learned to first flip things over and look before I pick up anything, Another thing I've learned is to identify their webs, which are very disorganized and haphazardly built, unlike the symmetrical webs of the big yellow & black golden orb/garden spiders. I consider the golden orbs to be "good spiders" and leave them alone as long as they don't try to build their webs in places where I'm going to be walking through them. They do NOT want to come into the house, which I also like!!!
For the last several years my biggest problem (besides grasshoppers) has been those BIG, stupid wolf spiders, who seem to be determined to come in the house. This past summer, when trying to deal with the fire ants getting into my dog's food bowls (I feed my dogs on the front porch), I started using food grade DE (from the feed store) around the bowls. One morning, while sprinkling DE to deter the ants, I noticed several wolf spiders on the porch and pelted them with DE. HA HA, a little while later they were curled up and dead!!! I'd also spotted a black widow's web and threw a few handfuls at it too. Yeap!! DE works on any insect that has an exoskeleton.
Of coarse my porch looks like I've thrown flour or powdered sugar all over the place, but I haven't had to worry about the spiders or fire ants, I figure it's worth it to have to put up with the white dust, if it relieves my concerns. I do have to refresh the DE after a while, but that's OK.
I've long used DE in and around my hen house. I give them a box full of it for them to take dust baths. I LOVE DE!!! : )

 

[TexasLisa]

Hey guys, sorry for the absence. First my computer took a crap (and I hate the BYC site on my phone ugh), then I have been busy keeping up with babies that I set free in their new run. Everyone had disappeared on here for a few days before that, so I got bored (yes short attention span). Anyhow, how is everybody? Oh and I could not resist, here is a picture of my little guy that I have dubbed Cogburn. All the other little ones are so skittish still, but not him. Every time I went out today he came to me and hopped on my lap or arm. Stole Momma's heart. He is still feathering out so he looks goofy with some fuzz and some feathers, poor guy.

Welcome back Mandy!!! I was wondering about you!

I am missing our good morning greetings from Lisa. Hope you are doing o.k. Lisa.

GOOD MORNING ITALIA!! Thank you for missing me. 'Juno' has been bouncing my e-mails coming and going. It was a mess. Hopefully I am back.

Lisa

 

[WildWorks]

Quote: A bull snake does not have rattle on the end of its tail, the noise it makes to mimic a rattlesnake come from it constricting its body and forcing air out and also from its tail that it can twitch in the leaves and grass...they also bend there bodies in an S shape to look like a rattler and their heads are more triangular than most non-venomous species...the best way to tell if it is a rattlesnake or a bull snake is to study their patterns and coloration...although similar...once you have seen a few....you can tell the difference almost at once. There are only four venomous snakes found in Texas...rattlesnake...copperhead....water moccasin....coral snake.

 

[Teri Metcalf]

Red and Yellow...kills a fellow Red and Black....venom lack

He's a beauty! I hope you let him stay alive.

 

[WildWorks]

Quote: I would have let this snake live, unfortunately he was hit by vehicle on the road and didn't get that chance.

 

[LauriTX]

Wildworks - I noticed you were from Hamilton, my dad's family is all from Hamilton!

I don't like snakes at all...as long as they stay away from me, I have no problem with them! They are pretty and I don't mind looking at them when they are just doing their jobs (or behind glass).

 

[Teri Metcalf]

Our plumbagos and salvia appreciate all the rain we got over the weekend. I thought I already posted this pic, but maybe not.

 

[GaryDean26]

I went to the Texas State Fair this weekend. It was my first time to the Texas fair. I remember seeing a lot more chickens at the Utah State Fair that I attended with my dad growing up. We would often spend more than an hour walking up and down the rows at the Utah fair looking at all the poultry and the breeders would often be there caring for their chickens and answering questions which is how we met the man that I got my Black Breasted Red OEG Bantams that I raised for four years before moving to Oklahoma.

There was a lot of good discussion at the table of the egg contest, but I only meet one bird owner in the 25 minutes I was there. She was a high school age girl who was showing off her White Silky and letting people pet it (I always wanted to touch the Silkies, those feathers are as soft as they look). I was with my parents at the fair, but instead of asking Dad chicken questions like I did when I was 10 years old I was busy telling them what I liked about all the breeds we saw.

I wish I would have been there for the judging (missed it by about an hour) and that I could have met some breeders (I had Single Combed Light Brown Leghorns on the wishlist, but will keep looking).