We caught the egg thief! Pic included

[dawg53]

That is a yellow rat snake, or "chicken snake." Not only do they eat eggs, they'll eat your chicks and even try to get your full grown hens. I hope you took it for a long drive, if you didnt, it'll be back. Otherwise, kill it.

 

[halo]

Ah, yes, that is a yellow rat snake.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4548749_identify-yellow-rat-snake.html

He still will do you more good than harm. Believe me, you dont want to be over run with rats and mice. He will take care of them for you.

 

[txchickie]

All of you saying to keep the snake, that he is harmless....you DO see that she has young children, right? That little girl in the pink dress? You want her getting bit by a snake?


I don't get that mentality when you have little ones around. I have a 3 year old and another due in July, no snakes leave this property alive.

 

[halo]

That little girl is in more danger of a bite from a pet dog than a rat snake living on the property.

 

[txchickie]

Quote:
I don't believe that at all.

My daughter comes in the coop with me several times a day to get eggs and to give treats. I do NOT want a snake hanging around in there with us.

 

[redhen]

Quote:
The snake is not dangerous...

 

[fancbrd4me02]

Quote:
I don't believe that at all.

My daughter comes in the coop with me several times a day to get eggs and to give treats. I do NOT want a snake hanging around in there with us.

It's a non-poisonous snake. In order to be bitten by that snake, you would almost certainly have to be handling it. If it did bite you, it is like the pricks from a rose bush, not particularly dangerous at all. Some snakes only have bony plates that can just pinch you. Even poisonous snakes use a bite as a last line of defense, and when possible will try to run from you and get away. Trust me, I know a lot about how wild snakes behave because I routinely relocate rattlesnakes and have done so for about 20 years, and it is actually difficult for me to even illicit a strike or coiling in rattlers, as they are running for thier lives as I try to capture them. I also have captured more non-toxic snakes than I could even count, and when handled, you could be bitten, but only if you are playing around with it, and the bite isn't as serious as a bee sting, or a dog or cat bite. I have been bitten by many, many non toxic snakes, and it's at the most the kind of bite that makes you say "ouch" and almost never draws blood. I have been bitten by a cat, dog and pig. All of those bites were painful and required medical attention. My goose has bitten a few family members, and compared to a snake bite, the wounds he inflicted were quite serious. My brother recieved massive bruising and bleeding from a goose bite even through jeans. If a non poisonous snake bit you thru jeans, his teeth would not penetrate, and would only snag the jeans. You shouldn't be scared of something with so little bite force. No real danger from an animal of that size with puny teeth. No snake bite I have recieved has needed any more than being washed with betadine.

 

[CheepSunglasses]

The people most concerned about getting bit by these snakes have never actually been bitten by one. I have been bitten by many. I used to catch them when I was a kid and I can tell you from experience that it is just no big deal. Turtles, on the other hand, really hurt. My worst bite? From a cat that I was rescuing from a dog. That one went right to the bone and required antibiotics. But these little nonpoisonous snake bites are a lot like bee stings. They sting for a few minutes, then stop. The sting is from enzymes in their mouths that aid digestion and they have no more strength in their jaws than most lizards.They are absolutely nothing to get worked up about and environmentally, they do far more good than harm.

 

[CheepSunglasses]

fancbrd4me02: You are correct. The only snakes that ever bit me were the ones I was trying to catch. They almost always run away. Most people do not realize, too, that snakes are deaf and do not hear you coming. So they mistake their startled defensiveness for aggression. The truth is, they want nothing at all to do with us.

 

[ivan3]

txchickie wrote: All of you saying to keep the snake, that he is harmless....you DO see that she has young children, right? That little girl in the pink dress? You want her getting bit by a snake?

Great, thanks a lot. Now I'll be hearing old `high and lonesome' Bill Monroe singing all day "The little girl and the dreadful snake" (not one of his better numbers, though persistent in memory)