One Wicked Mean Snake

“So, I was up in Inverness, FL today to visit some family. I got there early and everyone was running late, so I did a little hike in the Withalacoochee State Forest. While walking back, I saw a 6-7 foot long snake crossing the path, it's head raised high as it slithered. I quickened my pace so I could catch up and get a better look, and saw it was an eastern coachwhip. As I got closer, about six feet away, it stop, coiled up and looked right at me. I slowly took another step closer, and then the sucker advanced a few feet towards me, never breaking eye contact! I backed off a step, and it looked at me for a few seconds, then turned it's head. I took another step towards it, and it turned towards me again! It positioned it's body as if it was ready to charge at me. I backed off again, and then it eventually slithered away from the path.

I later talked with my father, who knows a lot about snakes and always has several dozen at any given time. He wasn't surprised at what happened, and said he's been chased by coachwhips a few times.

Very beautiful snake though. By the way, they're not venomous.”

“I thought for sure this was about Snake Eyes.”

“Nah. It's actually outdoor related. What a concept!”

“Jeez Artex, my faith in you is shattered now. Why didn't you ressle it up good and strangle it?”

“Warning If harassed, a Coachwhip may coil up, shake its tail, and strike repeatedly, often at the face. Its bite is not venomous


----------------------------------

Getting bit in the face would really suck!”

“Good use of the word "wicked".”

“I had the same happen to me awhile back with a king snake. It basically lept off an outcrop towards me and then chased me a few feet down the trail. Dang thing freak me out!”

“I can't think of a worse place to get bit. Then again, yeah I can.”

“Artex is clearly too modest. I found this photo in a local newspaper - apparently he was able to subdue the beast!

”

“LMAO”

“With his history, I was half expecting Artex to ask it for a dance...”

“I’m just trying to figure what Freud would say about your dad’s fantasy of being chased by snakes.”

“The thread title scared me too until I saw the author was Artex. Thought it might have been Lizs maligning me for some imagined wrongdoing. Whew!”

“Sometimes a snake is just a snake, LOL”

“Something wicked this way comes.............”

“Why not a wicked happy-go-lucky snake?”

“

The Eastern Coachwhip rivals the racer for North America's fastest snake.”

“LMAO @ Bowlderman! Dude, that's just freaky.”

“Yer tellin' me?!”

“that is the most hilarious photo I have seen in 7 years.”

“I aims to please!”

“I aims to please too, but I doesn't always shoot straight.”

“Don't like any snakes.”

“LMAO @ Bowlder!!

that's scary, Artex...i think i would've had a heart attack on the spot.”

“When I lived in South Florida, I can remember a couple of times that Indigos did the same thing.”

“LOL Bowlder!

Artex, you afraid of that lil' thing?!”

“Artex is a native American word meaning "Dances with hogs; runs from snakes."”

“He is a survivor.

He lived through hours of searing flames that ravaged a warehouse as long as a football field and would have snuffed out a mammal in minutes.

He then faced the deluge of water that firefighters poured on the burning building for more than 24 hours.

Finally, he defied the large construction crane that yesterday morning picked apart the building like a dinosaur, displacing enormous chunks of rubble with the ease of a child playing with blocks.

Sunny, an 18-foot albino Burmese python and Accurate Document Destruction Inc. mascot, emerged Phoenix-like from beneath the soaking wet rubble of the building yesterday after hissing at firefighters all morning long.

His tank was broken, but Sunny was unbowed.

As two burly firemen carried him out, his orange-white mosaic of scales glistened in the noontime sun, amazing police investigators, firefighters and a bevy of other onlookers, including his company caregivers.
[...]
The presence of the snake at the site came as a surprise to many firefighters and investigators, some of whom were none too happy when they were told to watch out for the reptile.

Hamilton Detective Bob Diszler, part of the investigatory team, said the snake reared its head a few times and hissed.

He said it reminded him of the first "Star Wars" movie when Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia were trapped in a trash compactor up to their knees in watery debris and a menacing snake kept popping up through the muck.

"That's what I thought was going to happen," he said with a chuckle. "It kept hissing."
[...]

Full Story”

“I would be pretty mad too, if I were broiled and then soaked for 24 hrs.”

“

saw these two lovebirds... err I mean Timber Rattlers today while dayhiking the Appalachian Trail near Harrisburg, PA with Crazypace.”

“Hmmmmmm.

I think I'll stick to cold climates.”

“the one was fairly large. They were both very docile. I got pretty close and they didn't seem to mind, they knew I was there though and watched me. I wanted it to rattle and threw some small sticks near it and it didn't even flinch.

This was the first time I have ever seen rattle snakes.”

“the first time? Wow...I grew up with them all ver the place. When I lived in the desert I even had them living under the house....when I was a kid I used to play with them. I would litterally pick them up just to freak my parents out. >:) Not all of them rattle....some dont for some reason.”

“Cool pic of rattlers! Maybe they were to busy to rattle...”

“Nice shot, EarthNSky!”

“Oh yeah! Now I have something to freak my co-workers out with on Tuesday!”

“Cool pic EarthNsky,

Cool experience too, ..right up until you felt the need to throw stuff at the two snakes just minding their own business.

How do you feel in camp when passers by feel the need to throw stuff at your tent to see if anyone is inside?

Kids with some primitive need to throw rocks is the biggest pain-in-the-@ss when taking new scouts out for the first time. That and their need to drop candy-wrappers from one end of the trail to the other.”

“lol, I was kinda wondering about that too Manuka.”

“I never hit the snakes. I'm not that mean. I threw it in the general area of them.”

“Now you did it ENS. PETA will be contacting you shortly.”

“Nah PETA is animals.

Snakes are reptiles

PETR”

“Geez ENS, how'd you like it if you're trying to get your groove on and someone was throwing sticks at you?”

“Once in an alley in Haifa, Isreal (me and my "girlfriend of the evening" on one side of the alley, my friend and his "girlfriend of the evening" on the other side) a bunch of hoodlums kids came into the alley and starting heckling my friends girl (they were "standing" closest to the alley entrance). She picked up a stick (without causing my friend to break stride) and started swinging it at the kids and yelling at them in a language we didn't understand.

I never laughed so hard in my life.
last edited: 5/31/05 10:55:15 AM”

“Wow, now there's a visual, Hyway.”

“Ive gotta a snake for you!”

“Hyway's story beats all others.”

“Yeah EasrthNsky, listen to your mother(manuka)!!!”

“

Story”

“Careful Bit.
Treebait is after your title.

http://www.thebackpacker.com/trailtalk/thread/23085,1.php”

“Is that a Fuego thread now?”