Southeast - off topic - something about local snakes

My wife called me at work and said she found a huge snake skin in our flower bed. She's somewhat of a drama queen so I initially thought 3-4 feet if that long. No biggie. So when I got home last night I waited for my kids to come out and greet me. No dice. The big mean monster was out there some where waiting to eat them alive. So I looked around to see if I could find the skin but it was too dark. Once I reached the poarch they came out and took me to the spot where the skin still lay. The tail was held under a rock and was coiled around a thick plant we have next to a tree.

:eek:

I picked the skin up by the tail end and held it up to the top of my head. It reached the ground and continued ahead of my feet by at least another foot.

:eek:

I shuddred like a little girl. I didn't think any type of black (racer or rat) snake usually reached 7' in length. But this one clearly did - and apparently is still growing. It was a great skin. You can see the eye holes and everything. It creeps me a little but I don't want to scare it away because it helps to keep all other snakes and rodents out of our area. But, yikes, I don't want to run across this thing when I'm taking out the trash or walking our dog. Seven freaking feet long!!!! And pretty thick too.

I think I have one like that living in my attic! :eek: But I never find intact skin. Only sections of two to three feet. :eek: I can hear it slithering along above different parts of the house, which is kinda creepy at times, but at least I don't have mice! :D

We had one a few years ago in our attic. It was at least 6'.

Truth be known, there are very few houses in the Carolinas that don't have snakes in the attic. They love to use the insulation and raw wood to help peel off their old coats.


HSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Truth be known, there are very few houses in the Carolinas that don't have snakes in the attic.
Oh my.

Note to self: stay away from the attack next time you visit sis.

I found two more - yes TWO - smaller skins yesterday. They were only 2 footers though.

I think I have one like that living in my attic! :eek: But I never find intact skin. Only sections of two to three feet. :eek: I can hear it slithering along above different parts of the house, which is kinda creepy at times, but at least I don't have mice! :D

Yikes!:eek:

We had critters in the attic, i wound up having to poison them. It was getting bad.
I plugged the hole they were getting in after they were dead. Kept chewing a new hole in the fascia.
I thought of getting a snake, but didn't want the snake to die in the attic after the food was gone.


On a side note, I am thinking of getting a snake for the garden, cuz the mice keep eating all the vegetables:mad:

If you are surprised to find snakes in the Carolinas, the hot weather in August must really frighten you.

If you are surprised to find snakes in the Carolinas, the hot weather in August must really frighten you.

just surprised by snakes in the attic. I would think they'd be roasted in mine.

just surprised by snakes in the attic. I would think they'd be roasted in mine.

That would have been my thought. How do they survive the attic heat?

That would have been my thought. How do they survive the attic heat?

They don't actually live there most of the time. They go for two reasons, rodents and to shed skin in the insulation. I have actually witnessed a black snake going up the 90 degree angle where my chimney meets the siding of the house. Looked like he was defying gravity.

Black Rat snakes are great climbers and range up to about 8 feet in length so your's was on the long end of the scale. The skin may stretch a bit during shedding though. Unfortunately, despite their name they eat a lot of birds especially baby birds that can't escape easily. They seem to be able to find them just as they are about to fledge. I suppose the birds are at their most nutritious and easiest to catch at that point.