For the past week, during the afternoon thunderstorms, this little guy was coming in my shop.......under the garage door I didn't mind when he sat there until the storm was over and left. Yesterday he was being a pain in the ARSE, snapping at me, my dogs and crawling all over the shop. I had to step in and take control Sorry for not cleaning my trash can for the pics. He's only about 10" long so the dogs didn't take him seriously I relocated him far, FAR away, out in the woods I don't mind snakes but not this kind, crawling around near my ankles
I THOUGHT it was a baby Pygmy rattler as they are very common around here. The pest control people would SWEAR it's a Pygmy I'm now pretty sure it's some kind of Racer. I thought I was being brave and daring
You were being "brave and daring". (Let me rephrase, as someone that has been bitten by a poisonous snake: crazy/stupid ) Let me introduce you to your "little friend", also known as Sistrurus miliarius barbouri, or the dusky pygmy rattlesnake. I hope you are more careful in handling the next one of these you see....
While the pattern is close, I still don't buy it. I also think Knifemaker's is a racer. Look at the face of the snake, it is not a viper. Check out the head diagram in this link: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/herpetology/fl-guide/Sistrurusmbarbouri.htm Now check out the head on this racer: http://www.southalley.com/album_racers.html
...and this pic of a juvenile black racer seals it. They lose the markings when the mature. The head and markings are identical to FLKnifemaker's although this guys a little younger: {}
Yes, One of the snake experts on our knife and gun forum called it immediatley. They're close. Mr. Gard......... I just did my best to get it into the trash can and off to the woods. I wasn't playing snake charmer with the darn thing The first two encounters he took off. Trust me, I was handling it as if it was a Pigmy!! I can't afford to be out of commision with a snakebite!! Snakes in my yard/shop are not something new. A few years ago, we had a coral snake in my Florida room. That one met it's doom
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