giant snake
 

i puit his in the NE forum, but thought id share it here since i was turkey huntin when it happened...
my youngest son Cole and i were "turkey hunting" with his red ryder. he says "dad, I shoot that snake"... i figured it was a garter snake, and i asked him where it was. he says right THERE...well, about 2 feet from my head is the BIGGEST BLACK SNAKE i have ever seen. i mean, BIG. so , being the nut that i am i grab it crocodile hunter style and it proceeds to wrap it self around my hand, arm and head. my son is laughing like crazy. now, i know i gotta take a pictur of this thing, as no one is going to believe me. we head for the jeep. picture me and my 3 year old riding home . me with a giant snake attached to my upper body. we got more than a few looks from passing motorists!

we got him home and took pictures. he was quite mellow, actually. he taped out at 76 inches, as straight as we could get him. we let him go unharmed to controll the mouse population near our local quarry. VERY cool animal.

oh yeah his name is "Boonkey", Cole said

RE: giant snake
 

another

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last one

RE: giant snake
 

What kind of snake is that???

CJW

RE: giant snake
 

You are not kidding about being BIG!!
I am glad you did not shoot it.

Feild mouse population beware.

Johnch

RE: giant snake
 

its a common black snake. i never kill snakes, they don't bother me and i don't eat em, so i let em slide;)

RE: giant snake
 

that snake in the 2nd pic you saw that face 2 face:eek: it looks scary

RE: giant snake
 

Nice pics n that is a big snake.

RE: giant snake
 

Called an Indigo.

RE: giant snake
 

Although the Eastern Indigo and the Black Rat snake are frequently confused, I'm confident this is a Black Rat snake, especially given the fact the specimen in question was collected in the northeast (outside the range of the Eastern Indigo), and the underside of the snake depicted here contains white coloration...no offense intended Reb.

RE: giant snake
 

You're right Positive! No problem.

RE: giant snake
 

I have to agree with Rebel ; thats an indigo. take a look at the head.they are indigos in the northeast also,not many ,but a few.
no offense here also.

RE: giant snake
 

None taken, and yes, take a look at the head, and the coloration of the underbody.

Eastern Indigo http://www.uga.edu/srel/eastern_indigo_snake.htm

Black Rat http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/StratfordL..._rat_snake.htm

RE: giant snake
 

I would say it was a black rat snake. The off coloration on the sides and its long length would indicate that. While one pic does look very much like an indigo, the pic with the child shows the off coloration which isnt present on the indigo snake.
Either way, thats one big fella!

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In Georgia it is illegal to harm indigos. Dont know what that is, but it is an awesome snake.

Thanks for sharing

RE: giant snake
 

guys, thanks for the responses!


it is definetly a common black rat. i worked for a herpetologist for 8 years outta high school, handled everything from gaboon vipers to 16 foot burmese pythons and everything in between. I got alot of reptile experience;)

i wish we had indigos around here, but we don't. :(

he is a beautifull critter though, aint he?

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nice snake glad he live's another day

RE: giant snake
 

Whatever the species...... Big snake, and glad he's in your yard and not mine!! I'll take a mess of hawks to control field mice in the yard over a snake any day!!

RE: giant snake
 

This is a black rat snake. An indigo is black on the bottom too.

I saw the biggest indigo snake I've ever seen down in FL turkey hunting this year. He was bigger around than my forearm and at least 5 feet long. My brother was going to pick him up by the tail, but the big fellow was having none of it, so my brother reconsidered and let him go about his snake business. I wish we'd have had a camera. That thing was huge.

Hal

RE: giant snake
 

Man that is a huge snake!! I'd a ran and cried like a baby if I would have saw that thing while hunting!