| LIFE Animals and us

[TerryP]

@TerryP, Have you been up close and personal with one of those monsters? I don't even like the 4 and 5 inch lizards around my house.

There's a picture somewhere on the site I took awhile back of one that was resting in front of a local bar I go to occasionally. I saw a new family off of the tee box on a local course recently. They were, I'd guess, 18" or so long...roughly six to nine of them. Lizards? I don't pay attention to them until they're getting to the 10" or longer size...ya know, about the width of a average man's thumb. I know where two of them are right now that are at least 15" long, orange heads...really strange looking.

So, yes. Up and close quite often. The biggest was measure at 16' or so...lived on a course on the Navy base off of the 17th hole. It was just understood...stay away from the water. He never was, or has been, an issue.

I don't see the copperheads often although I'd guess I've ran across six or seven snakes this year. I don't live in the country. It's just a part of living in this part of the country.

 

[TerryP]

I don't see the copperheads often although I'd guess I've ran across six or seven snakes this year.

@footballer this was posted by a friend of mine a few days ago...she lives less then 10 minutes from my house.

 

[footballer]

@TerryP, Any time I see a snake, I get the hee bee jeebes. But if they are out and can be easily seen, they don't bother me so much. It's the ones that are hidden or camouflaged that I don't notice until you are too close for comfort that give me a scare. I killed a rat snake in my basement last year and a black snake in there as well about 17 years ago. I have never seen any gators in my neck of the woods here in Jefferson Co.. But many years ago I went fishing with friends on the Alabama River near Gees Bend. We saw several gators there and the snakes were seemed to be everywhere you looked.

 

[TerryP]

@footballer, I was mowing at a friends house this past week and he ran across a dead snake that'd been hit by the string trimmer a day or two before. I was running the trimmer and didn't see it then. Knowing it was there, knowing it was dead, I still jumped a bit when I saw it working...three, four times it got me.

A year or so ago I found a green snake in the back yard that was a good 4' long, maybe longer. I thought about just letting it go its merry way but also considered the kids who live behind me. So, as a good neighbor I caught it, took it to the front lawn by the ditch, and let it go.

A couple of days later the lady that lives across the street tells me of the "huge snake that scared her and daughter, along with another neighbors kids." I'm not too upset it scared the neighbors kids. Really, it's a little funny. Now the lady across the street I regret a bit...moving the snake away from one friends kids and put it where neighbors kids play.

 

[footballer]

@TerryP, Yeah, ole no shoulders can sure put a hitch in your get along whether dead or alive. Green snakes are pretty much harmless but I still don't like them. I haven't seen one probably since I was a teenager. Do you believe your neighbor saw the same green snake as the one you let loose? Or is it possible they saw a different one? After I killed that rat snake in my basement last year, I thought I would see one every time I went down there for several months after.

 

[TerryP]

Do you believe your neighbor saw the same green snake as the one you let loose?

Considering her description and the timing, yes I believe it was the same snake. It had one of the most vibrant green colors I've seen in years...and you just don't see them that length, in the same area, that closely together and it not be the same snake, ya know?

 

[TerryP]

@footballer

@TerryP, Have you been up close and personal with one of those monsters? I don't even like the 4 and 5 inch lizards around my house.

Does this answer your question in a little more detail? This was less than 24 hours after your post. I don't think it takes me 15 minutes to bike there so a 10 minute drive seems a bit over the top.

One thing to notice there...look at where the water is on the right side of the school / main highway. All of that is salt water and salt water marsh lands.

 

[planomateo]

I'm sitting inside taking this photo. There were 5, but one of them ran off two of them. Thinking the mamma ran off two that weren't hers.

I'm hoping to see elk or a moose on the property soon.

 

[footballer]

@planomateo, It must be wonderful to live in a place where you have that kind of wildlife to photograph. I live about 15 miles out of Birmingham in a very small city with much of it wooded. I have occasional deer come through my yard as well as fox, groundhogs, raccoons, opossum,rabbit, squirrels every where, saw one coyote and one bobcat since 2004. I especially enjoy the three pairs of crows that hang out behind my house and yard to steal the bread I throw out for the squirrels. In your shot, the two that were chased are still in the frame, in the upper left hand corner, behind that (pine?) tree. I can see the hind end of one and the front of the other. A really good shot.

 

[planomateo]

Yup, that's one that was chased off. Good eye.

There was a turkey strutting around on Thursday in the same area.

There were 6-7 elk down the road from me (still in the neighborhood), no bulls from what I could see.

Also I saw some bighorn sheep on the side of the road. They were losing their winter coats.

It's wonderful.

 

[planomateo]

About 6 months ago, our neighborhood in north Dallas had Bobcats literally laying in peoples front yards.

People in the neighborhood were not happy, I was one of the few hoping the Bobcats would kill all the rabbits

 

[footballer]

About 6 months ago, our neighborhood in north Dallas had Bobcats literally laying in peoples front yards.

People in the neighborhood were not happy, I was one of the few hoping the Bobcats would kill all the rabbits

Were the rabbits eating your garden?

 

[planomateo]

They were destroying my yard, eating huge sections of grass.

 

[TerryP]

A little background: Some time off in Myrtle Beach versus some time off in Savannah. Personally, I'm taking the Savannah trip (just to walk around the flea market) versus Myrtle. Both have liberal open container laws. (IE: Savannah's flea market has cold beer you can drink while walking around.)

But that's not the only reason I'm not a big fan of MB. Over the weekend I've found another reason...this one found in a rental house on the beach.

 

[footballer]

@TerryP, Tear up my rental agreement.

 

[planomateo]

Ran across the elk a few about a mile and a half into my commute this morning.

Turkey was back in the yard the other day.

 

[footballer]

@planomateo, Are you in TX or MT?

 

[planomateo]

@planomateo, Are you in TX or MT?

Montana currently.

 

[TerryP]

When you see it ...

 

[TerryP]

Found in the forest areas of the Philippines. It's called the "megabat" and can have a wing span up to 6'.