I showed this picture to my dad and he said that he is about 100% sure that the snake is a water snake. :thumb:

Cool! Thanks guys, I had no idea! We even asked a ranger guy who was there on saturday, he had no clue. He's the one who said cotton mouth.

Pray tell what were you doing camping in the RRG drunk. Get a life and enjoy the beautiful views you have.

The Get a life comment was COMPLETELY uncalled for, but are these some of the views you're talking about?

 

 

 

 

I went hiking at Devils Lake in Wisconsin over the weekend. I'll post pics when I get them...

 

BTW...I hate snakes.

Snakes and I don't much care for each other...

My God what a copperhead! I promise you I wouldn't want to be that close to it, especially at night, but goodness look how beautiful of a creature that thing is, the coloration and markings are perfect, I am guessing that it has freshly shed it's skin.

 

Also, the first pic is your common banded watersnake... except it is a MONSTER. By the looks of it, it hasn't shed it's skin and that's why it doesn't have real distinct bands, but on the bend of the snake where you can no longer see it's tail you can see the bands that distinquish it. Also, the head shape is that of a water snake... notice how far it's head sticks out past the jawline, that is indicative of a watersnake as well... those bands also discounts it from being a blacksnake, blacksnakes also have more of an oval shaped head

 

Have no fears about a cottonmouth... the only parts of Kentucky you should find them are in the southern counties.

I would tend to agree with the banded watersnake.......except geez is it HUGE! Wish I had a better picture of the head to be sure(also to see if it was going to shed its skin soon), why didn't you climb down closer? :lol:

 

Seriously though, beautiful pictures and some fine specimens at that.

I hate snakes unless they're behind some glass.

98- If you're going back in the fall, Natural Bridge State Park is a great place with good views. They even have a skylift which takes you way up in the mountains. Also FWIW, we went picnicing there twice and saw Rattle snakes both times, real close to the picnic grounds.

Good LUck and have fun!

We had a golf tournament at our local course this weekend and I drove my cart within a foot of a big Black Snake on one of the cart paths. Well, it didn't run, but rather reared its head up and acted like it was standing its ground. When we went to the tee it was still there with its head standing up about a foot off the ground. One of the guys said, "Man, I'm not hitting until that snake's gone!" Finally I went over and thumped my club on the ground a few times and it crawled away. I told the others that I didn't think the snake could see because it's Dog Days in August and most snakes are blind, or so I've been told. Plus snakes can't hear, so it took a jarring of the ground to get rid of it.

My God what a copperhead! I promise you I wouldn't want to be that close to it, especially at night, but goodness look how beautiful of a creature that thing is, the coloration and markings are perfect, I am guessing that it has freshly shed it's skin.

 

Also, the first pic is your common banded watersnake... except it is a MONSTER. By the looks of it, it hasn't shed it's skin and that's why it doesn't have real distinct bands, but on the bend of the snake where you can no longer see it's tail you can see the bands that distinquish it. Also, the head shape is that of a water snake... notice how far it's head sticks out past the jawline, that is indicative of a watersnake as well... those bands also discounts it from being a blacksnake, blacksnakes also have more of an oval shaped head

 

Have no fears about a cottonmouth... the only parts of Kentucky you should find them are in the southern counties.

 

I am with you on the beauty of the snakes...absolutely gorgeous! I just don't want them next to me.

I don't know if you all remember the few I had last year run out between my feet while cutting grass and then another on the golf course. I HATE them! I love watching them but can't stand them.

I saw this thread before I went to bed last night and sure enough I had a dream about it! Thanks for sharing the pictures! It's one of those things that I couldn't help but look kind of like a car wreck.

I don't know if you all remember the few I had last year run out between my feet while cutting grass and then another on the golf course. I HATE them! I love watching them but can't stand them.

I saw this thread before I went to bed last night and sure enough I had a dream about it! Thanks for sharing the pictures! It's one of those things that I couldn't help but look kind of like a car wreck.

Sorry!

98- If you're going back in the fall, Natural Bridge State Park is a great place with good views. They even have a skylift which takes you way up in the mountains. Also FWIW, we went picnicing there twice and saw Rattle snakes both times, real close to the picnic grounds.

Good LUck and have fun!

We are going back in October!

 

The Skylift was down while we were there this time.

I showed this picture to my dad and he said that he is about 100% sure that the snake is a water snake. :thumb:

That is what it looked like to me as well. I just saw this thread and was getting ready to post it when I saw your post. I also believe that it was a water snake, most of the ones that I saw have been smaller than that though.

 

As for the copperhead, try running into one of those at night as you did only about a foot or less from the back of your head!! Cvillecat and I were fishing at Greenbo Lake one night, long story short - I pushed the boat up in under a willow tree to try and get a bullfrog. I was laying down and strectched out across the front reaching for the frog and cville told me (in a calm way, which was good) to not make any quick movements, and whatever I did not to raise my head up and push the boat out from under the tree. I finally did when he got me to believe that he was serious and he the held the light above where my head was and showed me a copperhead that was lying right next to where my head was under that willow tree. The only thing that we could think of was that it was kind of cool tnat night and the snake was stretched out to where it could not coil to strike.

 

Anyway, that is my snake story. LOL

Oldrambler- What is it that makes a nest of copperheads smell like cucumbers?

That is what it looked like to me as well. I just saw this thread and was getting ready to post it when I saw your post. I also believe that it was a water snake, most of the ones that I saw have been smaller than that though.

 

As for the copperhead, try running into one of those at night as you did only about a foot or less from the back of your head!! Cvillecat and I were fishing at Greenbo Lake one night, long story short - I pushed the boat up in under a willow tree to try and get a bullfrog. I was laying down and strectched out across the front reaching for the frog and cville told me (in a calm way, which was good) to not make any quick movements, and whatever I did not to raise my head up and push the boat out from under the tree. I finally did when he got me to believe that he was serious and he the held the light above where my head was and showed me a copperhead that was lying right next to where my head was under that willow tree. The only thing that we could think of was that it was kind of cool tnat night and the snake was stretched out to where it could not coil to strike.

 

Anyway, that is my snake story. LOL

I was shocked this one didn't coil, I was wondering why he didn't.