Kansas Snakes

[kansas]

Another hobby of mine, beyond artifact hunting and collecting is snake hunting. I am a member of the Kansas Herpetological Society and participate in many snake surveys throughout the state. At this time of year I walk the trails at night and search for snakes by flashlight. They love to come out at night and enjoy the heat of the trail, looking for a meal. Last night I found seven copperheads; one large adult, one young adult and five juveniles. Here are a few shots.

Steve
Kansas

[HeadHuntress]

Those are Pretty....darn scary lookin! I always had those on my land in the Ozarks... they seemed to run in pairs.. find one, you'll find another.

[Marshall Ellis]

I was lookin at the one hangin from the snake hook tryin for some kinda scale reference. I grew up chasin snakes here in Texas but never found one that big that still had the yellow tail. Either that snake hook is smaller than I am used to seein or that is one big juvenile. At what age do they usually lose that yellow tail? And also, dont Cotton Mouth juveniles have a yellow tail as well? The wife still cant figure out what drives me to stop the truck in the middle of the road, jump out and grab a snake. I just cant help it, I have to touch 'em!

[Buckeye]

Great pics! Night-hookin' eh? If I ever kept a hot it would be a copper, one of the prettiest snakes out there, after the African Rhino viper, IMO.

[Indianasmith]

I love snakes, but I know my limits. I don't mess with the venomous ones.

[rickfox]

I worked at a pet shop when I was younger, and a woman brought a tupperware container in with about 10 of those little yellow tailed copperheads in it. She was trying to sell them to the petshop. I tried to tell her they were copperheads, but she didn't believe me. She was playing with them talking about how they were gentle enough that she even let her kids play with them.

[kansas]

Originally Posted by Marshall Ellis

I was lookin at the one hangin from the snake hook tryin for some kinda scale reference. I grew up chasin snakes here in Texas but never found one that big that still had the yellow tail. Either that snake hook is smaller than I am used to seein or that is one big juvenile. At what age do they usually lose that yellow tail? And also, dont Cotton Mouth juveniles have a yellow tail as well? The wife still cant figure out what drives me to stop the truck in the middle of the road, jump out and grab a snake. I just cant help it, I have to touch 'em!

The juvenile Copperheads that I found last night ranged in size from 10 inches to 15 inches. The snake hook I use is a regular hook; nothing fancy. It is my understanding that Copperheads lose their yellow color on their tail when they approach 18 months to 24 months in age. As far as Cottonmouths go, I do not know much about them. There have only been two reported sightings/captures of the Cottonmouth in Kansas. And, I'm with you - every chance I get, I have to catch a snake. I do not handle the poisonous snakes however; not worth the risk.

[paleo_joe]

Those are some pretty pics! My dogs recently killed a huge kingsnake that I'm sure was keeping the local copperhead population down.

I had no idea there were no water moccasins in KS. I wonder if it gets too cold in the winter. Because the AR River here in AR certainly has its share.

[kansas]

Originally Posted by paleo_joe

Those are some pretty pics! My dogs recently killed a huge kingsnake that I'm sure was keeping the local copperhead population down.

I had no idea there were no water moccasins in KS. I wonder if it gets too cold in the winter. Because the AR River here in AR certainly has its share.

Paleo Joe,
Thanks for the kind words on the photos. As far as the Cottonmouth goes, the winters are just too harsh for this snake to survive. Its natural range is restricted to the Spring River drainage in eastern Cherokee County which is in the extreme southeastern corner of the state of Kansas. There have only been two confirmations of this snake in Kansas. I always receive reports of this snake, but when I go to the caller's residence or the area, they 100% of the time turn out to be Northern Water Snakes.

[paleo_joe]

It's sad that you are missing out on the blessings of having a really large, aggressive and ill-tempered poisonous snake hanging around boat landings and good places to hunt arrowheads.

Perhaps you could start a breeding program and work toward developing a cold winter-resistant water moccasin, similar to penicillin-resistant bacteria.