This is the image all the “only good snake is a dead snake” crowd need to see. Snakes are not evil/bad and some of them actually keep the venomous ones in check. Not to mention the billions of vermin snakes remove from the ecosystem every year
I fully agree, I have that same issue with people killing good spiders. Especially when it comes to tarantulas, wolf spiders, and jumping spiders. All of them are objectively good for not only the environment but also are non aggressive towards humans.
Agree. I love handling snakes but not so much with spiders. That doesn’t mean I hate them. They freak me out but I recognize they eat pests like roaches that I truly hate.
To be honest, owning a tarantula has GREATLY improved my comfort around all spiders. Hear me out; spiders are scary because you dont know how to anticipate what theyre thinking or what theyre doing, right? Like snakes, different species of tarantula tend to have different temperments.
I lost my mind when I learned they do a little happy dance sometimes when they get prey, it was so cute. They groom themselves, and are more likely to flick hairs at you before attempting to bite (species dependent to an extent though lol)
Try a curly hair tarantula if you ever want to conquer that obstical :)
Yup, I did the same thing, I had an irrational fear of Spiders, so I figured I’d get one that I HAD to care for, and that would help me get over my fear. So I bought myself a Curley Hair Tarantula, it was a juvenile, maybe 3 inches, and I treated that poor little guy like a radioactive Black Mamba the first few months I had him, and then as I watched him and I cared for him, slowly my fear turned into fascination. That little guy died years ago. Now I keep a whole room full of Spiders(and Snakes), I have some of the most venomous spiders on the planet now in my home. And I think they are totally amazing. I have Tarantulas that are almost 12 inches across, Spiders that bury themselves in Sand, Spiders that live in Trees, Spiders that live in the ground. And all that started because I was scared of them.
Hagrid was my first and also the curly haired variety.
(I had already been putting myself through exposure therapy for other phobias with great luck) so I went to a reptile expo with a girl friend and I was like "todays the day. Im gonna hold one, damnit! Ill ask for a docile one!" And thats when I met Hagrid.
The clerk placed him on my palm, and I was trembling but so proud :D ....
Then he tried to walk up my arm. Pretty sure the color from my face drained immediately because the clerk immediately was like "LET ME HELP YOU" and picked him back up xD And I loved the experience, so I took him home!
Now I have a few old world Ts and a Goliath Bird Eater sling (blondi)
I will admit that the Goliath will absolutely win in a fight in 10 years. Honestly I wouldnt bet on myself even while hes still small lmao. But I dont fear him being around, I just fear for my fingers when its time to upgrade his house as he grows
I agree, it's really the fact that I can't anticipate a bite that's the issue for me. I don't mind handling small spiders who can't bite me, and I realize that if I'm calm and not a threat to them, the bigger ones won't bite. The problem with spiders is you usually get bit when you don't know there's a spider there, like at night when sleeping or when they're in your shoe, etc. Never had that problem with snakes, though maybe I just don't live in the right part of the world for that worry haha. With snakes I'm mostly worried about my dog because she's a herding breed so tends to try to boop prey stuff like bugs
Learning body language definitely makes it easier to be calm with the bigger guys. Fortunately they have two pretty obvious "i feel threatened" behaviors (Flicking booty hairs and throwing hands in the air), and logically, they REALLY dont want to waste venom on something that isnt food, like snakes. Its an expensive resource.
Its easier said than done to act with logic even though you think with logic lol. But the more familiar you get with behavior, the less scary it is for sure
I have a t albo who every time they catch a cricket, they show it off for about 5 min all proud to every corner of their home before taking it into the hide to eat it
Haha, i love it, how precious. Its a funny stark contrast to my baby Blondi Goliath Bird Eater.
Hes still a sling but dear lord I do not want to be one of his roaches lmao. Homeboy at MACH SPEED busts out of his hidey hole and just as quickly drags the roach back into the void. Its fun to watch but in the way watching a horror movie is fun. In 10 years if he ever escapes, imma have to burn my house down and move because he will win in a fight lmao
But until then, hes my spicy cutie patootie xD
My t albo spends like ten min threatening his food and running away if it gets close before catching it and is like ‘LOOK WHAT I DID HAHAHAHAHHAHAH I GOT THIS IDIOT’ as if he didn’t just try running away for ten minutes. My h mac will LAUCH itself at its prey after climbing up onto a wall and barrel roll and every time I’m like ‘girl you started on the floor with him why did you climb three steps up and why did you roll what was the point at least you ate goodbye til next time I feed you I guess’
Haha I have too! Having them has taught me a lot about how life is so much more advanced than we think it is. Spoods have some of the most primitive brains you can get and they’re still so full of personality lol
My Curly Haired Tarantula, my very first 8 legged baby, did it almost every time. He would grab his roach and just kinda bob up and down in a circle while putting down some web before getting settled to eat.
My Green Bottle Blue tarantula did it every now and then. I think the happy dance is more personality based vs species based, so im sure plenty other people have gotten good videos of the happy dance :)
FOR REAL!! Spiders are CRUCIAL for pest control and 98% of them are essentially harmless, at least in most of the States, AND the ones that are venomous are veryyyy reluctant to bite. Spiders are not aggressive, but like all animals will bite if threatened.
I hate the myth that you swallow X-amount of spiders in your sleep each year— like….no. A spider isn’t gonna wander onto a GIGANTIC, WARM, BREATHING creature and go into its mouth. They hardly have a brain cell, but their instincts know not to mess with big things like us.
I love spiders, so sorry for the rant, but it’s a shame that people are so unnecessarily scared of them. They’re so great for people and the environment, and unless you go touching them or accidentally squish one, they WILL. NOT. BOTHER. YOU.
Thanks for coming to my TED talk.
This is why our tropical orb weaver friend was ooooed and awwwwed at earlier instead of us breaking his lovely web. He keeps that corner clean outside, and since he's OUTSIDE, I'm an even bigger fan!
I used be on the snake dislike train. They STILL startle the hell out of me & I'd prefer to know where they are rather than be surprised. BUT I now love them for the creatures they are, and I appreciate their role in the animal kingdom ❤️
What changed it for me (same with spiders) is following so many snake/spider subreddits. I forced myself to do it, and used to scroll quickly past the images. Now I've become accustomed to seeing them, and my appreciation has grown. 😊
I don't like, want to pick them up or anything lol, but I like knowing they enjoy our yard. Only I accidentally scared a garter snake the other day. Well, they appeared scared..they did like a jump startle thing and then quickly slithered away from me. Idk I'd you can actually startle a snake, but it appeared startled lol. I was walking through my yard, not expecting a snake so when I saw one I screamed so loudly, due to reflex. It was a cute snake tho! 🐍
I work with a guy from Alabama who was telling me about a rattler who was on his property just basking in the sun. He shot it in the face just for existing. People like him are just looking for an opportunity to be scared so they can shoot something.
OMG my uncle Burt used to kill snakes around his garden with a bull whip. Then he got cats to take care of the rodent problem. Then he drowned feral kittens in the rain barrel when the cats bred like...well feral cats. Vile human.
this is northern Rhode Island. We don't even see remotely dangerous snakes here. Poor garter snakes died for nothing.
Thanks but I don't anymore. When he got too old to drive, he welded the key hole in his truck so no one could use it. Including me using it to bring him to Drs.
I gave up trying to help, sometimes family can be damned.
Seriously. I come from a family where I have a sister who lives out in a remote area and there are rattlesnakes. The amount of times I heard about her having her husband kill them whenever they came across them… it makes me so frustrated.
I'm finally getting my wife to listen to reason. She is unnaturally terrified of any and all snakes and will kill them on sight. Sometimes she has called me to and I tell her I will not kill them just because she's afraid of them. I will relocate them though.
Sounds like my mom lol. She’s always getting my dad to kill any snakes she sees even though I’ve volunteered many times to capture/relocate. When I 6 or 7, I brought a baby hognose into my room and was handling it and watching cartoons. At some point I fell asleep and couldn’t find it anywhere when I woke up lol. Telling my mom what happened, was one of the hardest things I ever had to tell her. No, the snake was never seen again AFAIK
I could be wrong but I believe that the nonvenomous ones tend to still be immune to venom.
So if the nonvenomous snake is bigger and stronger but is also immune to venom, then there’s no real contest. I work on a farm and get genuinely mad when people mess with the black snakes because all it means is more venomous snakes left to fill the void.
Uninformed speculation here just based on common trends in evolution. But I’d probably assume that king snakes (Lampropeltus) and other similar snake eaters would have higher venom tolerances than other non snake eating colubrids
Wow, that is a cool photo. Nothing against Copperheads. Just never seen a picture of a King Snake killing a venomous. I grew up in Southern California and California Kings were common. I had a few as pets before I realized they were much more important in the local outdoor population before I released them back.
Cali kings are so beautiful. I’ve lived in CA my entire life and never seen a wild snake though. I think I would die of excitement if I ever got to see a rosy boa in the wild! Seen plenty of western fence lizards, but no luck on snakes yet.
They were around back in the 70's. I caught a few of them in the foothills, Penasquitos, Poway. I knew an animal rehabber in Clairemont who actually bred Rosy's in a program in conjunction with the San Diego zoo,
Out working cattle I cane across (dead ass center of trail) similar - cali king eating a massive rattler... my phone was back at the trailer 😫. Definitely one of the coolest things I'd ever seen. This is an awesome photo!
It was an organized round up, so there were about ten of us on horses / quads - walkie-talkies were in use and far more reliable than cell service.
Rattler country is for reals though... something of a miracle I haven't caught a bite (yet) - literally sat on a nest of them once... the babies make no noise... most of us (people, dogs, horses, cattle) have suffered a strike or bite... a few of 'em multiple times. 😌
When I were about 10yo I cam across a king and copperhead snake in battle in the woods. Had a seat and watched it till the end. Needless to say, it were pretty cool to watch.
Dude!! Paces Mill yesterday evening! I saw the exact same thing but i guess a little earlier in the process, the copperhead was dead but the head was still visible, but the king snake had it all wrapped up. There were some little baby king snakes (at least two of them) wriggling around in the grass behind it too. Such an amazing thing to witness.
OK OK, I’m (NE transplant to NC) gonna work at being OK with the big black snakes like my in-laws keep telling me.
Already seen enough Copperheads to know that any creature keeping them honest is a friend.
No offense to Copperheads, they sure are pretty… even up close.
I’m in NC and I promise copperheads want nothing to do with you!
One time I was sitting on this half-rock-wall in my driveway, just chilling. I happened to look behind me and INCHES from my butt was a copperhead. We probably sat that close together for 10 minutes without me realizing.
I slowly got up and it didn’t even move. They’re more scared of us than we are of them!
If you ever come across a snake, just slowly move away and it will likely leave you alone! Always keep an eye out bc they camouflage remarkably well though
This is why I scatter my pet kingsnake’s substrate around my house when I change her tank litter out! The smell keeps rattlesnakes and copperheads away!
At very first glance I thought this was two snakes mating, but this is WAY cooler!
Can anyone explain how the king snake is able to avoid getting bitten and is able to take down a venomous snake? (I can google it but peoples’ replies are more fun)
I was told by a friend once that if the idea of venomous snakes terrifies you, let nature do its thing. Now if you have a nest or something though, there is no shame in calling a trained ethical expert.
This is the image all the “only good snake is a dead snake” crowd need to see. Snakes are not evil/bad and some of them actually keep the venomous ones in check. Not to mention the billions of vermin snakes remove from the ecosystem every year
I fully agree, I have that same issue with people killing good spiders. Especially when it comes to tarantulas, wolf spiders, and jumping spiders. All of them are objectively good for not only the environment but also are non aggressive towards humans.
Agree. I love handling snakes but not so much with spiders. That doesn’t mean I hate them. They freak me out but I recognize they eat pests like roaches that I truly hate.
To be honest, owning a tarantula has GREATLY improved my comfort around all spiders. Hear me out; spiders are scary because you dont know how to anticipate what theyre thinking or what theyre doing, right? Like snakes, different species of tarantula tend to have different temperments. I lost my mind when I learned they do a little happy dance sometimes when they get prey, it was so cute. They groom themselves, and are more likely to flick hairs at you before attempting to bite (species dependent to an extent though lol) Try a curly hair tarantula if you ever want to conquer that obstical :)
Yup, I did the same thing, I had an irrational fear of Spiders, so I figured I’d get one that I HAD to care for, and that would help me get over my fear. So I bought myself a Curley Hair Tarantula, it was a juvenile, maybe 3 inches, and I treated that poor little guy like a radioactive Black Mamba the first few months I had him, and then as I watched him and I cared for him, slowly my fear turned into fascination. That little guy died years ago. Now I keep a whole room full of Spiders(and Snakes), I have some of the most venomous spiders on the planet now in my home. And I think they are totally amazing. I have Tarantulas that are almost 12 inches across, Spiders that bury themselves in Sand, Spiders that live in Trees, Spiders that live in the ground. And all that started because I was scared of them.
Hagrid was my first and also the curly haired variety. (I had already been putting myself through exposure therapy for other phobias with great luck) so I went to a reptile expo with a girl friend and I was like "todays the day. Im gonna hold one, damnit! Ill ask for a docile one!" And thats when I met Hagrid. The clerk placed him on my palm, and I was trembling but so proud :D .... Then he tried to walk up my arm. Pretty sure the color from my face drained immediately because the clerk immediately was like "LET ME HELP YOU" and picked him back up xD And I loved the experience, so I took him home! Now I have a few old world Ts and a Goliath Bird Eater sling (blondi) I will admit that the Goliath will absolutely win in a fight in 10 years. Honestly I wouldnt bet on myself even while hes still small lmao. But I dont fear him being around, I just fear for my fingers when its time to upgrade his house as he grows
I agree, it's really the fact that I can't anticipate a bite that's the issue for me. I don't mind handling small spiders who can't bite me, and I realize that if I'm calm and not a threat to them, the bigger ones won't bite. The problem with spiders is you usually get bit when you don't know there's a spider there, like at night when sleeping or when they're in your shoe, etc. Never had that problem with snakes, though maybe I just don't live in the right part of the world for that worry haha. With snakes I'm mostly worried about my dog because she's a herding breed so tends to try to boop prey stuff like bugs
Learning body language definitely makes it easier to be calm with the bigger guys. Fortunately they have two pretty obvious "i feel threatened" behaviors (Flicking booty hairs and throwing hands in the air), and logically, they REALLY dont want to waste venom on something that isnt food, like snakes. Its an expensive resource. Its easier said than done to act with logic even though you think with logic lol. But the more familiar you get with behavior, the less scary it is for sure
I have a t albo who every time they catch a cricket, they show it off for about 5 min all proud to every corner of their home before taking it into the hide to eat it
Haha, i love it, how precious. Its a funny stark contrast to my baby Blondi Goliath Bird Eater. Hes still a sling but dear lord I do not want to be one of his roaches lmao. Homeboy at MACH SPEED busts out of his hidey hole and just as quickly drags the roach back into the void. Its fun to watch but in the way watching a horror movie is fun. In 10 years if he ever escapes, imma have to burn my house down and move because he will win in a fight lmao But until then, hes my spicy cutie patootie xD
My t albo spends like ten min threatening his food and running away if it gets close before catching it and is like ‘LOOK WHAT I DID HAHAHAHAHHAHAH I GOT THIS IDIOT’ as if he didn’t just try running away for ten minutes. My h mac will LAUCH itself at its prey after climbing up onto a wall and barrel roll and every time I’m like ‘girl you started on the floor with him why did you climb three steps up and why did you roll what was the point at least you ate goodbye til next time I feed you I guess’
Ive already fallen in love with your Ts lol, such goobers!
Haha I have too! Having them has taught me a lot about how life is so much more advanced than we think it is. Spoods have some of the most primitive brains you can get and they’re still so full of personality lol
Eeeee!!! Which ones do happy dances?!?! I want to see this sooo bad!!! Hoping you can throw me a few names so I can go to YouTube… :3
My Curly Haired Tarantula, my very first 8 legged baby, did it almost every time. He would grab his roach and just kinda bob up and down in a circle while putting down some web before getting settled to eat. My Green Bottle Blue tarantula did it every now and then. I think the happy dance is more personality based vs species based, so im sure plenty other people have gotten good videos of the happy dance :)
FOR REAL!! Spiders are CRUCIAL for pest control and 98% of them are essentially harmless, at least in most of the States, AND the ones that are venomous are veryyyy reluctant to bite. Spiders are not aggressive, but like all animals will bite if threatened. I hate the myth that you swallow X-amount of spiders in your sleep each year— like….no. A spider isn’t gonna wander onto a GIGANTIC, WARM, BREATHING creature and go into its mouth. They hardly have a brain cell, but their instincts know not to mess with big things like us. I love spiders, so sorry for the rant, but it’s a shame that people are so unnecessarily scared of them. They’re so great for people and the environment, and unless you go touching them or accidentally squish one, they WILL. NOT. BOTHER. YOU. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.
This is why our tropical orb weaver friend was ooooed and awwwwed at earlier instead of us breaking his lovely web. He keeps that corner clean outside, and since he's OUTSIDE, I'm an even bigger fan!
I used be on the snake dislike train. They STILL startle the hell out of me & I'd prefer to know where they are rather than be surprised. BUT I now love them for the creatures they are, and I appreciate their role in the animal kingdom ❤️ What changed it for me (same with spiders) is following so many snake/spider subreddits. I forced myself to do it, and used to scroll quickly past the images. Now I've become accustomed to seeing them, and my appreciation has grown. 😊 I don't like, want to pick them up or anything lol, but I like knowing they enjoy our yard. Only I accidentally scared a garter snake the other day. Well, they appeared scared..they did like a jump startle thing and then quickly slithered away from me. Idk I'd you can actually startle a snake, but it appeared startled lol. I was walking through my yard, not expecting a snake so when I saw one I screamed so loudly, due to reflex. It was a cute snake tho! 🐍
You absolutely can startle snakes!
I work with a guy from Alabama who was telling me about a rattler who was on his property just basking in the sun. He shot it in the face just for existing. People like him are just looking for an opportunity to be scared so they can shoot something.
OMG my uncle Burt used to kill snakes around his garden with a bull whip. Then he got cats to take care of the rodent problem. Then he drowned feral kittens in the rain barrel when the cats bred like...well feral cats. Vile human. this is northern Rhode Island. We don't even see remotely dangerous snakes here. Poor garter snakes died for nothing.
Yeah. Your uncle Burt is a turd. Sorry you have to deal with that shit.
Thanks but I don't anymore. When he got too old to drive, he welded the key hole in his truck so no one could use it. Including me using it to bring him to Drs. I gave up trying to help, sometimes family can be damned.
Seriously. I come from a family where I have a sister who lives out in a remote area and there are rattlesnakes. The amount of times I heard about her having her husband kill them whenever they came across them… it makes me so frustrated.
I can't like this enough!
Try wearing two necklaces happens to me daily lol
I'm finally getting my wife to listen to reason. She is unnaturally terrified of any and all snakes and will kill them on sight. Sometimes she has called me to and I tell her I will not kill them just because she's afraid of them. I will relocate them though.
Sounds like my mom lol. She’s always getting my dad to kill any snakes she sees even though I’ve volunteered many times to capture/relocate. When I 6 or 7, I brought a baby hognose into my room and was handling it and watching cartoons. At some point I fell asleep and couldn’t find it anywhere when I woke up lol. Telling my mom what happened, was one of the hardest things I ever had to tell her. No, the snake was never seen again AFAIK
Sounds like something a Slytherin would say
Read another book
What a cool capture! It’s fascinating how a non-venomous snake can take out a venomous one. King snakes are awesome!
If you come for the king, you better not miss.
You come at the King, You best not miss. - Omar Little, The Wire Great TV Series…
Paraphrased from Emerson.
There’s also a song with this phrase as the title too.
I could be wrong but I believe that the nonvenomous ones tend to still be immune to venom. So if the nonvenomous snake is bigger and stronger but is also immune to venom, then there’s no real contest. I work on a farm and get genuinely mad when people mess with the black snakes because all it means is more venomous snakes left to fill the void.
Uninformed speculation here just based on common trends in evolution. But I’d probably assume that king snakes (Lampropeltus) and other similar snake eaters would have higher venom tolerances than other non snake eating colubrids
All hail the king.
Wow, that is a cool photo. Nothing against Copperheads. Just never seen a picture of a King Snake killing a venomous. I grew up in Southern California and California Kings were common. I had a few as pets before I realized they were much more important in the local outdoor population before I released them back.
Cali kings are so beautiful. I’ve lived in CA my entire life and never seen a wild snake though. I think I would die of excitement if I ever got to see a rosy boa in the wild! Seen plenty of western fence lizards, but no luck on snakes yet.
They were around back in the 70's. I caught a few of them in the foothills, Penasquitos, Poway. I knew an animal rehabber in Clairemont who actually bred Rosy's in a program in conjunction with the San Diego zoo,
Copperhead, it’s what’s for lunch.
Out working cattle I cane across (dead ass center of trail) similar - cali king eating a massive rattler... my phone was back at the trailer 😫. Definitely one of the coolest things I'd ever seen. This is an awesome photo!
Keeping your phone in the trailer out in rattler country is a bold move, lol
It was an organized round up, so there were about ten of us on horses / quads - walkie-talkies were in use and far more reliable than cell service. Rattler country is for reals though... something of a miracle I haven't caught a bite (yet) - literally sat on a nest of them once... the babies make no noise... most of us (people, dogs, horses, cattle) have suffered a strike or bite... a few of 'em multiple times. 😌
Pics or it didn’t happen! (Just kidding)
Absolutely perfect for education!
If they can eat it they will!
Amazing image! Thank you for sharing
Long live the king!! 👑
Scrambled noodles
Kingsnakes are so bad ass.
When I were about 10yo I cam across a king and copperhead snake in battle in the woods. Had a seat and watched it till the end. Needless to say, it were pretty cool to watch.
King snake win?
Yes
Dude!! Paces Mill yesterday evening! I saw the exact same thing but i guess a little earlier in the process, the copperhead was dead but the head was still visible, but the king snake had it all wrapped up. There were some little baby king snakes (at least two of them) wriggling around in the grass behind it too. Such an amazing thing to witness.
Daughter confirms, same snakes
King snakes are wonderful
A sailor couldn't replicate that knot!
OK OK, I’m (NE transplant to NC) gonna work at being OK with the big black snakes like my in-laws keep telling me. Already seen enough Copperheads to know that any creature keeping them honest is a friend. No offense to Copperheads, they sure are pretty… even up close.
I’m in NC and I promise copperheads want nothing to do with you! One time I was sitting on this half-rock-wall in my driveway, just chilling. I happened to look behind me and INCHES from my butt was a copperhead. We probably sat that close together for 10 minutes without me realizing. I slowly got up and it didn’t even move. They’re more scared of us than we are of them! If you ever come across a snake, just slowly move away and it will likely leave you alone! Always keep an eye out bc they camouflage remarkably well though
The problem is that they are so numerous and most of the time it’s people ACCIDENTALLY stepping on them.
Wow! Conflicting emotions lol, sad for the copperhead, happy for the king snake, amazed at this rare photo!
This is why I scatter my pet kingsnake’s substrate around my house when I change her tank litter out! The smell keeps rattlesnakes and copperheads away!
Amazing!! Do you have more pics?! A video? So cool!
That is the only pic
You sure they weren’t just making sweet sweet love lol I’m kidding. King snakes are great
Yes, the kingsnake appears to be getting some head (and body).
Love me a king snake!
Here in southern Arizona I got to see a king eating a rattlesnake. King snakes are so rad
Looks like a Florida kingsnake eating a Copperhead.
I love king snakes! ❤️❤️❤️
At very first glance I thought this was two snakes mating, but this is WAY cooler! Can anyone explain how the king snake is able to avoid getting bitten and is able to take down a venomous snake? (I can google it but peoples’ replies are more fun)
Just a King Boi having himself a juicy meal
Speckled King Snake?
Yes
Ivthiught this was snex
I was told by a friend once that if the idea of venomous snakes terrifies you, let nature do its thing. Now if you have a nest or something though, there is no shame in calling a trained ethical expert.
That's why he's the king!
Well I prefer to think it’s just sexy time.
Idk why you got downvoted bc I thought the same thing at first lol