Which tool do you want???

[0TreeLemur]

While looking for zip ties in the tool box, this greeted my wife last night.   She handled it real well with a burst of adrenaline, and a "OH MY GOD THERE'S A SNAKE IN THE TOOL BOX!!!!"

For those of you unfamiliar with the particularities of southern U.S. snake species, that's a venomous copperhead.   How/why  the heck it got up there, I have no idea.  It is the time of year when they are attracted by warmth as the evenings are beginning to cool off here.  The copperhead's venom is not particularly strong, and they are not very aggressive because of their excellent camouflage when in leaves, not climbing on a toolbox!

[201er]

You sure you weren’t looking for something to pull electrical wires? Or clear a drain? Or a sort of oil?

[EricJ]

Controlling the rodent population for you!  

[MikeOH]

At least it wasn't in the plane

[N201MKTurbo]

Looks like a gopher snake. Wish I had one in my hangar. They are cool.

[AJ88V]

13 hours ago, N201MKTurbo said:

Looks like a gopher snake. Wish I had one in my hangar. They are cool.

Sure looks like a copperhead to me.  Look at the shape of the head. 

That would scare the crap out of me!!!

[N201MKTurbo]

1 hour ago, AJ88V said:

Sure looks like a copperhead to me.  Look at the shape of the head. 

That would scare the crap out of me!!!

Oh, you are right. I missed the triangle head.

I had a lot of interaction with rattle snakes when I was a kid and maintaining the county’s radio systems. The last thing they want to do is bite a human. But you can convince them that it’s a good idea. 

[DonMuncy]

It would scare the crap out of me, as well, until I could get to the closest tool to kill it.

That looks awfully big for the copperheads we have around here. I don't think I have ever seen/killed one over 18 or 20 inches long.

[dkkim73]

And I was complaining about my broken boost pump switch and bumping my head. 

That is pretty cool, though. Great hangar accessory. We have some Western Rattlesnakes out here, and they are pretty much not wanting to mix it up so I usually leave them alone. No sightings at the airport (yet). 

Glad all are well. 

[ArtVandelay]

Never seen one climb, they usually stay on the ground.

[DonMuncy]

I have only seen copperheads on the ground. And always outside. 

[MooneyMitch]

That would make my skin crawl…..I’ll be looking at my tool box differently now ! 

[Ragsf15e]

10 hours ago, ArtVandelay said:

Never seen one climb, they usually stay on the ground.

Just from the head I’d say venomous, but what kind of snake is that?  I’m lucky to live somewhere that has very few rattlesnakes and no other venomous snakes, so when the kids and I see one we usually get to hold the nice garter snake!

[ArtVandelay]

Just from the head I’d say venomous, but what kind of snake is that?  I’m lucky to live somewhere that has very few rattlesnakes and no other venomous snakes, so when the kids and I see one we usually get to hold the nice garter snake!

Don’t know, but if you look closely at the body above his head it looks like he has eaten something.

[Pinecone]

I live in the country with woods and fields around, so have had mouse issues.  At one point, two black snakes moved in.  We only knew from the skins they leaving in the wiring above the electric panel.  Two sizes.  

They were eating well enough to shed once a week.

They ate all the mice and left.  And while I get a mouse every so often, not large numbers.

[GeeBee]

This time of year, when I go out to my dock or walk in the neighborhood I usually carry my 357 AirLite 340PD with 38 shot loads in the first two chambers to kill copperheads. I've nailed about a half dozen and you are correct, they love piles of leaves. 

[Hank]

My neighbor killed a baby copperhead with her walking stick yesterday at the end of her morning walk. Little guy wasn't a foot long, and kept coming after her.

[MooneyMitch]

40 minutes ago, Hank said:

Little guy wasn't a foot long, and kept coming after her.

Courageous ! 

[Ragsf15e]

You southerners complaining about copperheads is funny… you should be complaining about the cottonmouths!  I lived in Alabama for a year and played s lot of golf.  If you hit your ball in the water, you didn’t go looking for it!  Those dang cottonmouths were aggressive!  Had one sitting on a cartpath once as we walked by and he took a fake strike at my friend who happened to be an exchange student from Australia.  He grabbed a 9 iron and went after that snake quicker than you can say, “He had a go at you, mate!” We had to talk him down from chasing it off into the bushes.