Not to be an alarmist, but it is true. Danger does lurk everywhere. Danger does not "hang out" or stay in its assigned seat, it lurks. This little lovely is a copperhead, at least I am 99% sure that it is unless my kuntry friends in Liberty county care to chime in and tell me otherwise. The Merck Manual has this to say concerning the frequency of attacks.
Most victims are males between 17 yr and 27 yr, of whom 50% are intoxicated and deliberately handled or molested the snake.
Since I'm a solid ten years beyond the dumbass zone, nor was I drinking at 8:45 in the morning you can rest assured that no bites occurred. Still, it is a little unsettling, because this is what this bad boy can do to you...
Results may include local tissue damage; vascular defects; hemolysis; a disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)–like (defibrination) syndrome; and pulmonary, cardiac, renal, and neurologic defects. Venom alters capillary membrane permeability, causing extravasation of electrolytes, albumin, and RBCs through vessel walls into the envenomated site. This process may occur in the lungs, myocardium, kidneys, peritoneum, and, rarely, the CNS.
The CNS? Oh no, not my CNS!
Yeah, I'm stalling, not a pedal was stroked this weekend, lots of visitors in town or at least that is my excuse. October weather blew in last night so I have a nice shot at redemption this afternoon.
Look for a report live from the twin cities later this week.
No, I didn't mean Two Egg and Yeehaw Junction. I meant Minneapolis-St. Paul.
And really, isn't one city enough? Why do they have two?
Keep your shoes on, it looks like a snaky summmer.
-Juancho
15 comments:
Was that pic from your back patio? Skeery!
Mol
Yes it was!
On another subject, I went to Phoenix last week and bought a recumbent. DO NOT MOCK! I'll come back to Tally with an ass and abs of steel (and I'll still have feeling in my hands). :)
mol
don't lose too much ass now.
Now you have two retiree vehicles! Way to go!
Ouch. Well...who rode this weekend and who didn't...that's all I'm sayin...
xo, m
And all I'm sayin' is that I don't think that's a copperhead. Not that I'm a kuntry cousin, but it looks more like the one I took a hoe to when you were like two to save your little ass, only to be embarrassed that I had decapitated a friendly snake. Still, I was a heroine in your young eyes. Sigh.
Mom
All right, nobody believed me about the black panther, and now all I have is a cornsnake.
We have a copperhead confirmation from Ample and she should know.
Yup. Thees hers a copperhead awright.
Shape of the head, back "jowls", really show up in the photo (nice one Juancho). It's pupils would be vertical slits like the black panther's, but you'd have to get in front of it to see.... too far from the dumbass zone for that?
Hitops: I vote with Ample; that's a copperhead. More from the summer of the snake ... I ran over the tail of an indigo snake on the St. Marks Trail yesterday. He broke to my right and I broke left, or it could've been worse. I was on the featherweight road bike and barely touching the ground, so maybe he's OK. Sasquatch was on my tail so I didn't go back to check.
Aspiring herpetologist, eh? Don't give up your day job: banded water snake. Harmless, unless of course they empty their vent on you, smells so badly you may want to throw yourself to the vipers.
Moss Man
Damn. foiled again.
Another vote for banded water snake. Copperheads aren't found in Leon county, generally speaking.
Anyway, copperheads have different markings.
moss man was right about the stink, though - it'll make your eyes water and it clings to you for days.
Twin Cities?! Damn! I'd offer a meet up on an urban trail or two (got one or two close to downtown), but I'm wrapping up classes and the sweetie is moving so when I'm not in sitting in a lecture during the eves, I'm on box detail. Criminy! How long you here for?
Til Friday, OB. Send me a note at loveyourbike@gmail.com if you find yourself headed this way. I'd love to meet you and any of your OB crew.
Dowtown guy- great site over there at Tally hassle. If we know each other don't tell me.
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