Just now...on my walk!

Wow!!! I’m not crazy about hots but omg I want a Gabby sooooo bad! They are gorgeous!


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super short video of him/her slithering off :)

https://youtu.be/27MZRllA8iE

couple more pics..

https://photos.imageevent.com/morgen...53968145_o.jpg


https://photos.imageevent.com/morgen...00529412_n.jpg


Normally we see a lot more wildlife, esp. huge Gopher Tortoises, rough green snakes, raccoons and the odd coyote.

Wow! Nice find.

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Originally Posted by Godzilla78

A wee little hatchling! Nice find

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That's a lot bigger than a baby. Lol.

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Originally Posted by Aerries

Wow!!! I’m not crazy about hots but omg I want a Gabby sooooo bad! They are gorgeous!


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Find somebody who will train you and get your permit then get one. Just keep in mind it's not the best starter hot.

Bitis species can strike their entire body length if they want, and they can strike in any direction with equal speed. I hold my cobra by the tail when I have him on a hook, you don't ever want to do this with a Bitis. They're stupid fast.

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Originally Posted by Neal

I would of caught it. I love copperheads, and it's about the only NA venomous snake I find nice looking lol.

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Not me !!

I have neither the knowledge nor the tools to catch or house a hot ;) I just admire them from afar.

I agree though, they have the nicest colors. The ones I see most are actually the Eastern Diamondbacks, young ones. They are quite temperamental!! sheesh..

The only other venomous one I've seen around here was a HUGE Cottonmouth! I was riding a friends horse on the trails when something caught my eye. Shiny, black and round. Almost looked like rolled up black "something". By the time my brain registered what I was seeing (enormous cottonmouth with a simply huge and wide head) the horse was about to put his front foot down right next to it.

OMG, I about wet my pants and braced myself for the horse to jump and bolt after getting bitten. All I could do was look down.

Thankfully it was a cooler day and the snake seemed sluggish. It never even lifted its head and threatened with the open mouth. Of course the horse set down the back leg right next to the snake, too ! The snakes normally stay away from the actual trails, but it was a cooler day so the snake was basking in the sun out in the open.

I've had an adult Copperhead stretch out across a trail once where I tried to walk a horse. That one just kept staring at us, didn't want to budge. So we just waited until it relaxed and went on its way..

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Originally Posted by Neal

That's a lot bigger than a baby. Lol.


They're stupid fast.

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Ahh thanks, it looks tiny, I’ve only ever seen big fat adult copperheads.

I also didn’t know they could strike that far as fast. They are awesome American vipers, highly feared and very common where I live. (Western North Carolina)

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Originally Posted by Godzilla78

Ahh thanks, it looks tiny, I’ve only ever seen big fat adult copperheads.

I also didn’t know they could strike that far as fast. They are awesome American vipers, highly feared and very common where I live. (Western North Carolina)

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I think Neal was talking about the Gaboon Vipers and other Bitis species (like Rhino Viper) being extremely fast. They are beautiful but quite intimidating. Huge bodies, yet super fast.

Always kind of remind me of how Blood Pythons can be. Fat, but FAST and strike in any direction!

I've always noticed that... the fatter the snake, the faster it strikes. Things like kings and ratsnakes move fast, but their strike is more of an open mouthed lunge, after keeping colubrids for so long, my first ball python shocked me at the insane speed at which she hit her prey... blindingly fast. Boas were sort of middle of the road, much faster than most colubrids, but still can't hold a candle to a bp or blood python. Seems most vipers are at the extreme end of the speed scale. Only have ever seen a missagua rattler in person and was fortunate to not have it strike at me.

Beautiful shepherd [emoji7][emoji7]


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