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Feb 5th, 2020
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 Texas Rat Snake.
#8832194
04/11/23 09:43 PM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 4,461
flintknapper
OP
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OP
Extreme Tracker
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 4,461 |
Clearing some brush off a fence line this afternoon.....I spied this fella laying still, hoping I would just walk on by.
Picked him up for a quick video and then sent him on his way.
It is mating season for Rat Snakes in East Texas right now and I am seeing them all over the place.
Good snake to have around (as long as you don't have chickens).
Spartans ask not...how many, but where!
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Re: Texas Rat Snake.
[Re: flintknapper]
#8832209
04/11/23 10:27 PM
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,447
kmon11
junior
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junior
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,447 |
Good snake to have around (as long as you don't have chickens). [/b]
Agree, the ones in the yard with the chicken coop are not so welcome. Before the Chickens got here they were welcome though,
lf the saying "Liar, Liar your pants on fire" were true
Mainstream news might be fun to watch
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Re: Texas Rat Snake.
[Re: flintknapper]
#8832246
04/11/23 11:52 PM
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 8,964
ntxtrapper
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 8,964 |
They get no pass from me. Too hard on the game bird population.
"Whosoever is delighted in solitude, is either a wild beast or a god."
- Aristotle
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Re: Texas Rat Snake.
[Re: flintknapper]
#8832272
04/12/23 12:34 AM
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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 2,259
rickt300
Veteran Tracker
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Posts: 2,259 |
I keep em around and am willing to lose a chick or a few eggs for their rat control work.
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Re: Texas Rat Snake.
[Re: ntxtrapper]
#8832273
04/12/23 12:34 AM
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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 2,259
rickt300
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
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They get no pass from me. Too hard on the game bird population. What game birds?
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Re: Texas Rat Snake.
[Re: ntxtrapper]
#8832378
04/12/23 04:15 AM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 4,461
flintknapper
OP
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They get no pass from me. Too hard on the game bird population. I'd wager other predators are more responsible for the 'taking' of any game birds, but certainly Rat Snakes will take advantage of eggs/chicks found from ground nesting birds. In my area we basically have none. NO quail and very few Turkey or Ducks.....so they don't represent a significant source of depredation here (Deep East Texas). They ARE excellent climbers however and will readily raid the nests of tree nesting birds and squirrels....but don't seem to have much impact on their numbers. Rats and Mice on the other hand are prime targets (here) and I'm sure a fair number of Chicken Eggs get consumed. I think all in all they are a beneficial snake...but it remains each persons decision whether to dispatch them or give them a pass.
Spartans ask not...how many, but where!
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Re: Texas Rat Snake.
[Re: rickt300]
#8832379
04/12/23 04:16 AM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 4,461
flintknapper
OP
Extreme Tracker
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OP
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 4,461 |
I keep em around and am willing to lose a chick or a few eggs for their rat control work. My position as well. 
Spartans ask not...how many, but where!
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Re: Texas Rat Snake.
[Re: flintknapper]
#8832394
04/12/23 09:27 AM
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 10,134
kry226
The General
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The General
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 10,134 |
Very docile. Thanks for sharing.
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Re: Texas Rat Snake.
[Re: flintknapper]
#8832472
04/12/23 01:08 PM
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 8,964
ntxtrapper
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 8,964 |
They get no pass from me. Too hard on the game bird population. I'd wager other predators are more responsible for the 'taking' of any game birds, but certainly Rat Snakes will take advantage of eggs/chicks found from ground nesting birds. In my area we basically have none. NO quail and very few Turkey or Ducks.....so they don't represent a significant source of depredation here (Deep East Texas). They ARE excellent climbers however and will readily raid the nests of tree nesting birds and squirrels....but don't seem to have much impact on their numbers. Rats and Mice on the other hand are prime targets (here) and I'm sure a fair number of Chicken Eggs get consumed. I think all in all they are a beneficial snake...but it remains each persons decision whether to dispatch them or give them a pass. I don’t need their help to keep the rodent population in check around my ranch house. I had pretty much no turkey population here 3 years ago and after getting rid of about 400 trash pandas and about 200 rat snakes, I have turkeys all over it. I’ll keep doing what I’m doing.
"Whosoever is delighted in solitude, is either a wild beast or a god."
- Aristotle
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Re: Texas Rat Snake.
[Re: flintknapper]
#8832477
04/12/23 01:20 PM
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Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 2,597
Bryan C. Heimann
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I love snakes of all kinds but there’s no shortage of rat snakes. I would bet at least 90% of the snakes I have found in the last couple years were either rat snakes or water snakes.
They are cool but of you want ground nesting birds on your place you have to deal with everything that eats their eggs and their young. It’s not like we are creating a bunch of great new habitat for them to hide in, habitat doesn't grow in 2023.
I don’t mess with them but neither do i hold you in contempt for controlling them.
Last edited by Bryan C. Heimann; 04/12/23 01:20 PM.
Regular Guy/regularguy11B/ laid over
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Re: Texas Rat Snake.
[Re: flintknapper]
#8832558
04/12/23 03:24 PM
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 3,746
1955
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
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Re: Texas Rat Snake.
[Re: flintknapper]
#8832707
04/12/23 06:52 PM
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Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 362
Nolanco
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 362 |
Save a game bird nest; kill a hog.
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Re: Texas Rat Snake.
[Re: Nolanco]
#8833077
04/13/23 11:48 AM
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 41,764
Stub
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 41,764 |
Save a game bird nest; kill a hog.
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Re: Texas Rat Snake.
[Re: Bryan C. Heimann]
#8833147
04/13/23 01:52 PM
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 4,461
flintknapper
OP
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OP
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 4,461 |
They are cool but of you want ground nesting birds on your place you have to deal with everything that eats their eggs and their young.
Feral Hogs Raccoons Skunks Fox Coyote Rats Bobcat Several variety of snakes Crows, Blue-Jays Possum Badger Hawks Just to name a few. They ALL contribute, some worse than others.
Spartans ask not...how many, but where!
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Re: Texas Rat Snake.
[Re: flintknapper]
#8837874
04/21/23 05:03 PM
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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 2,259
rickt300
Veteran Tracker
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They are cool but of you want ground nesting birds on your place you have to deal with everything that eats their eggs and their young.
Feral Hogs Raccoons Skunks Fox Coyote Rats Bobcat Several variety of snakes Crows, Blue-Jays Possum Badger Hawks Just to name a few. They ALL contribute, some worse than others.
I have read several times that the decline of Meadowlarks and quail was caused by the Fire ant. Back in the seventies where Arlington is now was a quail mecca.
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Re: Texas Rat Snake.
[Re: flintknapper]
#8843421
04/30/23 07:42 PM
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Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 1,545
pop r
Pro Tracker
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