Snakes. Why There Have To Be Snakes?

[Mother Natures Son]

The local news reports an upswing of snakes this year. (PA) Since snakes love mice and mice sometimes will live in shelters, I expect there might be more snakes (in and around shelters) this year than past years. Has anyone seen or heard of snakes living near (or in) shelters?

[The Snowman]

all the time. snakes love shelters

[moldy]

I have hiked the AT for 66 days and have only seen 5 or 6 blacksnakes sunning themselves in the trail. Most thru-hikers never see a rattlesnake or copperhead. Encountering a snake of any kind in a shelter is very rare. Rattlesnakes and Copperheads come out in mid-May until mid-August and then become scarce. The worst snakes on the AT are snakes-of-the-mind. Don't let them keep you off the trail.

[Wise Old Owl]

Serious? just step over them - Honest!

[Edie]

I hate snakes............I just do

[Kitecop]

Ticks pick up lime from rodents, snakes eat rodents. Thus, the more snakes, the less rodents, the less lime infected ticks. If you trippled the snake population u would still be more likely to get bit by a tick than even see a snake much less get bit by one

[Blissful]

Nice black snake living at Bake Oven Knob shelter. Several hikers have pictures of it. There was a black snake hanging out in a tree near Kirkridge too at one time. We ran across the rattlesnake den coming north out of Peters mtn shelter in '07, nothing like that last year though.

[fiddlehead]

Snakes are good.
I have had 2 packs and a few food bags bitten through by mice.
Never had a snake bite me.
Don't know anyone that has in fact. (except someone who decided to pick one up)

Get rid of snakes and you will be unbalancing something major in nature.
The mice would overrun the trail and spread disease like crazy.

[oldbear]

"Never kill a rattlesnake because he's more important to his environment than you are to yours"
Colin Fletcher

[Slo-go'en]

Once saw a big rattler come out of the woods and go under a shelter in PA. My partner at the time and I decided that even though there probably weren't any mice at that shelter, sleeping above a rattle snake den wasn't too appealing so we moved on...

[Lugnut]

Got a picture of a nice sized rattlesnake I found at Matt's Creek shelter when I stopped for lunch in my gallery.

[Sarcasm the elf]

all the time. snakes love shelters

Yup, hiked NY - DWG last May, saw; garter snakes, ribbon snakes, ring snakes, eastern corn snakes, king snakes, lots of black rat snakes and one rattle snake. None of them caused us any bother, I nearly jumped on a king snake that I didn't see, it was less than a foot away from where I landed and it's first reaction was to slither away as fast as it could.

Now if you want to talk about really dangerous animals, check on the threads about deer ticks.

[Rain Man]

I hate snakes............I just do

How would you like someone to say that about you?

Rain Man

.

[Rain Man]

Nice black snake living at Bake Oven Knob shelter. Several hikers have pictures of it. ....

You mean, like this?! Here's my daughter Grass during her '04 thru, at Bake Oven Knob Shelter, enjoying lunch and some nice company.

RainMan

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[rocketsocks]

"Never kill a rattlesnake because he's more important to his environment than you are to yours"
Colin Fletcher

Hey Old bear,It is Interesting and should be noted that Colin Fletcher killed many snakes on,and in his "Thousand Mile Summer"hike(book)when he went from Mexico to Canada,towards the end or maybe it was the middle of the trip he decided for himself that killing snakes was not only a waste of time,but an almost sacrilege,and not an activity he ever engaged in again.I too feel there are much more important to the biology of a woods than dead on the side of the trail or worn on a hat,though I did not always feel this way.Snakes are cool,and if you see one can please tell them I said that,cause I don't carry a bite kit anymore.

[Mrs Baggins]

The trail register at Rocky Run shelter (Maryland) has had reports written in it for the past couple of years of a large black snake living in a nearby tree. Was there just a couple of months ago and someone once again said the snake was there. Also read of copperheads living under that fire pit but don't know if they're still there. I've encountered 2 rattlesnakes, both in PA, both on the way to and at Chimney Rocks.

[lemon b]

There fine. Vast majority we never see. So its a treat to see one.

[rocketsocks]

You mean, like this?! Here's my daughter Grass during her '04 thru, at Bake Oven Knob Shelter, enjoying lunch and some nice company.

RainMan

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Well,she most definitely takes after her pop;Snakes,a non issue.

[Wise Old Owl]

Yea RS - its all about packing for fears...

[rocketsocks]

Yea RS - its all about packing for fears...

Aye...........