Posted 2 years ago
Watchsearc…
(88 items)
I opened a base cabinet in my shed yesterday and saw a tiny bit of snakeskin between some gallon paint cans.
I’ve found snakeskins before and I’ve found living Eastern Kingsnakes around here but they are beneficial to the environment and harmless to humans so I don’t get freaked out.
But as I started pulling this snakeskin out of the cabinet and it just kept coming, and coming, I knew it was too long and too fat to be a king snake.
As you can see, laid out as straight as I could get it on the shed floor, it’s over 7 feet long and would be a few inches longer if I could straighten the kinks.
From online research of snakes of that size in the Southeastern US, I concluded that it’s an Indigo snake. I’ve seen 2 live Indigo snakes on my property in years past, but they were far, far away from the house. This creature has gotten uncomfortably close since that shed I’d about 75-100’ from the house. I knew Indigo snakes are non-venomous so it won’t hurt me- unless it just startles me to death!
Indigo snakes are a beautiful glossy black with a bluish iridescence. This one is just average size. They can reach 8-10’ in length. They eat rodents, frogs, turtles, lizards, birds, small mammals, eggs, and they eat venomous snakes such as rattlesnakes and copperheads.
I’m trying to learn about the beneficial snakes in my area so I don’t freak out and kill them.
Finding this skin intact from mouth to tail was really special to me.
I never realized that they even shed the area covering their eyeballs ….that part is weird and interesting looking like 2 half-round clear domes.
Thanks for looking and ?? enjoying?? this guy. I hope he’s only passing thru and not taking up residence.
It does look like a safe snake. Doesn't have that triangle head.
Fort, thanks for the love and comment giving me some reinforcement and courage about this guy!
By the looks of that shed, I would agree that it is an Indigo. Keep in mind that the shed will be longer than the snake that shed it. During the shedding process, the old skin is stretched out. Indigo is an Endangered Species. They are magnificent predators at the top of their food chain as they are the nations largest species of King Snake. Which means, they can eat the poison snakes too.
Deano, thanks for your input. I didn’t know about the stretching as the skin is shed.
Reading about the Indigo’s endangered status, I found that many have been bred in captivity to be released in the wild to restore their numbers.
I’ll do my best to safeguard this one but I’d like for it to move to the woods. I’m setting mouse traps in the shed in case he’s found food in there.
Captive breeding programs are run all across this country by concerned breeders. Captive breeding has saved a number of breeds like the Scarlet Macaw and Scarlet Kingsnake. The Florida Corn Snake has been bred into the #1 type of pet snake in the world.
Just one more thing. Mouse traps are ok, no problem. Just never use poisons and baits. They often are designed to have a delayed effect, which can cause them to be eaten by unsuspecting snake. both die.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD_2d_ridDM
Watchsearcher, >8-0
Good thing the consensus seems to be that this is the shed skin of a beneficial, non-venomous snake.
Of course, I probably need to keep in mind that all life forms are part of the ecosystem.
Not knowing enough to identify instantly the species of any snake I might encounter, I'd just as soon not encounter any. };-)
I gotcha Keramikos! Snakes are fairly common around here since there are fields, woods and streams. Even though I’m always on the lookout for them, they blend in so well or hide so well, they are almost impossible to spot.
A few years ago, there was a tree cutting crew here to cut down a large tree near the edge of the yard. The sound and vibration of the chain saw disturbed an Indigo snake which slithered out from the base of the tree. The workman, unafraid, picked it up to show to me and asked what I wanted him to do with it. He was pleased when I asked him to release it in the woods. He told me they frequently come across snakes in their work and try not to harm them. :^)
Deano, I’m in total agreement with you about not using poisons to kill mice….too risky for unintended animals. Plus, the poisoned mice can die in hidden locations….what a mess!
My preferred method is a “mouse diving board”…..
mice are lured with a little smear of peanut butter to a clever little “high dive” afixed to the rim of a 5 gallon bucket about half full of water. The weight of the mouse on the “diving board” causes the mouse to suddenly get dumped into the water.
I was a bit skeptical of the device at first but after it caught some mice, I was sold on it.
Falcon61, I loved the video and forwarded it to 4 more family members. Thank you for sharing it!
Thanks to everyone for your Loves!
Yikes, 7 feet and I would have won the race championships. This one is like a piece of Jewelry or almost leapard skin. As a kid my little sister would run after me with a snake in her hands. I have a purse in my collection which mirrors the beauty of your skeleton somewhat but not as scary !~
I have a fear of snakes and heights… So, although the information is really interesting, and taking it all into consideration, I probably would still say “ sell the house !!” Not sure my heart could take running into a 7 foot snake
PhilDMorris- yikes! Getting chased with a snake?! That gives me a shiver!
Laurabelle61, I would not dream of selling, but if I did, I’d hide the snake skins and keep the snake info to myself!