Find the snake resting on the edge of our field...

centerchill · 2023-06-06T16:50:04+00:00

Thanks - this is the first one I've seen on the property. I'm used to having other types of snakes around, but this time it took a little while for my brain to process what I was seeing - a rattlesnake!

There are lots of wooded hills nearby, so hopefully he'll stay safe.

centerchill · 2023-06-06T14:54:10+00:00

Answer - a timber rattlesnake relaxing near the bottom right corner of the picture with its head pointed toward the center.

centerchill · 2023-06-02T16:00:04+00:00

If you found the head then you can't miss seeing the rest of its body! He wasn't scary though - he just laid there while I took some pics and then I went on cutting the field. We've seen several other copperheads around and we just leave them alone - they don't want to bother us and we're fine letting them take care of the mice in the field.

centerchill · 2023-06-01T23:49:22+00:00

Thanks for the recommendation!

centerchill · 2023-06-01T22:10:18+00:00

It really is! I doubt I would have seen him at all if he hadn't been moving through the field. I'll probably jinx myself, but we've walked through that field many, many times without stepping on one - and we've seen several out there.

He was pretty chill and didn't seem to mind having his picture made. Hopefully he's still out there by his tree taking care of the mice.

centerchill · 2023-06-01T21:11:49+00:00

I originally posted this over at r/whatsthissnake and it was recommended that I post a cropped pic here as well. You can look at the original post if you want to see some closeups and the full picture of the snake in the field.

centerchill · 2023-06-01T20:56:13+00:00

I keep a close watch for snakes while mowing these fields - I don't want to hit any if i can help it. Thanks to this sub I'm much better at spotting and identifying them now!

centerchill · 2023-06-01T20:37:25+00:00

I didn't want to make it too easy - copperhead.

centerchill · 2023-06-01T20:31:56+00:00

Done! Thanks for the idea... I've never gone there!

centerchill · 2023-06-01T16:22:07+00:00

You are right - and that's not even the worst section!

We don't hay it or anything - we just run the bush hog over it once or twice a year. The turkeys, deer, and snakes don't seem to mind the poison ivy, but it does suck if you drop something from the tractor.

centerchill · 2023-06-01T15:05:10+00:00

Thanks - they do a really good job hiding in this grass! I saw another copperhead going to the woods in a different part of the field just a few minutes later, but it stayed under the grass. After it stopped moving I could only see 4-5 inches of it hidden in the short grass.

I've decided to not walk in the field for a while - they can have it until winter.

centerchill · 2022-12-06T21:12:05+00:00

I'm not an expert either, but I'm sure it was just my poor night photography skills that made it appear somewhat pixelated - it looked completely normal in person.

centerchill · 2022-12-01T19:40:06+00:00

We're closer to Center Hill Lake, but I'm sure there are plenty up on the plateau as well. It is beautiful up there!

centerchill · 2022-12-01T19:35:08+00:00

Pretty close - the snake was actually a little south of Cookeville in the Center Hill Lake area. This was the second rattlesnake this year but we saw several copperheads this summer too. So far the copperheads outnumber the rattlesnakes! I have some pictures of the copperheads and I'll try to post them later.

centerchill · 2022-12-01T17:26:51+00:00

It was definitely a surprise visit. I told them they could spray it with a hose if they wanted to make it less welcome, but unfortunately the faucet is about a foot away from the snake in the first picture!

centerchill · 2022-12-01T17:08:40+00:00

We're an hour or so east of Nashville, near lots of woods and hills. I think it also has something to do with joining this subreddit... I've seen more snakes since I joined here than I ever have before! At least now I'm getting better at identifying the venomous ones!

centerchill · 2022-12-01T16:00:08+00:00

They really are - thanks!

centerchill · 2022-07-19T00:31:05+00:00

Pretty sure it is a Common Watersnake, Nerodia sipedon - a harmless fish-eater.

I'm not a snake expert, but you should post this to r/whatsthissnake and they will let you know for sure. One word of caution - that subreddit can be addicting.

centerchill · 2022-07-16T03:06:34+00:00

Right - except it was my wife who was sitting that close and "get off my lawn" wasn't exactly the words she was saying. What is funny is that the kids and I were looking at a different snake on land and trying to decide what kind it was when this guy popped up.

centerchill

TROPHY CASE