I had just stepped out of the shower when I noticed something in the commode. Not what you would want to see. Those long grabbers with the soft rubber cups are wonderful at times like this.
A Broadbanded Watersnake, harmless but unwelcome there. I put him outside and he left in a huff.
Naturally, I had no clothes on at the time. Good thing we live in isolation here.
Oh my goodness!! I think I would pee my pants if I found that in the potty!!! Can I call you if that ever happens here??
(very unlikely in Indiana though LOL) You're my hero!!!
Lisa
I wasn't wearing pants, but yes, you can call me if that happens. It can happen anywhere there is plumbing and snakes.
Trois I just had to Google 'snakes in toilets' after your post- the first result gave the statistics of how many deaths per year from venemous snakes in toilets... always wise to look before you sit anywhere!
After checking several books I have decided this is not a Broadbanded Watersnake, as the head is wrong. Can anyone help?
Thanks
Are you scared now????? Oh my gosh my heart skipped a beat. Hope it is something benign. You and Magpye are the best snake Id'ers I can think of ... who else, Floridian? Someone will know... I'm not scared of snakes but when I think of you handling one & not knowing what it was... my pulse will return to normal!
I have never been afraid of snakes. In Highschool I cleaned out wells that snakes had fallen into, got a weeks pay for 2 or 3 hours. In one well I removed over 200 snakes, most starving and none venomous. There was a hole about an inch around over the well cover.
I never touched this one with my hands, just used the 3 foot grabbers and held it until I released it.
ok, pulse normal now! lol at the hysterical female... me
holding my breath till you identify it Trois!!!
I suppose slamming the lid and flushing is contra-idicated as he'd surely clog the thing.... ROFLOL
Trois, have you posted that guy on the ID forum? There are some pretty good people there that might be able to help ya out. Certainly wouldn't be me!!! I don't mind snakes but I do NOT like to be surprised by them. Specially somewhere that I might have sat down. YIKES STRIKES!!
He would still be there. I was afraid he would duck back into the plumbing before I could extract him. I would rather have it outside than popping up unexpectedly later.
I am pretty sure it is a Slowinski's Corn Snake, as per Magpie's research. It sure isn't in my herp books.
PiggyPoo, I will try that tomorrow. Very tired right now.
Thanks
I'm not familiar with the snakes in your area, but I'd be concerned because of the shape of the head. Poisonous snakes have arrow shaped heads to accomodate the venom sacs...non poisonous snakes have straight narrow heads...the same basic width as their body. Compare this guy's head shape with taht of a rattlesnake and you will see waht I mean. Now go look at the shape of the head on a King snake. Are you scared of snakes now?
Do a google on snakes in Texas and see what you come up with. If you can't find a page with pictures listing photos of venomous and nonvenomous snakes, send a copy of the pic to the local college's biology department or to your ag extension office. Either should be able to ID the snake for you. If you want me to, I'll do some research adn see waht I can find. But I think this bugger is either venomous or he is one of the few snakes who imitate a pit viper.
Thanks for your response. Based on the head shape, my first thought was Cottonmouth. Later I wondered Copperhead. Then I remembered that while I was holding the snake, it opened it's mouth wide, and I saw no trace of fangs. With Cottonmouths, they are always visible from this distance. I have killed more that 70 of these dangerous snakes around the house in the last 8 years, and my big "Red Dog" was killed by one. It was bitten on it's tongue and died very quickly. I was bitten on my forearm a couple of years ago, but no venom was injected. This happens a lot if you are not standing on the snake. I am not afraid of them any more than of getting into a car, but I do respect them.
Broadbanded Watersnakes also have a head shape that denotes danger, and we have several of those.
I have googled and searched many places and am confident it is a Slowinski's Corn Snake. No other picture even comes close. It is not listed in any of my herp books.
Thanks again, and if you find more info, I would like to see it.
trois
I found a rat snake that look similar...OTOH, the fact that you found him in your toilet makes me think water snake...even thugh I could nto find any photos that looked as much like him as this one...and it is only 'close'.
http://www.kingsnake.com/hudspeth/emoryrat.htm
I grew up in NW Florida with copperheads, cotton mouths, rattlesnakes, pygmy rattlesnakes, coral snakes, etc...Florida has more venomous snakes than any other state, if I remember correctly. I never found one in my toilet, but I have had coral snakes get into my grandparent's summer house. I have had my cat bring a pygmy rattler into my living room ( I used to know it was Spring when I'd have a close encounter with a pygmy rattler). I"ve never been bitten, but I've come too close for comfort. I had recurring nightmares about snakes when I was a kid and I can't stand to even be around a harmless snake. If I even see one on TV, I have nightmares.
We have a septic tank...I wonder if we are more or less likely to encounter a snake in the toilet. We have city water coming in, but the septic tank going out. I imagine they get in through the city pipes and would be mroe likely to come in through the outbound pipes since the inbound would put them in yoru tank and not in the bowl.
FYI, cottonmouths are dark gray/black with a tone on tone pattern running down the back. Copperheads are solid copper colored with a tone on tone pattern running down their back. In other words dark graysih black with a darker grayish black pattern....copper with a darker copper pattern. Both snakes are a sort of solid color, but with the darker pattern on them.
Man, this freaks me out. my MIL told me that she had found rats in her toilet before....and I have read of constrictors getting loose in apartments and getting into the plumbing and popping up in a neighbor's toilet, or dropping down through celing tiles. UGH!
Excuse me but...Bahahaha Guffaw!! That's hysterical Trois! What a suprise. Glad it all turned out okay for you and the snake...
BamaBelle, I know of only one person that has had a snake in the pot that had a city sewer system. I know several that have had them from septic systems, as in my case.
Fear your car, it is far more dangerous.
Yes, Floridian, it is funny now that it is over. DW thought it was funny all the time, watching me attempt to put on clothes and hold the snake at the same time. She never offered to hold the snake.
She did place the camera strap around my neck, so I could take a few pics. That Lumix with it's self focus was a blessing.
still chuckling, ;)
Hello Trios,
Looks like a Texas Rat Snake was searching for a place to shed in peace. No pond around to soak the skin. Your toilet probably felt good.
It is shedding so it's vision is distorted. After the new cornea hardens it has the eyes of a hawk.
The good news is it is non venomous but packs a big bite.
Better news is it did not stike your you know what.
I had a laugh, thanks.
Thanks for that info. It was a beautiful snake. We do have a couple of outside ponds, one on each side of the house. I suspect it had been trapped underground for sometime.
trois
Bump. Since an ID has still not been established, and my son (45 years old) was hospitalized by one that looks like this one about a month ago.
Do you see the news clip of the 6' Brazilian Rainbow Boa found in a NJ toilet??
oh... and here's another one
NEW YORK —
Call it a pre-Halloween apparition: Python in potty. That's what a Brooklyn woman said she discovered as she was washing her hands in her third-floor bathroom one morning, before dawn.
Peeking out from the toilet were the eyes of a python, its 7-foot-long body hidden in the pipes, Nadege Brunacci told the Daily News.
"I turned on the light and screamed," she told the Daily News. "It still makes my heart race."
Brunacci slammed down the lid, put a heavy box on top of the toilet and began calling for help, which came from her landlord and firefighters. Plumbers had to tear apart the downstairs neighbor's pipes to capture the snake, she said.
Trois, your son was hospitalized? How is he? Did they determine it was venomous? If not, why did he have to be hospitalized--did the bite do a lot of damage?
My son is fine. They did determine it was a pit viper from the venom, but could not ID the snake. He was on an anti-venom drip for two days. The swelling went down after about a week, and he is OK now. No lasting damage.
We have concluded that as the color and pattern matches pretty well with a Copperhead that is is likely some sub-species of Copperhead. The head is not like any other Copperhead though.
trois
WOW -- that's pretty scary.
glad to hear your son is fine.
Yes, I'm happy to hear he's ok! Thanks for the update.
Quote from first post.
"when I noticed something in the commode. Not what you would want to see."
All I want to see in the commode is nice clean water, thank you.
I understand. LOL
Happy to hear your son is OK.
Guess we won't be seeing the "Texan dances nude with snake" headlines anytime soon.
You are correct, if all goes well. LOL
I thought Copperhead first glance, but am no pro! Glad your son is OK
It has to be some variety of Copperhead due to short fangs. Just seems to be one no one has seen before, that we can find.
Son still has slight swelling and stiffness in left index finger, but slowly improving.
Thanks for concern.
trois
Thank God it wasn't worse, but that has to be annoying for him. Glad to hear it's still getting better--hopefully it will completely heal in time--did the doctor think it would?
Yes, he is convinced. He learned a lot from this.
That's good! Again, thanks for the update.
