With the cotton mouth it is you or them. They are extremely territorial
and will come after you. When I was a teen my cousin and I were sitting
in this nice lake bass fishing in a John boat. This was up in on the
border of Western TN and KY near LBL. This cotton mouth swims out of
the cat tails and we think nothing of it. He keeps coming for out boat.
We finally got concerned when that sapsucker started to try to get into
our boat - showing us why he is called a cotton mouth. My cousin
whacked him with the oar and stunned him and I finished him off with
the trusty 38 I always took fishing with me.
I've never heard of a horse getting bit by a moccasin but I expect it
could easily happen. I'm always a bit concerned about the swamps.
BTW I don't know about bath tubs but in the Sarasota paper a couple
years ago it reported a moccasin coming up through the toilet. Makes
one thing about sitting before looking. They also seem to like to get
into peoples swimming pools. More that one person has dove into his
pool for a nightly skinny dip to come eye-ball-to-eye-ball with a
moccasin.
Truman
Howard Bramhall wrote:
Every time I see
Steve Irwin on TV I'm rooting for the Croc. Normally, Tracy, I'd agree
with you, when it comes to respecting nature and all. But, if you've
ever run into a water moccasin down here (aka cottonmouth) you might
think otherwise. They hide underwater, like submarines, and when they
surface (usually when you're halfway into a swamp crossing while riding
your horse) right by your left leg you'll understand the need to kill
or be killed. These things are the most aggressive snakes around and
they will come after you. Just for fun.
I had a cat that was bit by one of these things. Spent over 500 bucks
at the midnight animal hospital trying to save my cat, "Jax."
Anti-venom is incredibly expensive. His poor leg swelled up like a
balloon and it got so bad the vet had to put him down. Ever since
then, because of Jax and, maybe, that 500 bucks, if I find a cotton
mouth out on the trail or near my place I will take him out (and, not
out for dinner).
I've known some neighbors who have had run ins with these vipers and
their horses. Once the horse is bitten, if it's lucky enough to
survive, it's never the same. The area near the bite swells up and
after awhile the skin starts to slough off. The smell of the skin in
that area is the smell of death because that part of the horse's body
is literally dead.
So, in the name of my dead cat Jax and the safety of the horses around
here I kill Cotton Mouths. Haven't had to do it lately since we
haven't had much rain since last summer. Plus, the city of Ormond
Beach is running out of water so they've decided to tap into the swamp
where I go riding and are using it for drinking water. The way Florida
is growing swamps will soon be a thing of the past. I wonder if it's
possible to have a cotton mouth come out of your water spicket while
taking a warm, comfortable bath?
cya,
Howard
-- We imitate our masters only because we are not yet masters
ourselves,
and only
We
imitate our masters
only because we are not yet masters ourselves, and only
because
in doing so we
learn the truth about what cannot be imitated.
