15 May 2003, 10:38, JIM HOLSONBACK (1:123/140), wrote to CURTIS JOHNSON:

Hi JIM.

 JH> Florida has six species of venemous snakes.  Four of the species 
 JH> can be found in Wayne's county (Pinellas) - cottonmouth (water) 
 JH> moccasin, eastern diamondback rattlesnake, pygmy rattlesnake, and 
 JH> coral snake. The two others, the timber (canebrake) rattlesnake and 
 JH> the copperhead (highland) moccasin live farther north, and in the FL 
 JH> panhandle area, respectively.

Right here in New Orleans we've only got the cottonmouth and the canebrake.
 The "Honey Island Swamp" on the Louisiana/Mississippi border
where we used to do a lot of camping, fishing and water skiing, has the
copperhead.

Had a run-in with a non toxic 'Texas Rat snake' about 10 years ago when the
wife called me in a panic.  "Matt, there's a BIG snake coiled on top
of the mouse cage".  (This was back when my youngest was in High
School and decided he wanted mice, problem was we didn't know male from
female, and by the time we learned, the three mice became 97 mice in four
cages!)

Anyway, by the time I got in there, we couldn't find the snake.  After
about 30 minutes in a small room, I finally found it, standing on the tip
of it's tail in a corner, looking nearly identical to a black handled broom
that was parked there.  Best job of 'hiding in plain view' I've ever seen! 
I caught it and put it in one of the cages with a particularly agressive
mouse that I didn't like, and solved that problem _very_ quickly!  The
following week, we took it water skiing with us and I turned it loose in
the woods.


     M.

--- Msged/386 TE 06 (pre)