Snakes at FtW

[des1954]

Okay, Rhonda.... you suggested a "snake" thread... so here we go!!

Florida King Snake (red on black)​

Kingsnakes are famous for eating other snakes, including venomous snakes. The Florida kingsnake is one of the best at being immune to pit viper venom (rattlesnakes). They grow to approximately 4' in length. Kingsnakes are voracious eaters and care should be taken when handling them. Although they can be very docile, they will not hesitate to bite and chew if your hands smell like rodents or reptiles!​

Florida Coral Snake (red on yellow)​

The average size of adult Coral Snakes is 25-35 inches. It is extremely venomous. It is primarily nocturnal, but will venture out on a hot day seeking shade by the side of a ditch or stream. It mainly burrows just beneath the surface of leaves or soil, prefering a cooler atmosphere. A coral snake will not strike, but when handled, will "chew" its' way into the skin, injecting venom with each bite. Children are particularly drawn to this snake because of the bright and attractive colors. The diet of the coral snake also consists of lizards, small rodents, and small snakes.​

Now you know!​

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Neither snake is very tasty.

Rattlesnake - now that's some good eatin'.

 

[Rhonda]

Neither snake is very tasty.

Rattlesnake - now that's some good eatin'.

I've actually tried Rattlesnake! It wasn't too bad -- tasted like chicken.

 

[clkelley]

As my husband says, there are truly only 4 kinds of snakes:

Long ones
Short ones
Dead ones
Live ones

 

[wrongagain]

There is a little rhyming way to remember what kills you and what doesn't in the snake world.
It's easy for kids to remember.
Red touch black- jump back.
Red touch yellow- kill a fellow.

 

[Disney Campers]

Red touch black- jump back.
Red touch yellow- kill a fellow.

regardless of the color if i see a snake i'm jumping back, those things give me the creeps.

We actually see more snakes at the water parks than at the Fort

 

[lisa8200]

Have any of you seen this ? it was at the Fort. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuGvnX8Prtc

 

[We4mickey]

Have any of you seen this ? it was at the Fort. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuGvnX8Prtc

That was hysterical. Boy, talk about feeling dumb.

 

[loveDmouse]

That video was funny. I thought the smiley face looking mark on his head was odd.

 

[des1954]

Have any of you seen this ? it was at the Fort. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuGvnX8Prtc

Ha!!! I was almost had by that one!!! I was ready to get my Florida Wildlife Guide out and look for a wee, tiny, snake that had a "smiley face" on the back of its' "cobra-like" head!

My first thought was... OMG... some stupid tourist purchased a reptile they couldn't handle & released it at FtW. Then I thought, that snake is suspiciously tiny for a snake in the cobra/pit viper family.

We have lots & lots of idiots in Fla that buy boa constrictors, pythons, and other reptiles for pets, and then release them into the wild (or even their own neighborhoods) when they get too big to handle.

This is a picture of a 6 foot gator protruding from the abdomen of a 13 foot burmese python. The python was too stupid to realize he couldn't digest something that large, and it simply burst! This happened in the Everglades in 2005.

 

[donna6819]

you mean i will see more snakes at the waterparks in wdw then at FW? if that's true i don't think i want to go to the waterparks next time i'm there.
I hate them and are scared of them. (even plastic ones) LOL

 

[des1954]

you mean i will see more snakes at the waterparks in wdw then at FW? if that's true i don't think i want to go to the waterparks next time i'm there.
I hate them and are scared of them. (even plastic ones) LOL

Donna - I don't know about Blizzard Beach (cause I don't care for that park), but I honestly can say that I've never seen a snake at Typhoon Lagoon.

That doesn't mean they aren't there, but typically, snakes will try to get as far away from humans as they can. They are not curious about people,,, so go, and enjoy the water parks!

 

[lynndiwagon]

Not exactly at FW, but pretty close by, at the Great Outdoors RV park in Titusville, FL, two years ago, I was walking my Boston Terrier early one morning. I was half asleep and noticed her trying to sniff a brown pile of something next to the road. She jumped back and I continued on for about 10 feet. My sleepy brain finally decided that I should see what the brown pile of stuff was. Upon closer inspection I discovered it was a pygmie rattlesnake all coiled up. It was fairly cool that morning and I guess the snake was kind of slow, fortunately. A local resident drove by and informed me that this snake was common around Florida. I see no reason that they would not be inhabiting the FW area. They are really small and well camoflaged so beware.

 

[des1954]

Florida Pygmy Rattlesnake
(aka - Dusky Pygmy Rattler)​

The average size of this snake is 12-24 inches. It is venomous! This small snake has a reputation for being very aggressive. Its bite, while usually not life threatening, is extremely painful and can result in the loss of a digit. Some cases can be fatal. It feeds primarily on frogs and mice. ​

The Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnake is found throughout the state of Florida. This snake is common in lowland pine flatwoods, prairies, around lakes and ponds, and along the borders of many freshwater marshes and cypress swamps. Possibly the habitat in which Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnakes are most frequently encountered, at least in south Florida, is the banks of canals running through marshes and prairies. ​

I have seen these snakes along drainage canals and on Rail's to Trails conversion paths here in Florida. I can honestly say I have not seen one at FtW. However, that does not mean they are not there.​

The snake I have most frequently encounted at FtW is:​

The Florida Brown Snake​

Average adult size is 7-10 inches. This is a harmless non-venomous terrestrial burrower, commonly found near hardwood hammocks, pinelands, bogs, marshes, ponds, swamps, and sloughs. The Florida Brown Snake can usually be found under logs, rocks, and other debris. It feeds on slugs, snails, and earthworms, but occasionally eats small fishes, frogs, and salamanders.​

 

[AuburnJen92]

I wish one brown snake would come and eat my frogs that camp out on my front porch. They have pooped all over the front of the house and now I have to pressure wash. The nerve of those amphibians, eating the insects that swarm around my nightlight....

 

[AuburnJen92]

Not exactly at FW, but pretty close by, at the Great Outdoors RV park in Titusville, FL, two years ago, I was walking my Boston Terrier early one morning. I was half asleep and noticed her trying to sniff a brown pile of something next to the road. She jumped back and I continued on for about 10 feet. My sleepy brain finally decided that I should see what the brown pile of stuff was. Upon closer inspection I discovered it was a pygmie rattlesnake all coiled up. It was fairly cool that morning and I guess the snake was kind of slow, fortunately. A local resident drove by and informed me that this snake was common around Florida. I see no reason that they would not be inhabiting the FW area. They are really small and well camoflaged so beware.

They are there, trust me. They are not as aggressive as full rattlers, however, they do tend to bite many a small dog that won't leave them alone. We had a shi-tzu when I was younger and it was bitten right above the eye by one. My dad never found the snake, but the vet, after shaving the head of the dog, knew right away what it was. The dog survived and lived 17 wonderful years. He was as stubborn as they come though...

Our other childhood dog was bitten by a scorpion that he didn't leave alone either. We did find that one, or what was left of it. The toy poodle lived top be 19.

Most of the time people are bitten is when they stepped on one by accident.

 

[lynndiwagon]

Makes one not worry too much about stepping in dog poop.....uh oh, that was another thread....LOL, had to do it.

 

[AuburnJen92]

You really don't have to worry unless you are traversing on untraveled paths and such. They are really solitary and don't like to go where others are.

 

[TG4AKV]

While visiting TL a couple of years ago during Spring Break, we saw a large black snake slither across a busy path not too far from one of the entrances to the lazy river. A young girl nearly stepped on it, however, there was much screaming by the folks nearby which caught her attention at the last second. This happened during the middle of the day and let me tell you, that snake was big! The snake then hurried off into some vegetation. I have no idea what kind of snake it was or if it was dangerous but it sure looked scary. Maybe one of the Florida natives knows what kind of snake this was and if there really was any need for alarm.

 

[bord1niowa]

2 years ago I was getting some ice outside the comfort station in the 2000 loop and a lady was standing up on the bench in front of it looking around. She asked if I saw a snake, I didn't. Apparently she had been standing up there about 15 minutes looking for the snake she saw go across the walkway away from the comfort station. She wouldn't come down until somebody took her back to her campsite. I told her it's long gone and was going in the opposite direction of her site. I said if you leave them alone they'll leave you alone. I know people are not happy about snakes but this struck me as rather humorous at the time. Now, if it was chasing her that might be another story.