The Great Snake Lottery - 2006

OK, it’s here. After the removal of yet another Eastern Rat snake from the chicken coop last night, Mr & Mrs Jazz are pleased to announce the Great 2006 Snake Lottery. All you need do is guess how many snakes we wind up removing from the coop. The contest and count will end November 1. The person who is closest to the actual number of snakes removed will win the following fabulous prizes: Grand prize, your name listed as the winner. Second prize, a large supply of snake skin, suitable for the manufacture of belts, handbags, shoes and the like. (This is based on the assumption that our practice of transporting the snakes becomes too tedious.) Third place, a hearty ‘thank you’ and an e-handshake for participating in the lotto.
Now for the disclaimer: This lottery is in violation of nearly all state and provincial laws in North America. CountryByNet claims no affiliation with this lottery. Even the name lottery is offensive to many, and therefore should be viewed as only the fun with which it is intended. For more information on the odds of winning, consult your nearest oracle. This contest is open only to those 18 months and older. No purchase is required. Not responsible for lost entries or typographical errors. Contest ends 11/1/06.

The Snake Skin Police are on the way to your house as you are reading this message! [img]/forums/images/icons/frown.gif[/img]

Egon [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Egon, you posted a reply without your guess. How many snakes, sir?
[img]/forums/images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

How many snakes? Heck that be an easy one, just count the skins! [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Course if'n there be more than 10 I may have problems! [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Egon [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Ladies and gentlemen: we are up to 5 as of last night. Keep that ticket stub as (I'm afraid) we have a long way to go .

I'm going to stick my neck out and guess more than 20.

Or not....


[img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

I say 56.

51.

32

Please do not include, in your count, the copperhead last night. (It was about 50 yards from the chicken coop. I nearly stepped on it in the twilight. [img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] )

With less than a month to go on our lottery, you still have time to get your entry in. (You are cautioned to view the rules of this contest before you participate.)

GOOD LUCK!

49

Jazz, if you're seeing a snake a day, that would be near 150 snakes. That's more snakes than Indiana Jones discovered in the temple of the Ark. I think I'd invest in a few cats, maybe more than a few cats, maybe a herd of cats. In fact, if you saw only 2 per week that's too many. Make a couple of inquiries and get the local snake handler out to do some snake hunting on the premises. Maybe he can discover the lairs from which these things are creeping. And if there are that many snakes, what's the rat population like? Something besides your good looks has to be drawing them into your place. My guess, 35.

Are you having snake problems, Jazz? [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Are they on the walls?

Egon [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

63

Well, the results are in.

We want to thank those of you who posted your guess on line, and the thousands who replied with their postcards. It looks like our winner is (drum roll, please) Egon, of the great white north. His guess of 10 was the closest to the actual total of 5. (And Egon, as a woodworker, I'm impressed that you have all 10 fingers.)

Don't despair: we may have the 2nd annual snake lottery next year, if those egg-eaters agree to participate.

Well, gee whiz and here all I said was if'n there were more than ten I'd have to take my socks off! [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Egon [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Feel free to sing along with me. (Sung to the tune of "When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano".)

When the rat snakes come back to Central Texas.

We removed a 5 footer from one of the nest boxes yesterday afternoon. He wrapped himself around a post in the chicken coop, and it was a tug-of-war to get him free. Then he wrapped himself around my arm. He got a all-expenses paid vacation.

While logging yesterday I found a snake trying to pretend it was a rattle snake. Wiggled its tail but had no rattles. Had somewhat decent diamond markings. I snatched it and tossed it into a big brush pile out of harms way and away from my buddies cattle dog. I think it was an eastern hog-nose. Don't believe everything you read about hog-nose snakes! They are in fact venomous. They do not have the folding fangs up front but if they can get part of your flesh in the back of their mouth they can get venom in you.

Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

I have seen the hog nose do that. Then they usually roll over, pretending to be dead. I had a hog nose rear up at me, trying to make me think he was a cobra.
I believe venom and saliva to very similar, and even a "non poisonous" snake can cause infection at the bite location. Think about it; that snake did not wash its last meal before it ate. Now biting you could inject some interesting filth. [img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] That said, I thank you for not arbitrarily killing it, Pat. Too many folks don't realize the benefit snakes provide.

Jazz, My aunt who taught biology for 40 years used to say that even non-poisonopus snakes didn't brush their teeth. With the hog-nose their is more to it than a dirty mouth as they do have actual venom. Some sources say not but INFORMED sources say yes. A herpetologist buddy of a PhD biologist friend of mine was "playing" with a hog-nose and got envenomated.

The hog-nose is so "INTO" its role that when it rolls over belly up and plays dead if you pick it up and put it down right side up it rolls back over upside down, overacting a bit.

Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Emphasizing that it is really, truly dead. Yep.

I had some snake and frog/toad? problems out at the farm last year. I was rota tilling and the bally creatures kept coming back after they had been relocated to a safe spot.

Egon [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Jazz, Right, Like we are a tad slow and didn't "GET IT" the first time and had to be shown again. Overacting sort of spoils the effect though.

Killdeer are a bit like that too. The old drag one broken wing trick. If that doesn't work they will sometimes flop over on their back and have a fit to emphasize their distressed condition before miraculously recovering and flying perfectly away.

Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]