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Matt Harper
2,765 posts
70 months
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Don't get too relaxed about snakes, however. Most of the ones that end up in the pool skimmer are small black (rat snake/black racer) non-venomous and quite timid - but they will strike at you if cornered and they do have teeth, of course. However, there is also a more dangerous and similar looking snake called a cottonmouth - or water moccasin - so make sure you know which is which before you try your new snake wrangling skills.
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98elise
3,180 posts
30 months
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Matt Harper said: Don't get too relaxed about snakes, however. Most of the ones that end up in the pool skimmer are small black (rat snake/black racer) non-venomous and quite timid - but they will strike at you if cornered and they do have teeth, of course. However, there is also a more dangerous and similar looking snake called a cottonmouth - or water moccasin - so make sure you know which is which before you try your new snake wrangling skills. Just back from the hospital and the doc says I should be ok in a day or two.....  Seriously I just fished it out and threw it out of the enclosure. It was quite small, about 7-8 inches, thin, black, with what looked like a red or orange band just behind the head. I wasn't going to spend too long looking at it though.
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Matt Harper
2,765 posts
70 months
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Rat snake - harmless - though they do grow to about 5 feet....
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Terzo123
1,361 posts
77 months
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I was walking back to my Hotel from Seaworld with the family, and a small snake scuttled across the pavement in front of us into the grass. First wild snake i'd ever seen. Couldn't tell you what type it was.
I remember it being very small about 6 or 7 inches long and a kind of grey/black colour.
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Matt Harper
2,765 posts
70 months
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Rat snakes are very, very common throughout central FL and will be found wherever there is a plentiful food source. They are timid (unless you are a small rodent, of course). The Cottonmouth, on the other hand is a highly dangerous and quite aggressive pit viper, that you do not want to f  k with. We also get to see the occasional Eastern Diamondback rattlesnake. These are also best given a wide berth. Tourists are unlikely to encounter either of the venomous species, unless they have a hankering to leave the theme parks and head out into the State forests or wildlife preserves.
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Adenauer
Original Poster
8,930 posts
105 months
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What might this one be, Matt? Is was an orangey colour, about two foot long, and swimming in freshwater on Sanibel Island. 
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fatpasty
1,560 posts
35 months
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I fly in two weeks time and the talk of snakes isn't doing me any favours. Can't say I'm a fan of snakes!!
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Adenauer
Original Poster
8,930 posts
105 months
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fatpasty said: I fly in two weeks time and the talk of snakes isn't doing me any favours. Can't say I'm a fan of snakes!! You hardly ever see them during the daytime, you'll be fine. It's at night that they go exploring as they like the warmth of the Villas, especially inside 
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fatpasty
1,560 posts
35 months
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haha luckily I'm in a hotel!
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Adenauer
Original Poster
8,930 posts
105 months
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ChrisBMW
252 posts
17 months
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I wouldn't be too worried, I've been to Orlando 10 times and I've never seen a snake and we have been in the Everglades several times during our trips.
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fatpasty
1,560 posts
35 months
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This is my first time to flordia.
The rents go every year and my old man hates snakes. He also said he has never seen one.
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Matt Harper
2,765 posts
70 months
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Adenauer said: What might this one be, Matt? Is was an orangey colour, about two foot long, and swimming in freshwater on Sanibel Island. I'm no authority Karl, but my guess would be an Aspic - sometimes called a 'false moccasin' in these parts. That said, all of our indiginous snakes are good swimmers (even the giant Alligator eating Anacondas and pythons, they keep finding in the Everglades. To all the naysayers, snakes are very, very common in FL, though you are not likely to encounter them in theme parks of course. We have all manner of creepy crawlies in our midst - most are harmless, but some aren't, so it's sensible to assume that they are harmful until proven otherwise. In reality the most seemingly benign have the potential to cause the most trouble. I refer to mosquitos (lyme's disease and west nile virus) chiggers, deer ticks and bad-ass raccoons. Probably best not to mention the spiders......
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98elise
3,180 posts
30 months
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I've been to Florida about 5 times, and this snake was a first for me. Regularly get lizards in the pool area though. My wife hates them....which makes me like them even more We Brits need to be aware of the dangers in tropical countries, the UK is just to isolated from perspective which gives you a false sense of safety. Gators are not just confined to Gatorland in Florida!
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Goa'uld
569 posts
71 months
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Right, we're on the final countdown (flying this Friday morning)for Orlando and have started to get a bit worried about the weather.... Seems there's a hefty thunderstorm there right now, anyone (Matt :-p) got a solid website to check the local Orlando weather and possibly Marco Island aswell so that we can stop obsessing over loads of sites/reports? Starting to limber up the stomach for what it is about to be put through 
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Matt Harper
2,765 posts
70 months
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Crafty_
4,561 posts
69 months
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collingbroon
333 posts
60 months
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God i wish I was you! Been twice over the last 18 months and can't get enough of the place. I'm sure you will have a great time regardless of the weather, although sun would be better. You lucky sod 
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Goa'uld
569 posts
71 months
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Thanks a bunch guys - got a gf sitting beside me freaking about storm Isaac.....
Will have fun no matter the weather but hopefully it clears towards the end of the week and isn't too serious for the folks caught up in it.
Oh, and Matt - if you don't mind tomorrow I might pop an eating list over for your seal of approval......PH should send you a tshirt for being our Florida oracle.
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Matt Harper
2,765 posts
70 months
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Don't fret about this storm. It's anticipated to pass over the outer keys and then track north mid-gulf. We'll be done with it by Tuesday and then the weather will be back to normal. The scaremongering by the local media really pisses me off.
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