What about in Texas?

From what I have gathered it is not just normal colored corns that aren't allowed, it is any corn that DOES NOT HAVE RED EYES. Apparantly they want it to be as simple as possible for wildlife officers to know if it is a legal animal or not...I would definitely check on this.

I found this in my backyard a couple of weeks ago. My pups were barking all night at it. I had to take the snake down in case it would go for my pups. I think it's a rat snake but I'll let you decide. I got a couple more pix if you need to check them out.

Wow! That's a big snake! Please post the other pictures of it. I'd love to see them!

but it looks a lot like a Pituophis of some kind. Do you have any more pics. Pics of the head would be better.

I don't know where you are located at, that would help a bunch!

"We want more info"

Thanks,
Brian Miller

z

why you had to KILL it. I know you had puppies to worry about, but couldn't you have relocated it instead of killing it?

I was wondering if I was reading that correctly.

Of course we read it correctly. Another person who is totally uneducated about reptiles taking matters into their own hands because they fear something happening, which BTW could NOT happen. And don't go ahead and say you are educated because anyone who knows anything about snakes knows a puppy is FAR to large a prey item for that snake and would most likely scare the living crap out of the snake.

Unless your puppies are mere hours old, outside without protection and no mother, this snake couldn't have even swallowed one. Go for the pups? How about he was trying to get the hell out of your yard when you violently killed him.

Its not a former pet. It was most likely a native species. Its hardly even "large" Killing certain native species in certain states is illegal and comes with a hefty fine.

bmm

P.S. Before anyone tells me to lay off this post made me ill. Someone kill for NO reason at all makes me SICK.

Well, I was on your side until I re-read your original post and realized that you killed the snake? Why?

From what I could tell, this is a bull snake Pituophis catenifer sayi (and a really nice looking one at that) and not a rat snake. A 5 foot bull snake isn't going to eat any puppies (unless they are a toy breed or something similar...and those shouldn't be alone outside anyway)!

People are always trying to kill snakes that get in their yards. Snakes only come in your yard for one reason, looking for food (rats, mice, etc. NOT PUPPIES). If you get rid of the rodents, you will get rid of the snakes.

The rats and mice pose more of a health problem to your puppies than any snake ever will!

One more question. How do you choose that a puppies life is more "valuable" than a harmless snakes life? This whole situation could have been handled much better. I hope if this situation happens to you again in the future, you will choose not to kill the "evil" snake.

Brian Miller
BC Reptiles

PS - Pick up a field guide at any local book store on the snakes of Texas. This way you can easily ID any future snakes in your back yard! The top two reasons that people get bit by venomous snakes is that they are trying to kill them, or they have been drinking and are just messing with them. If your not sure what the snake is...Just leave it alone!

for removing the picture of the "taken down" snake. That wasn't going to win you any friends around these parts.

Brian Miller