Close encounter with a snake

[ICUSleeping]

The other night i had a dream that a snake got to my lil zeus outside. I told my husband about it and he just brushed me off saying he'll be ok. Well last night i let zeus spend the night for the first time outside he has a strong net like covering the top of his habitat. Worried that something might happen to him i ask my husband is it a good idea he told me he'll be fine nothing can get to him. So today in this beautiful florida weather its raining and sunny i figured zeus is having a blast. I go to check on him and i hear something to my right i look and its a SNAKE!!! I screamed for my husband he went and got the shovel. He ask's me Wheres Zeus? ...I say in his burrow... wheres the snake? ....Going under the net RIGHT BEHIND zeus's BURROW!!! I jump under the net stick my hand in his burrow and grab him. My husband screaming WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOUR CRAZY! You could of got bit. I didnt care i wasnt going to let the snake get zeus ... My husband beheads the snake and it wasnt poisonous But now i know its time to change his enclousre. No more wandering jew. No more net. Lesson learned

 

[mattgrizzlybear]

RE: Close incouter with a snake

THAT is called love! That you would jump infront of a snake not knowing if it was posionous or not. Again, THAT is called LOVE!

 

[Yvonne G]

I really doubt a snake would eat a tortoise. I think that they see heat, and mammals give off more heat than reptiles.

 

[Jacqui]

you killed the snake?

 

[ICUSleeping]

We had too..We didnt know if it was poisonous or not. We have a 2 year old, Cat and dog and zeus

you killed the snake?

---

The snake was WAY bigger then my little 4in 7mnt old tort. Iv seen large snakes eat just about anything they can swallow. Zeus habitat is full of small and large frogs that kept disappearing. Now we know it was the snake eatting them. So im sure it was a matter of time before he would of tryed zeus.

I really doubt a snake would eat a tortoise. I think that they see heat, and mammals give off more heat than reptiles.

 

[DeanS]

I really doubt a snake would eat a tortoise. I think that they see heat, and mammals give off more heat than reptiles.

Except in Florida where the heat register on the carapace can reach more than 100F But, no! I doubt even a Burmese...a Florida native, you know would try to eat a tortoise! Alligator, yes! Tortoise? Doubtful!

 

[HLogic]

The only native snake in FL that would eat a tortoise is an indigo snake. If you killed an indigo snake, that could be a problem.

It is advisable to learn to identify the snakes living in your area, particularly the venomous ones. Although it is unlikely you would ever suffer envenomation from a snakebite, it behooves you to know which snakes are cause for additional caution.

 

[shellysmom]

Wow, you were definitely brave to grab a snake without having any idea if it was venomous or not. Now that you know such a snake is not a threat, if you ever encounter another one like that, you can let it go.

 

[KTyne]

I would have done anything to protect my baby too. I wouldn't have killed the snake though. I would have found a broom or something and shoo'd it away and then grabbed the Tortoise.

 

[Madkins007]

What a tragedy that you killed a snake. No snake is poisonous they are venomous. Things like mushrooms are poisonous, things that deploy a toxin are venomous. Please learn how to deal with them without killing them. It's very simple. A long stick and a little prodding can coax most snakes to just move along. It pains me to think of all the snakes beheaded by a shovel and a misguided individual.

I agree with the not killing snakes bit- although I also understand human fears and emotions.

My thought with this post, though, is that there are specific meanings for the terms poison, venom, and toxin. Poisons are the large class of materials that in sufficient doses injure, sicken, or kill organisms.

Toxins are naturally occurring poisons, and venoms are toxins that are administered through bites or stings, usually as a protective or hunting measure. Certainly, the word 'poison' is also used to describe the ingestion or absorption of some form of poison, but that is more appropriate when the word is used as a verb than as a noun.

If something, like a snake, is venomous, it is ALSO, by ANY definition of the word 'poisonous'. In fact, if it is not poisonous, it cannot be venomous.

Calling a snake 'venomous' is a more precise and accurate usage- but 'poisonous' is not wrong in any way, shape, or form. A quick 'googling' of 'poisonous snake' shows many reputable and even scientific sites using the term.

 

[TheTortoiseWhisperer]

Wow, you were definitely brave to grab a snake without having any idea if it was venomous or not. Now that you know such a snake is not a threat, if you ever encounter another one like that, you can let it go.

Now this is a mature, compassionate and understanding response with great advise too…..VERY NICE SHELLYSMOM!!!!!

 

[SulcataSquirt]

I agree, It seems everytime i go to read somthing, theirs always 3-4 people that are totally taking the fun out of the post, leaving the OP feelling like they should never post good updates like this again. To dream about a snaked getting your tort, and then actually having a snake come with in inches of your tort while you are right their! now thats just crazy stuff i like to hear about and glad everything came out good. Its hard to say ya id just grab that snake up and move it. thats not the case for 90% of people.

 

[Jacqui]

I just hope they are now fixing their enclosure, so this never happens again... for those who think the snake got the short end of the deal, you can take it to mean fixing so another snake does not die needlessly. For those of you on the side of the snake deserved it, you can take it to mean fixing the enclosure so the tortoise does not have to worry about the possibility of being eaten by a snake again.

 

[richellesworld]

You have to trust your intuition. I support you and you seem like you area great mom! Keep on being cautious. I am happy all is well with you and your family. Sending happy thoughts and positive energy your way!

 

[sibi]

People react to situations differently. Often, there isn't time to think...you just react. But, if you react because you are trying to save your baby, who can really fault you for that? Sometimes, the way people react to others and say mean things w/o considering the feelings, fears, and emotions that someone else is experiencing says more about the criticizer than it does about the other person. We are here to LEARN about our animals, but also about ourselves. Let's not forget that.

The other night i had a dream that a snake got to my lil zeus outside. I told my husband about it and he just brushed me off saying he'll be ok. Well last night i let zeus spend the night for the first time outside he has a strong net like covering the top of his habitat. Worried that something might happen to him i ask my husband is it a good idea he told me he'll be fine nothing can get to him. So today in this beautiful florida weather its raining and sunny i figured zeus is having a blast. I go to check on him and i hear something to my right i look and its a SNAKE!!! I screamed for my husband he went and got the shovel. He ask's me Wheres Zeus? ...I say in his burrow... wheres the snake? ....Going under the net RIGHT BEHIND zeus's BURROW!!! I jump under the net stick my hand in his burrow and grab him. My husband screaming WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOUR CRAZY! You could of got bit. I didnt care i wasnt going to let the snake get zeus ... My husband beheads the snake and it wasnt poisonous But now i know its time to change his enclousre. No more wandering jew. No more net. Lesson learned

 

[Tom]

May I suggest the OP and her husband, and anyone else who does not know what lives around them, take a few minutes to learn which species are helping you and which ones could harm you? And then build your enclosure to keep out the potentially dangerous animals that occur in YOUR area. Half inch hardware cloth will keep snakes out, and just about anything else too, short of a bear.

 

[ascott]

I am glad that your tort is safe. Snakes and torts have lived together for a long time....here in the desert rattlesnakes and CDTs co habitat with one another and the snake relies on the CDT for sharing the space after all of the hard work has been done by the tort.....

Please do not think I am bitching at you I would plead with you to do as previously suggested and research a bit of your geographic location as to what common critters are present...kinda cool when you can spot a critter and know what it is and if it is fatal or not...then you can truly begin to marvel at nature and enjoy seeing it feeling a bit more secure in knowing which should be viewed from a safe distance and the ones you can creep up a bit closer to and view...

 

[Jacqui]

Mod note... I have removed many posts on the debate part of if a snake should be killed because it happened to be in a tortoise enclosure from this thread. All who want to post about that, please go to the debate section. Those who plan to post in here something not debating the right or wrong of killing the snake, may still post in this thread.

 

[shellysmom]

Wow, you were definitely brave to grab a snake without having any idea if it was venomous or not. Now that you know such a snake is not a threat, if you ever encounter another one like that, you can let it go.

Now this is a mature, compassionate and understanding response with great advise too…..VERY NICE SHELLYSMOM!!!!!

Awwww, thanks!

 

[Yvonne G]

I think Jacqui did the right thing in trying to move the debate portion of the thread over to the debatable topics forum. With so many members coming down on the "dont't kill snakes" side of the coin, it was starting to feel a bit like we were all picking on the OP. This is how we lose our members.