Poisonous water moccasins fleeing floodwaters into Memphis residential areas

[marmar]

By MICHAEL MURRAY and BRINDA ADHIKARI
May 9, 2011


Dangerous reptiles and other animals have been forced to flee their homes, invading residential neighborhoods in Memphis, Tenn., for instance, as the Mississippi River continues to swell to record flood levels.

"You'll see your wildlife moving and, of course, their nature is to move to the higher, drier ground ... We'll see this for another couple of weeks," Bob Nations, Director of Shelby County Tennessee's Office of Preparedness, told ABC News' Diane Sawyer. " probably will have a huge impact on our wildlife in this part of the county."

Residents of flooded areas have had to deal with electrical currents, chemicals and sewage in the water, but also wildlife scrambling for safety. Tennesseans have had to be careful of rampaging deer but the real danger lies with the water moccasins, also known as cottonmouths. ............(more)

The complete piece and video are at: http://abcnews.go.com/US/memphis-flooding-snakes-critters-flee-rising-mississippi-river/story?id=13564805

[aquart]

1. Like it wasn't bad enough.

[theophilus]

2. I guess if people don't eat them raw they'll be ok. Seriously,

leave the snakes alone! They may be venomous.

[Aerows]

5. Cottonmouths - Water Moccasins

are poisonous. They usually don't kill people, but their venom contains enzymes that destroy tissue. You don't want one hanging around, especially if it has been displaced and is pissed off!

[theophilus]

7. Cottonmouths are VENOMOUS, not poisonous. And nine out of

ten people will see ANY snake in or around the water and think it is venomous. This is a tragedy for Nature because people have polluted the water and will kill just about any snake they see. A TRAGEDY for all.

[Aerows]

9. I've lived on the Gulf Coast most of my life

Feel free to make a distinction between venomous and poisonous, but the bottom line is they are dangerous. I noted that they rarely kill people, but some people can suffer anaphylactic reactions to them and die.

I can't control what 9 out of 10 people do or think, but I'm certainly not going to get buddy buddy with a water moccasin or a rattlesnake. Your 9 out of 10 people also likely have no experience hiking or being in areas populated by wild animals, and they aren't very likely to come in contact with many of them, anyway. I *have* come in contact with them, and I don't randomly kill cottonmouths in their own environment. If they come into MY environment, however, that's a different story, because the last thing I want is a dead child or pet.

Are some people incapable of telling the difference between a grass snake and a cottonmouth? Yes, but most of them aren't going to come in contact with them on a regular basis. I have no idea where you live, but things are very different in rural areas than they are right in the middle of downtown.

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. those snakes are a bit aggressive compared to the other poisonous ones that usually slink away.

Wouldn't want to have them in my yard.

[johnaries]

13. Yep. Copperheads and Timber Rattlers will hide or run

and only bite if they have to. Cottonmouths will actually come after you. I have been chased by two, personally.

[aikoaiko]

4. Time to employ the 20 gauge shotguns or at least Taurus Judges

[Aerows]

8. That's why...

...people who live in the less developed areas of the south have guns. When there is a wild pig roaming the neighborhood, a water moccasin or an alligator that has been displaced by a hurricane, flood, tornado, etc, not to mention freaked out dogs running in packs, there is a very real danger. You can't exactly reason with an alligator that's trying to eat the family cat, or is parked by the front door and won't move.

The wild pig happened during Katrina, and when I lived in Florida, a 6-foot alligator parked itself right in front of the door in and out of the office to sun itself.

[Shagbark Hickory]

10. Um no. I don't think that's the reason.

[Aerows]

11. It is certainly

a reason. Hunting is the other, but yes, that is a reason. Go through a few hurricanes, and you will see what I mean.

[Shagbark Hickory]

15. Funny you should mention that, I've lived through 4 direct hits by the following hurricanes...

Including Andrew (a cat 5), Frances and Jeanne which were cat 2's that hit the same exact location 2 weeks apart, the former stalled over the area for 2 days. Andrew peeled the roof off over our heads as we huddled in a windowless room.

The only reason one could think of to need a gun after that is to kill themselves with.

Now I that I moved north to the "south" where people walk around supermarkets with guns strapped to their belts, I'm pretty sure I know the reason is not to hunt or protect themselves from aligators.

[Aerows]

16. I meant rifles and shotguns

I'm not talking about handguns, specifically - I'm talking more about rifles and shotguns. Yes, some people in the south go apeshit crazy and think they have to walk around with a penis extender strapped on their leg at all times. I'm talking about at home - when was the last time you saw someone with a shotgun on their back?

I know what you are saying, and yes, there are some people that given the chance will take EVERYTHING way too far. That wasn't what I was referring to, however.

And I'm surprised that if you went through 4 hurricanes, you see no need to have one at home. During Katrina, we had no emergency services for weeks. If a wild pig was roaming the neighborhood and threatening pets and people, you couldn't exactly call someone (even if your cell phone was working)

[Shagbark Hickory]

19. Well I learned a lesson that apparently, you didn't...

When a hurricane is headed you're way, you GTFO.

That's the lesson. You pack up the stuff that can't be replaced and you leave.

You don't need a gun. You don't need to live in misery until life gets back to normal, you need a homeowners policy that covers hotel stays (most, if not all do) and enough gas to get you there.

[TheCowsCameHome]

6. Ugh. If they don't have enough to deal with already...

[malaise]

12. I saw that the river is three miles wide in areas where it

was normally one mile wide.
This is a flood of historic proportions.

[WatsonT]

14. I wonder if people will show the same concern over people killing snakes they come across

as they did for that mountain lion that was killed in a residential area.

[OhioChick]

17. I shoudn't have clicked the link....

Nightmares tonight :scared:

[felix_numinous]

18. Snakes eat rats

just saying.