Cool shots, BA! A couple of years ago I attended a lecture on reptiles in the SC midlands area was was shocked to find out how rare out snakes are becoming. Thanks for sharing!

My friend who lives in the woods told me today that she has a box turtle who keeps coming back to her trailer to eat dog food and ask for a drink of water. Her chihuahua seems to enjoy his company! Tammy, one time I backed over one with my car on the driveway. I am "marked" for life by that event, it was so traumatic. I just wish the powers that be in Washington would have as much kinship for Iraqui children and Lousiana families as we do for turtles and frogs. Maybe someday, when we are no longer on this earth plane, we will understand the intricacies of the human heart. I love this quotation: "What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?" At some point, a leader must emerge in the western world who echoes the humanity of Gandhi. peace, claire in sanford Wonderful meeting you and your family too!

Kathy, Usually a mama copperhead gives birth to 10 or 12 snakelets (snakelings? snakettes?) at one time, but sometimes up to 14. The most I've ever seen, though, together in one place was one mama and 7 or 8 babies. I sure would check the ordinances on pit bulls (and also on how many dogs are allowed on one piece of residential property)! Some friends of ours in Marietta had their little English bulldog killed by a pit bull about 3 or 4 years ago....and that pit had come onto their property and attacked and killed their dog. They loved that little dog and were grief-stricken. Just a couple of weeks ago, their daughter stopped by the house to tell us that her parents' "new" dog that replaced the murdered dog had also been attacked and killed by a pit bull. Again, just like the other time, the pit came onto their property and killed their dog. It is just so wrong! We had neighbors (fortunately, their house is not terribly close to ours....more than a mile away as the crow flies) that raised pit bulls. Those dogs were always running loose and scared me to death. It was not uncommon for their dogs to turn on and kill one another. I don't think they have pit bulls any more, and I think the reason was because the dogs kept killing each other. Here, there are dog ordinances in town, but in the county there are no dog ordinances and so the sherriff's policy basically is "do what you have to do" to protect yourself. Most people out here, though, won't shoot a dog unless they catch it attacking a human, an agricultural animal or a pet. Celaena, A red-tailed hawk picked up my cousin's cat once and carried it off some distance, and it was a big old tomcat. She figured the cat was a goner. A couple of days later the cat showed up, scraped up and cut up but alive! We don't have many owl problems here because the crows dog them mercilessly. We used to have a barn owl and a little screech owl who hung out together and hunted on our property at night, but I haven't seen or heard them much the last couple of years. Dorothy, I know your cat had a safe spot to retreat to, and do feel the snakebite contributed to its inability to fend off the stray dog (or whatever other critter might have gotten it). It is just such a shame that it happened.(sigh) And, y'all, remember the "copperhead crossing" area I mentioned above? Well, this morning DS and I went for a 30-minute fitness walk (no dogs). On our way back to the house, we saw a dead rattlesnake in the middle of the road....a little one about 15" long. Guess where he was? Right there at the copperhead crossing! I laughed out loud and then had to explain to DS that I was laughing 'cause I had JUST written about the copperhead crossing this morning, and here it was....occupied by a rattler! Dawn

Looks like a Southern Copperhead. They will usually retreat when encountered, but will defend themselves (so will I - grin). A nice long stick to slip under the balance point will do the trick, but I have also nudged their tail to tell them "giddyup", and they took off. Also with a long stick. I have not so far had one turn on me, but in all cases they have run as fast as they can in the other direction.