Good morning from Alabama, I have lived all my life in rural southeast Alabama. Hunted, fished, and played in the wild. I have numerous friends in the timber business. This is what I have learned about poisonous things that live here.
Timber people refer to Rattlesnakes as "Gentlemen". These snakes are not aggressive. They will let you know when you when you are too close. Unless you step on one, you are highly unlikely to get bitten. Most often, you will pass right by a Rattler and never know it is there. That being said, we still kill poisonous snakes near the house. Pets and children are at risk and you are more likely to confront the snake in a situation where the snake feels threatened. The only aggressive poisonous snake in my area is the Cottonmouth water moccasin. In spring, when the Cottonmouth is nesting, it becomes highly territorial. A pass too close to a mother Cottonmouth's nest will undoubtedly bring on a charge and a good possibility of a bite. But, unless you live near water, you are unlikely to find a Cottonmouth near your house. During the rest of the year, an encounter with a Cottonmouth will scare the bejeezus out of you but is almost exclusively non- aggressive in nature. Black Widow spiders are shy and almost never seen except when moving piles of things. Never put your hand in a hole or under a rock or board without a close examination and you most likely won't have any problem. Wear work gloves. Check shoes. The Brown Recluse spider is the most common bite that people here get. I have hardly ever seen one, yet I have been bitten several times. I never knew when I was bitten. While the Brown Recluse has venom six times as toxic as the Rattlesnake, it is tiny and unless you are allergic to its venom, the worst you will have is a small, round necrotic wound that will heal in a month or so. Concerning anti-venom, proper use requires that the exact species that bit you be identified. Even then, the cure is almost as bad as the bite. If you want a snake free environment, get a ferret. Hoping you all remain puncture free, Bill Clark P.S. All who live in areas with Cobras, Gaboon vipers, Fer de Lance and the like, please disregard this message. Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
