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Every good Southerner has a cottonmouth story. My cousin and I were 
sitting in john boat fishing. We noticed some bass jumping near a set of 
cattails. We go over there. About the time I make my first cast I see 
this snake come out of the cattails. I didn't think much of it but this 
sapsucker was headed for our boat and  looked very unhappy. I reeled my 
line in quickly and watch him. He kept coming. My cousin grabbed the 
shotgun we had in the boat and shot at him - he kept coming. When it got 
too close the gun was no use since the last thing we needed was to shoot 
a hole in the bottom of the boat - my cousin is not too bright so I took 
the gun away from him.

By this time it was clear it was a cottonmouth and it was clear that he 
wanted a piece of us. He tried to climb in the boat. I beat him off with 
a spare paddle we had while my cousin rowed us away from the cattails. 
When we got far enough away the snake left.

I read an account of a guy who spend a lot of time in the Everglades. He 
talked about the time he was stomping through the swamp - crazy if you 
ask me - in a pair of good snake boots. He said he got nailed. Whatever 
it was hit his boot at the ankle so hard he went down. He looks up and 
is eye-ball-eye-ball with a cottonmouth. He said it was bigger around 
than his calf. He shot it.  When he got up his leg hurt like the 
dickens. Later he found out his leg for broken above the ankle where the 
cottonmouth hit him.

Of course that is probably minor compared to the Burmese python that as 
some how invaded the Everglades (pets turned loose probably) and is 
rapidly working it way up to Alabama ;-) 
.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12267540/from/ET/

I killed a python (not a Burmese python) in the woods not far from my 
house two years ago.  We were on a walk in the woods and I spotted him 
eyeing my large Jack Russell. Probably someone's pet snake that got away 
or got to big so they set him free. We do not have snakes 15 feet long 
native to Florida. I took it over to a Fish and Game officer and he 
identified it a python but didn't know the exact variety.

Then there was the Albino Python that Stepth Teeter's son found in the 
Evergalds on their visit there and gave it to Carlos Crespo since John 
couldn't very well take it back on an airplane. When Carlos found out it 
grew to 25 feet long he found a good home for it.

Pleasant dreams, Jody.

Truman

Jody Rogers-Buttram wrote:
> That may be so, but there is no meaner snake than the cotton mouth.  I 
> have
> seen them take on a bulldozer before...chasing it.  My hubby shot one 
> swimming
> in the swamp one time, didn't kill it, it thrashed in the water 
> spinning, holding it's
> head up out of the water about 8 inches or so....when it saw hubby 
> standing on
> the bank, it locked eyes on him like a target.  That sucker started 
> swimming right
> at him...he shot it and killed then.  They are mean, they don't move 
> out of the way,
> they are short, fat and ugly.  I have seen them with heads as big a 
> hamburger, but
> wedge shaped.  I HATE SNAKES.
>  
> http://www.snakesandfrogs.com/scra/snakes/images/stayaway1.jpg
>  
> Jody


--

"The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of 
one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that 
oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the 
beginning if it is to be stopped at all."   H. L. Mencken


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