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Reply to snakes on the trail?

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Kyle from Bolivar, MO on 7/22/2009 11:50:15 AM:

I just took my wife and daughter on a one day trail ride from Rocheport to McBaine (20 mile RT) last Sunday and couldn't ask for a more beautiful day on the trail. Returning on our round trip heading west just before crossing under I-70 we come upon a 4 ft. snake laying across the trail thinking it was a copperhead. I have always wanted to see a copperhead but this snake had some unusual markings as well as the tail looked different. I took some pictures and when I arrived home we zoomed in on the tail and could see the rattles and after looking in a snake book it was in fact the markings of a timber rattlesnake. I have seen diamond back rattlers but never a timber. Has anyone else seen many snakes?

Wil from St. Louis on 7/22/2009 12:57:09 PM:

When passing through the Weldon Springs area on Sunday, July 5, we saw a young copperhead curled up about 2 feet onto the trail. This is a very heavily traveled part of the trail, so the snake must have been despirate to find a dry spot after the hard rains on the 3rd and 4th.

Brad from St Louis on 7/22/2009 1:59:30 PM:

I took these photos in the FAQ:

http://www.bikekatytrail.com/faq.aspx#wildlife

Those are the only venomous snakes I've seen on the trail.

In addition to these I've seen lots of harmless snakes like green snakes, garters, speckled kingsnakes, and rat snakes (or large nearly black snakes that look like rat snakes).

Cathy from Jefferson City on 7/22/2009 7:52:20 PM:

I mostly ride the trail between Hatrsburg and Steedman. I probably see a snake about half the times I go out on the trail. I believe they are usually black snakes, and not that big, maybe 3 ft.

bears from Ashland on 7/22/2009 8:01:30 PM:

Hartsburg to North Jefferson, quite a few snakes. Garter, Green, Black and Red Milk snakes. Copperhead haven starts at the Highway
63 overpass and continues a hundred yards east, although I have
seen several copperheads in other places along this stretch.
Please do not harm or kill any snakes.

MAH from Blue Springs, MO on 7/22/2009 9:09:57 PM:

Wow, I've seen copperheads, black snakes, green ones and non poisonous patterned ones, but yet to see a rattler. I know they're there though. Don't know if that's your good luck or not...LOL. Too bad we can't post pictures here in the forum of interesting things we see.

Anonymous from Tebbetts on 7/22/2009 11:05:23 PM:

A couple of years ago I was coming back to Jeff from Hartsburg and the sun was beginning to set. As I went through the last shaded area before getting to Jeff I came across about a dozen or more copper heads along the trail. Some were small and stretched out on the trail and a few were larger and coiled up on the edge of the trail. It was a really weird experience as I had to zigzag for about a hundred yards to miss them all. There was one particularly large one coiled up on the right side of the trail that I made sure to give plenty of space as I went by.

Brad from St Louis on 7/23/2009 8:12:16 AM:

Here are a couple photos I took that are in the FAQ:

http://www.bikekatytrail.com/faq.aspx#wildlife

They are the only venomous snakes I've seen on the trail.

The timber rattler was found on a hot day in late September. He was passive and completely disinterested in my presence. The baby copperhead, on the other hand, was found on a cold morning a few days later and was full of attitude.

Everything else I've seen has been garters, speckled kingsnake, some type of black snakes, and green snakes. The green snakes are hilarious - their coloring makes them stand out on the limestone, but they remain dead still.

Robert Johnson from columbia on 7/23/2009 3:11:40 PM:

I've lived in Missouri all of my life. I am an avid hunter and wildlife photographer and I've
never seen a timber rattler. I'd say you were pretty lucky to have seen one.

Nature Lover on 7/24/2009 12:46:02 PM:

I saw a guy draining a one-eyed snake on the trail. It wasn't very big, but it was spooky.

Robert Johnson from columbia on 7/24/2009 2:07:06 PM:

Might have been me. I've only done that about 100,000 times! : )

Nature Lover on 7/24/2009 2:12:25 PM:

Hmmm. I think you're putting me on with that last name of yours.

EB from Greenwood on 7/25/2009 1:37:23 AM:

Kyle, I’d say you were very lucky to spot a Timber rattler. I’ve never seen a rattler in nearly 30 years of outdoor pursuits. We made a trip across the Katy the first week of July and saw the following: Black Rat Snake, Prairie Ringneck Snake, Western Ribbon Snake, Northern Water Snake, and a Yellow Bellied Racer. I had a heck of a time getting photos of most of them (to show my four year old boy). I gained new respect for those fellas on Animal Planet.

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