Made a New Friend
By Jeff Moffitt
@moffittjc (118912)
Gainesville, Florida
February 2, 2022 6:07pm CST
A week ago, my son and I went on our annual backpacking trek through the wilderness of the interiors of Florida (no, Florida is not all sand and beaches and palm trees lol). Other than the excitement of living for a week off of only what we could carry on our backs, it was a pretty mundane and relaxing time. The weather was freezing (by Florida standards), making us pretty much slow and lethargic much of the time. Try sleeping in a hammock for 5 straight nights of temps below the freezing mark. It's not for the weak, that's for sure!
There were some cool and fun things that happened along the way (as there always is on our camping trips), but meeting up with a docile rattle snake along the trail was a first for me.
Thankfully, it was a juvenile rattle snake, only about 3 feet long (1m), and only had 5 rattles on his tale. I was surprised he was out and about, given the temperature at the time was slightly below freezing. I assume he was seeking out the sunshine, although I found him in deep shade on the side of the trail.
The poor guy was barely moving, and didn't even raise his head or shake his rattles when I approached. I was very cautious in approaching him, and once I assessed that he was too cold to do anything, I slowly and lightly stroked his scaly skin. When I was sure he accepted that I wasn't there to harm him (and therefore bite me), I went ahead and picked him up and moved him out to a very sunny spot on the trail.
I then left him to soak up the sunshine and continued on with my hike. I hope the poor little guy eventually warmed up.
Have you ever had any encounters with snakes, especially venomous snakes?
27 people like this
30 responses
@RasmaSandra (74368)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
3 Feb 22
You know there have been cases of cold-stunned animals in Florida while the temps were really low, I read today about someone running across an alligator just sitting with a fish in its mouth and then sluggishly it moved away but they said it was cold-stunned,
3 people like this
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 22
@Fleura Haha yes, that’s a real thing! But the iguanas don’t live in the part of Florida where I live. I’m in the northern part of the state, and the iguanas live in the southern part. It gets too cold here in north Florida for those reptiles to survive.
4 people like this
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 22
Alligators are all over the place here, and on the coldest of days you have to be careful while driving, because the gators will crawl out on the roads to heat themselves on the warm asphalt pavement.
3 people like this
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 22
I always try to relocate venomous snakes as a first option, but if that’s not feasible then killing is the next best option. I’m fortunate to be good friends with a woman who routinely wrangles snakes as part of her job, so she’s not afraid to capture and pick up the venomous ones.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 22
@JudyEv I agree that sometimes there aren’t other options. I just try to avoid killing creatures unless it’s absolutely necessary.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (327409)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Feb 22
@moffittjc We have snake catchers here too but being out in the sticks, it wasn't really a feasible option.
3 people like this
@flapiz (22434)
• United Kingdom
3 Feb 22
@moffittjc Well yeah don't make a hobby of doing that regularly. A stick would have been more safer.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 22
Normally, I would steer very clear of a rattle snake. But knowing that reptiles are extremely lethargic in freezing weather, I had a sneaking suspicion that this snake was more interested in find warmth than it was in biting me. I was probably a little crazy for picking it up, but I was just doing my part to help out my little friend. I didn't want him to feel as cold as I was, so I wanted to get him into the sunshine as quickly as I could.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Feb 22
@flapiz I tried using a stick, but it was like using a stick to pick up another stick! Lol. The poor snake was as stiff as a rod.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
3 Feb 22
I was born and raised on a farm in the middle of nowhere, Missouri. Of course I've encountered venomous snakes. (A couple of years ago Pretty and I were floating on inner tubes on Table Rock Lake when a water moccasin reared his head out of the water and gave warning. We quickly paddled out of his area.)2 people like this
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 22
water moccasins are very common here too. It's smart to steer clear of them when you see them!
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
3 Feb 22
@moffittjc For some reason that one wanted the inner tubes out of his area. He startled us.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 22
@DaddyEvil Maybe he was just anti-social. You know…like the old guy in every neighborhood who yells at the kids to stay off his lawn! Lol
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (43218)
• Staten Island, New York
3 Feb 22
I'd never pick up a snake. Heck, I wouldn't go near it, unless it was in its glassed habitat at the zoo.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 22
When I was little, I was so scared of snakes I wouldn’t even go near the ones in the glass tanks at the zoo! Lol
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Feb 22
@lovebuglena Snakes escape from their cages/glass enclosures all the time! I’m always leery about what may be lurking unseen around those glass cages!
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (43218)
• Staten Island, New York
4 Feb 22
@moffittjc 
I’m not afraid of those as they are behind the glass.
I’m not afraid of those as they are behind the glass.1 person likes this
@RubyHawk (99421)
• Atlanta, Georgia
3 Feb 22
I didn’t know it got down to freezing in Florida. I sure wouldn’t like sleeping in a hammock in freezing weather. You couldn’t have carried many blankets in backpacks. I don’t know if I would have been brave enough to pick up a rattlesnake. Once when we lived in the country snakes were everywhere. I reached in a magazine rack to pick up a book and pulled up a copperhead. You-can believe I threw it down fast and grabbed a broom to sweep it out.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 22
@RubyHawk You’re not lying about how bad Florida is during the summer. That’s why everyone flees the state during June, July and August.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 22
You were very lucky the copperhead didn’t bite you!
It used to get cold on a regular basis here in north Florida, but with global warming it’s more sporadic now. We still average a measles 13 days a year where the temps will drop below freezing. We just had 4 of those days! Lol
1 person likes this
@RubyHawk (99421)
• Atlanta, Georgia
3 Feb 22
@moffittjc The times I’ve been to Fla was summer and it was baking hot. I could hardly go out till sun down. It was The hottest hot I’ve ever felt. Our February is supposed to be much warmer than January. We’ll see.
1 person likes this
@kaylachan (59354)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
3 Feb 22
Yes. We've run into a few black snakes, they come into our yard from time to time. However, when I lived at the Breakers, my cat, Precious, found a very colorful snake and kept playing with it. I didn't know if it was dangerous or not, and I didn't want my cat to get hurt. So, I managed to get the snake back outside.
2 people like this
@kaylachan (59354)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
3 Feb 22
@moffittjc I don't know what kind of s snake it was. It had a shovel head, black body, and looked like red and yellow diamonds. I didn't stop to snap a pic, because I was more concerned about my cat, possibly, getting hurt. He kept picking it up in his mouth and when it would go limp he'd drop it.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Feb 22
@kaylachan If it was a venomous snake it most likely would have bitten your cat when it picked it up.
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 22
Colorful snake? Could it have been a coral snake? Or maybe a king snake? They look very similar, although the coral snake is much smaller.
I encounter snakes all the time, but they are almost always of the non-venomous kind. It's been a long, long time since I've run into a rattle snake.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 22
I don’t mind handling the non-venomous ones, but I normally try to avoid the venomous ones for my health and safety.
@Juliaacv (48840)
• Canada
3 Feb 22
@moffittjc They both freak me out although I don't think that I have ever seen a rat except in movies and pet stores.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 22
@Juliaacv Thankfully, there are more mice than rats around my parts. I can handle mice, but I can’t handle rats.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 22
I used to be that way with snakes. But for some reason over the years I’ve become much more tolerable towards them. But rats are a completely different story!
1 person likes this
@DWDavis (25806)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
3 Feb 22
@moffittjc The eastern diamondback rattler is the most dangerous, but the copperhead is probably the most prolific.
I have been caught up in teaching and writing and dealing with the pandemic. Now that things are calming down some, I finally have a chance to reconnect.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Feb 22
@DWDavis Definitely glad to see you back here!
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@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 22
What was the predominant venomous snake in your part of NC?
And where have you been? Haven’t seen you here in ages! Lol
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (96874)
• Marion, Ohio
3 Feb 22
@moffittjc Not many with the cats here. When they are pregnant or nursing kittens they will kill the snakes. But we mostly only have the garden type ones.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 22
How many snakes do you usually have to deal with on your property?
1 person likes this
@kobesbuddy (75304)
• East Tawas, Michigan
3 Feb 22
I'd never touch a snake, even a harmless gardener snake. Sleeping in a hammock in freezing cold temps, I couldn't do it.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 22
I’m so used to backpacking and sleeping in hammocks that I have forgotten what it’s like to sleep in a tent! Lol
1 person likes this
@kobesbuddy (75304)
• East Tawas, Michigan
3 Feb 22
@moffittjc With poison snakes out in the wild, I could never kill one! They're only living life, as best they can.
1 person likes this
@kobesbuddy (75304)
• East Tawas, Michigan
3 Feb 22
@moffittjc As I get older, I realize that even annoying bugs have a purpose in this world:)
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 22
Since the temperature was below freezing at the time (I think it was hovering right around 25), I knew the snake would be extremely lethargic. It was a good guess on my part. lol
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 22
Are you a snake handler? Haha
1 person likes this
@Faster16 (2930)
• Indonesia
4 Feb 22
@moffittjc Yes, naturally formed, because I have been living in the forest since childhood
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (461169)
• Switzerland
4 Feb 22
@moffittjc - I noticed those in my garden that do not even move when the sun is not warm enough, but I do not trust them.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Feb 22
@LadyDuck I trust wild animals more than I trust most human beings! Lol
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 22
I would have been smart enough to stay clear of the snake if it had been any warmer out. But given the frigid temperatures, I knew this poor snake was in no condition to be burning any unnecessary energy to strike at me.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 22
Not even a friendly pet snake?
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 22
@sol_cee Ah…snake friends. We all have those, don’t we? Well, don’t worry, I’m not a snake friend.
1 person likes this
@sol_cee (38222)
• Philippines
3 Feb 22
@moffittjc all kinds especially snake friends
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
5 Feb 22
You probably scared that poor rattler more than it scared you! I could just imagine the reaction you had when you saw that thing!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
6 Feb 22
@DianneN The neighbors could probably hear you screaming from a mile away! lol
Of course...I probably would have done the same thing!
1 person likes this
@DianneN (247216)
• United States
5 Feb 22
@moffittjc Pure instinct. I screamed all the way into the house and then some. It was curled up.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (159526)
• United States
3 Feb 22
I cannot imagine sleeping outdoors, let alone in the cold. Give me a camper or a motel! I'm glad you moved Mr. Rattlesnake into the sun. Yes, we saw a copperhead snake when we were driving through Dismal Swamp in Virginia. I wanted to get out of the car and take a picture; but the 1"+ flies deterred me. Hubs didn't want me to get out of the car anyway. He thought I was nuts. Glad to see you here.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 22
Copperheads are very common here in Florida, although I haven’t seen one in ages. Glad you played it safe and stayed in your car.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Feb 22
@LindaOHio We get some seriously big flies here in the South.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (159526)
• United States
4 Feb 22
@moffittjc When I said 1"+ flies, I wasn't kidding. It was almost as if they were radiated by a nuclear plant or something. Very strange.
1 person likes this
@SophiaMorros (5044)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
3 Feb 22
I give snakes very wide berth, I'd rather not get close enough to be able to determine whether or not they are venomous.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Feb 22
It’s easy to tell if they’re venomous. Just pry their mouth open and look at the fangs! Lol
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Feb 22
@SophiaMorros That way works too!
1 person likes this
@SophiaMorros (5044)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
4 Feb 22
@moffittjc Or get bitten and see if you have a reaction. 
1 person likes this
@akruser13 (475)
• Los Angeles, California
3 Feb 22
I want to say I was more shocked about you picking up a rattlesnake, but honestly I was cringing about sleeping in a hammock in below freezing temps. I hate being cold. So much. I relocated to Los Angeles just so I wouldn't have to be cold lol.
On the subject of the snake though, I applaud you sir. I would've been interested in the snake, I love snakes, but I definitely would've kept a respectable distance. I've come across lots of snakes before but not a poisonous one in the wild. Or, not on land anyway. I grew up in the Chesapeake Bay area in Virginia where we had cottonmouths but I've only seen them swimming under the surface.
I haven't seen too many snakes since moving to CA. We get geckos in the summer mostly. Our bigger problem in my neighborhood is black and brown widow spiders. We had to hire a bug guy to come out and spray around the outside of the house once a month or so, they were getting so bad. I usually don't disturb spiders as long as they're outside but they were in our doorways and in the dog run, I was afraid of me or my doggos getting bit. Brown widows in particular are very aggressive spiders.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Feb 22
I promise you I was extremely careful with the snake. I was literally in the middle of nowhere, so a bite by the snake could have proven fatal to me.
My hammock and sleeping gear are rated down to 20 degree weather, and fortunately the lowest temps stayed just north of the 20 degree mark, so I stayed comfortable the entire time. In fact, with my layered clothing, I actually was a little on the warm side most of the nights.
@moffittjc (118912)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 Feb 22
@akruser13 If there is anything in Florida that is abundant, it’s water, so I never have any worries about accessing enough water. I have a pretty high-tech water filter, and knock on wood in the past 5 years I have not had any illnesses as a result of drinking water I find along the trail.
@akruser13 (475)
• Los Angeles, California
4 Feb 22
@moffittjc Hmmmm, maybe that wouldn't be too bad then. *squints in skeptical* lol
I used to go camping all the time when I lived up in the NW, even in winter, but then we would spring for the heated yurts. Could've used warm gear like that back then. Down here you worry more about having enough water for your trip if you're going more desert camping. I haven't done my overnighting in general since moving though, mostly because I don't have anyone to go with.
1 person likes this
