Friend or killer? Snake ID please

[h2ogirl]

I see these snakes all the time near my house. I never paid them any mind. Today a city employee was down at the creek cleaning up and killing the ones he could find. He claims this one is a cotton mouth. I always assumed it was a harmless water snake. Maybe blotched water snake? Which is why I walked right up and took his picture. I'm no expert, and I wouldn't want anyone hurt. Also hate to see needless snake killing. Will someone please settle this? I'm in Austin. Thanks y'all!

[infernalis]

it is in fact a harmless water snake. The face markings and head shape confirm...

[poison123]

What he said ^^

[formica]

pffft, what is an unqualified government employee doing, killing snakes? i'm sure there are qualified staff, who are able to properly identify snakes and kill them humanely if the need arises. this kind of thing annoys the hell out of me, i do not believe it comes from a desire to ensure peoples saftey

[shaunyboy]

pffft, what is an unqualified government employee doing, killing snakes? i'm sure there are qualified staff, who are able to properly identify snakes and kill them humanely if the need arises. this kind of thing annoys the hell out of me, i do not believe it comes from a desire to ensure peoples saftey

i agree mate

sounds like the as*hole just likes killing snakes


to the op
can you report the government employee for all this needless killing ?

cheers shaun

[h2ogirl]

I'm going back to talk to him for sure. Now that it is confirmed harmless I feel more confident. People here are scared and lack knowledge. Heck I lack snake knowledge too, but I respect them and have never had a problem. We see dozens every time we leave the house on foot. We look forward to it. He thought I was crazy down there playing in the creek with my 6 yr old surrounded by all the "cotton mouths". I told him the snakes never bother us. Its the leeches that make me worry. I would love to see a cotton mouth though. Never have seen one in the wild. I was lucky enough to see a coral snake recently. It was absolutely beautiful.

[ErikBush97]

I'm going back to talk to him for sure. Now that it is confirmed harmless I feel more confident. People here are scared and lack knowledge. Heck I lack snake knowledge too, but I respect them and have never had a problem. We see dozens every time we leave the house on foot. We look forward to it. He thought I was crazy down there playing in the creek with my 6 yr old surrounded by all the "cotton mouths". I told him the snakes never bother us. Its the leeches that make me worry. I would love to see a cotton mouth though. Never have seen one in the wild. I was lucky enough to see a coral snake recently. It was absolutely beautiful.

If you're going to talk to him, you're definitely a better person than me... I'd be using a different method to get my point across. What an a$$hole. I'm glad that you are interested in snakes and not afraid of them :) they are really great animals and not enough people see that.

[warehouse13fan]

friend... but the kind hat dont like to be touched

[sharthun]

friend... but the kind hat dont like to be touched

LOL, they just have a little attitude at first.:D

[Chris72]

Oh good god all mighty....!!
The worker needs to be therapy!!

What are the chance that even if the municipal or local Gov't wanted to reduce hot snakes in that creek they would send one clean-up worker out to do the job??

As others have mentioned he is just an idiot with deep childhood issues, or the like, that cause him to need to hurt animals. The next step is children.

Don't waste your tme talking to him....if he is doing it there (for kicks) he is likely hurting animals in any other place he can where it can't be seen.

Consider using your phone to capture video next time so you can send it to the paper and his superiors.

His little habit needs to come out of the closet or it will continue at best...or move to humans one day at worst.

Refferance: My wife has worked with many who have killed other people and most of the time it starts with animal abuse.


.

[RandyRhoads]

Oh good god all mighty....!!
The worker needs to be therapy!!

What are the chance that even if the municipal or local Gov't wanted to reduce hot snakes in that creek they would send one clean-up worker out to do the job??

As others have mentioned he is just an idiot with deep childhood issues, or the like, that cause him to need to hurt animals. The next step is children.

Don't waste your tme talking to him....if he is doing it there (for kicks) he is likely hurting animals in any other place he can where it can't be seen.

Consider using your phone to capture video next time so you can send it to the paper and his superiors.

His little habit needs to come out of the closet or it will continue at best...or move to humans one day at worst.

Refferance: My wife has worked with many who have killed other people and most of the time it starts with animal abuse.


.

Good god is right. How do you jump to the conclusion that this man has some sort of animal torture station set up and will soon be murdering and torchering children.

[Starbuck]

Good god is right. How do you jump to the conclusion that this man has some sort of animal torture station set up and will soon be murdering and torchering children.

wow, yes thank you :/ :/

i know it is true that many serial killers and psychopathic individuals will 'toy' with harming animals first, i think a much more likely scenario is that this was simply an undereducated individual who thought he was doing the right thing, because he had never ben taught otherwise.

I agree, report him to his manager/superior, w/e, but i think there is NO reason to jump to labelling him a sociopath or equivalent.

[ErikBush97]

Oh good god all mighty....!!
The worker needs to be therapy!!

What are the chance that even if the municipal or local Gov't wanted to reduce hot snakes in that creek they would send one clean-up worker out to do the job??

As others have mentioned he is just an idiot with deep childhood issues, or the like, that cause him to need to hurt animals. The next step is children.

Don't waste your tme talking to him....if he is doing it there (for kicks) he is likely hurting animals in any other place he can where it can't be seen.

Consider using your phone to capture video next time so you can send it to the paper and his superiors.

His little habit needs to come out of the closet or it will continue at best...or move to humans one day at worst.

Refferance: My wife has worked with many who have killed other people and most of the time it starts with animal abuse.


.

You can't created a psychological profile like that with so little detail on who you're talking about.

Reference: 3 years of independent studying on Psychology, mental illness, and body language.

[Chris72]

Good god is right. How do you jump to the conclusion that this man has some sort of animal torture station set up and will soon be murdering and torchering children.


Ok sure, some assumptions are made. (Granted)

However, I find it inconceivable that authorities would send out a one made trash cleaning crew who is also task with killing "cotton mouths" when he sees them.


Those are typically two very different departments of public service.
We could probably figure it out from the vehicle:
>Landscape Maint: A truck with shovels, pitch fork, hoses, water tank, etc.
>Animal Control: (usually printed on the truck) and there will be no shovels, etc


Therefore we are left with the idea that he is a one man clean up crew who is killing them because he wants to kill them.

From there it's simply a matter of experience. Half my family works in mental health (within our legal system). The wife works with those found criminally insane. (Not criminally responsible due to mental health) Offenders she works with who have an index event consisting of great harm to a human or death have an early history of hurting animals so often it's almost typical.

Refferance:
My wife, who I discussed this with at great length, has been working in mental health for almost 15 years.
(i.e. She deals with the Psychology, mental illness, and body language of criminals and killers every day)


.

[warehouse13fan]

Oh good god all mighty....!!
The worker needs to be therapy!!

What are the chance that even if the municipal or local Gov't wanted to reduce hot snakes in that creek they would send one clean-up worker out to do the job??

As others have mentioned he is just an idiot with deep childhood issues, or the like, that cause him to need to hurt animals. The next step is children.

Don't waste your tme talking to him....if he is doing it there (for kicks) he is likely hurting animals in any other place he can where it can't be seen.

Consider using your phone to capture video next time so you can send it to the paper and his superiors.

His little habit needs to come out of the closet or it will continue at best...or move to humans one day at worst.

Refferance: My wife has worked with many who have killed other people and most of the time it starts with animal abuse.


.sir, I'm going to have to ask you to calm down.....

[Chris72]

sir, I'm going to have to ask you to calm down.....

Sir / Ma'am,

I am fully calm and stress free as always.

(Who are you?)


.

[RandyRhoads]

Your wife should consider a new career if she's diagnosing people from one paragraph over the Internet

Reference: Me

[SSSSnakes]

Does it make any difference if they are harmless Water Snakes or Cotton Mouths. There is no need to be killing any snakes. If you are afraid of getting bit, then stay out of the snake's territory.

[ErikBush97]

Refferance:
My wife, who I discussed this with at great length, has been working in mental health for almost 15 years.
(i.e. She deals with the Psychology, mental illness, and body language of criminals and killers every day)


.

No offense intended here, Chris... Your wife doesn't know what she's talking about. You can't profile someone with only a handful of information about them. Doing that is the same as looking at someone and judging what kind of person they are. It's just an assumption. Maybe if we knew how he grew up, if we knew him and his daily life... But we don't. We just know.that he was killing snakes. Maybe he really was told to kill snakes.. There are so many factors... Trying to profile him is like trying to guess a combination lock.

[Chris72]

Your wife should consider a new career if she's diagnosing people from one paragraph over the Internet

Reference: Me


Randy....no diagnosis was made my friend.

(I am choosing to ignore that two ppl just casually insulted my wife.)

--------

I am told to advise you to :

"Consider reading on the very real link between a desire to harm animals and psychopathy. Habitual harm to animals has been a recognized as long standing signal for underlying mental and or emotional issues. I have worked with everything from a teenager who disemboweled his mother in the front yard then strolled inside to call the police to a real life Hannibal Lector type. I can count on one hand the ones who started their pattern without pleasure in harming animals. It is a recognized stepping stone and a very real one. Just because you know nothing of the subject does not make it any less real."

--------

I considering this closed as we have started circle from the O/P into a fight to defend a city worked who appears to find satisfaction or joy in harming animals.

The original statement stands - The worker should be reported for abusing animals to the media and his superiors. Further; unless he was directed to kill the snakes he should be in therapy.

Frankly this is becoming ridiculous and I am done with it.

**Anyone with a University education in the field of mental illness plus at least 10 years of work experiance in that field who would like to discuss directly with and expert in the field ... PM me an I can put you in touch with my wife directly. Otherwise this is done. I'm not going to fight about this with a student and a firefighter.

I'm getting it from both sides....and I just don't care that much!

Anyone who wants a fight.....go find it elsewhere.:wacky:

.

[ErikBush97]

Randy....no diagnosis was made my friend.

(I am choosing to ignore that two ppl just casually insulted my wife.)

--------

I am told to advise you to :

"Consider reading on the very real link between a desire to harm animals and psychopathy. Habitual harm to animals has been a recognized as long standing signal for underlying mental and or emotional issues. I have worked with everything from a teenager who disemboweled his mother in the front yard then strolled inside to call the police to a real life Hannibal Lector type. I can count on one hand the ones who started their pattern without pleasure in harming animals. It is a recognized stepping stone and a very real one. Just because you know nothing of the subject does not make it any less real."

--------

I considering this closed as we have started circle from the O/P into a fight to defend a city worked who appears to find satisfaction or joy in harming animals.

The original statement stands - The worker should be reported for abusing animals to the media and his superiors. Further; unless he was directed to kill the snakes he should be in therapy.

Frankly this is becoming ridiculous and I am done with it.

**Anyone with a University education in the field of mental illness plus at least 10 years of work experiance in that field who would like to discuss directly with and expert in the field ... PM me an I can put you in touch with my wife directly. Otherwise this is done. I'm not going to fight about this with a student and a firefighter.

I'm getting it from both sides....and I just don't care that much!

Anyone who wants a fight.....go find it elsewhere.:wacky:

.

While I still feel that your wife hasn't a clue of what she's saying, I am sorry. I didn't mean to insult your wife in my original post. I'm sorry if I did. I just don't understand where any of these assumptions, even the ones in the quotes of this reply are coming from. He didn't say " I'm killing these snakes because it's fun!". No one talked to his supervisor about whether or not his job was to kill snakes, So where's the clear link that he's finding pleasure in hurting animals? I am just a little confused as to where that kind of stuff is coming from... Sorry if I offended you and/or your wife, Chris.

[Chris72]

While I still feel that your wife hasn't a clue of what she's saying, I am sorry. I didn't mean to insult your wife in my original post. I'm sorry if I did. I just don't understand where any of these assumptions, even the ones in the quotes of this reply are coming from. He didn't say " I'm killing these snakes because it's fun!". No one talked to his supervisor about whether or not his job was to kill snakes, So where's the clear link that he's finding pleasure in hurting animals? I am just a little confused as to where that kind of stuff is coming from... Sorry if I offended you and/or your wife, Chris.

Ok Chump.

Thats twice you insulted my wife. (Who is an established expert in her field)

By your own admission you have no education on the matter.

So the point of fact is actually - You have no idea what you are talking about.

Right...? (Right!)

Stop the trolling. Shhhhhh.

Go away kid.

[wrecker45]

I beleave people kill snakes out of fear not enjoymeant. Peaple grow up hearing old wives tales of snakes and beleave them. Most peaple here that are over 40 think snakes are evil and have to be killed.

[StudentoReptile]

I beleave people kill snakes out of fear not enjoymeant. Peaple grow up hearing old wives tales of snakes and beleave them. Most peaple here that are over 40 think snakes are evil and have to be killed.

Pretty much, ignorance. They simply think it is perfectly natural/rational to kill snakes on site because this is all they are taught. They simply do not fathom any reaction to seeing a snake except fear and loathing.

[h2ogirl]

Can yall just simmer down? The snake killer was quite friendly to us and was acting out of ignorance. He thought he was saving people from venomous killers. And who cares if some dude you don't know has a wife you don't know who has a different opinion than you about another dude who none of you know. Can someone please close this thread? Yall have gone crazy.

[formica]

Can yall just simmer down? The snake killer was quite friendly to us and was acting out of ignorance. He thought he was saving people from venomous killers. And who cares if some dude you don't know has a wife you don't know who has a different opinion than you about another dude who none of you know. Can someone please close this thread? Yall have gone crazy.

u tell em! haha :D

[wrecker45]

Well put h2ogirl.

[Lankyrob]

Can yall just simmer down? The snake killer was quite friendly to us and was acting out of ignorance. He thought he was saving people from venomous killers. And who cares if some dude you don't know has a wife you don't know who has a different opinion than you about another dude who none of you know. Can someone please close this thread? Yall have gone crazy.

Can i nominate this for "Post of 2013"? :D