Alligator Found in Tennessee Lake

[sushi_bars_after midnight]

well thers been 2 rattlesnakes killed on center hill lake that were over 9 feet in length, and wieghed over 100 lbs each.It has been rumored that the TWRA released 1000 rattlesnakes to help control the turkey population around the lake area..i think 1000 trigger happy, cabin fever hunters with shotguns would be much more effective, and safer than giant man eating rattlesnakes!!

[silent boy]

hi i live in the countryside and i waz walking my dog.
My dad was throwing a stick for him and on 1 throw my dog ran after the stick and yellped really loud.
he came back to us while biting near his bum.
we checked on him but could not see anything and after that my dog has not been running around at all.
He has just been walking around slowly and lying down cud anyone suggest something to do like phone the vet or something.
also when we ran to him there were alot of wasps around us.

[Seymour Res]

NightSerf wrote:

<quoted text>
Looking through online sources, I find no reference to a black adder. It is also well known that Ireland has been free of snakes since the last ice age. There is only one species of snake still referred to as an adder (it is found in England and is venomous, but not regarded as very dangerous) and two others sometimes called adders; none of them are black. I'm tempted to think you are pulling our legs. Can you provide more exact information as to the name of the species to which you are referring?

I have found the Black Adder online and it says that it is not a venomous snake at all. To look at the snake type in adder in your browser. Then start looking at the pictures and you will find.

[Nuther Hillbilly from TN]

http://fwie.fw.vt.edu/VHS/eastern_hog-nosed_s...

The snake is an Eastern Hognose which is also called the Black Adder along with numerous other nicknames.

I've seen a very large black snake with what appeared to be a negative image of the Rattle Snakes diamond pattern.
I killed it on impulse. A fellow I showed it to said it was a Chicken Snake. It was full of kittens it had just devoured.
I've seen the skin of a freshly killed South Eastern Black Rattle Snake in Florida. A friend skinned it and grilled the meat. Pretty good, like a cross between fish and chicken.

[james]

Hey im from Wales, We have this "black adder" snake that you all seem to be so scared of, but it's really only harmful to small children, even bites to children can be easily treated, and killing the rattle snake???I doubt this, but if this is true you should welcome it with open arms, Im moving to TN later on this year and would welcome a state filled with adders than rattle snakes!

[Cecil Pittman]

trisha wrote:

I seen a black snake that was black that when bothered flattened his head like a ccobra it is not a bull or rat snake can any one tell me what kind of snake this was?

I can't tell you without seeing it but I'm sending you a link to what I believe it is: http://fwie.fw.vt.edu/VHS/Heterodon%20platyrh...
(a melanistic phase of an Eastern Hognose snake).

This next link is an actual photo of a black adder in both normal and melanistic phases. I could not find any info about them being "running loose" in your state. They are the only venomous snake in England. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Hugorme.jp...

I have been in the Reptile business for over 40 years and would never suggest you kill any animal except for food or protection. Hognose snakes will actually try to bluff you by spreading out to make them selves look bigger, strike at you,(but WILL NOT bite you) and then if you're still there, then they will play dead by rolling over to expose their belly and release a foul smelling odor. They eat mainly toads and are harmeless.

My email address is [e-mail]

Hope this helps.

[Cecil Pittman]

Here's one more link to a video of an Eastern Hognose displaying defensive behavior: http://fwie.fw.vt.edu/VHS/hognose.wmv

[Cecil Pittman]

NightSerf wrote:

<quoted text>
Looking through online sources, I find no reference to a black adder. It is also well known that Ireland has been free of snakes since the last ice age. There is only one species of snake still referred to as an adder (it is found in England and is venomous, but not regarded as very dangerous) and two others sometimes called adders; none of them are black. I'm tempted to think you are pulling our legs. Can you provide more exact information as to the name of the species to which you are referring?

Here are some links to European adders, both common and black,(melanistic): http://www.crislis.co.uk/adder/about_adders.h...

http://www.crislis.co.uk/adder/about_adders.h...

Here is an article about them being found in Scotland: http://www.darwinawards.com/stupid/stupid2006...

However, the snake Trish is speaking of sounds linke a hognose to me.

[NightSerf]

Cecil, you are a delight! Your links are both informative and entertaining. thanks for posting them.

[hill billy]

Cecil Pittman wrote:

<quoted text>
I can't tell you without seeing it but I'm sending you a link to what I believe it is: http://fwie.fw.vt.edu/VHS/Heterodon%20platyrh...
(a melanistic phase of an Eastern Hognose snake).
This next link is an actual photo of a black adder in both normal and melanistic phases. I could not find any info about them being "running loose" in your state. They are the only venomous snake in England. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Hugorme.jp...
I have been in the Reptile business for over 40 years and would never suggest you kill any animal except for food or protection. Hognose snakes will actually try to bluff you by spreading out to make them selves look bigger, strike at you,(but WILL NOT bite you) and then if you're still there, then they will play dead by rolling over to expose their belly and release a foul smelling odor. They eat mainly toads and are harmeless.
My email address is [e-mail]
Hope this helps.

i work every day moving rock..seen every snake that lives in tn..i can tell you these snakes are new here,,,,and one bite killed a large dog..and i belive in killing snakes..because if that snake would of bite a person,,that person would be dead like that dog..

[Adrian]

"well thers been 2 rattlesnakes killed on center hill lake that were over 9 feet in length, and wieghed over 100 lbs each." and this post is full of lies. The largest rattlesnake ever found was significantly smaller than this this size and a 9 ft snake would not weigh 100lbs. The attitude "the only good snake is a dead snake" is an attitude born of ignorance.

[NightSerf]

Adrian wrote:

"well thers been 2 rattlesnakes killed on center hill lake that were over 9 feet in length, and wieghed over 100 lbs each." and this post is full of lies. The largest rattlesnake ever found was significantly smaller than this this size and a 9 ft snake would not weigh 100lbs. The attitude "the only good snake is a dead snake" is an attitude born of ignorance.

I think it's more in the tradition of tall tales, lies told more to fascinate and entertain than to deceive. Without them, we wouldn't have Paul Bunyan, and Johnny Appleseed would remain a mere huckster/businessman. Our legends may be more fabrication than fact, but they enrich our lives and our culture.

[hill billy]

Adrian wrote:

"well thers been 2 rattlesnakes killed on center hill lake that were over 9 feet in length, and wieghed over 100 lbs each." and this post is full of lies. The largest rattlesnake ever found was significantly smaller than this this size and a 9 ft snake would not weigh 100lbs. The attitude "the only good snake is a dead snake" is an attitude born of ignorance.

dont know about the center hill snakes but i do know that rattle snakes do get this big..we killed one,that had a small pig swallowed,about half way..just pigs feet hanging out of snake,,,pig weighed about 30 pounds,,snake measured a little over 8 feet long...used to be a lot of timber rattle snakes around when i was a kid,,that was well over 6 feet long..but i havnt seen any in several years..they used to be bad about killing our turkeys..

[Shamrock Colm]

You dunghead! I'm from Ireland. There are NO snakes in Ireland. But there are idiots like you. Are you with the wildlife department, perhaps? If not, why not apply?

[CHUCK FENNELL --]

Kevin L wrote:

Kinda funny how Gators are't liked too much in Tenn.(LOL)

I grew up in ten mile..near the roan county line. me and some boys i ran with knew those waters and woods like the back of our hands. never seen any gators!!! i live in texas now..there everywhere!! i can tell you for a fact if you skin out the tail cutthe meat in strips and chicken fry it and make some cream gravy. its delicious!! i miss my old home community!! houston is a jungle!! if anyone knows david dodson tell him i said hey!

[CHUCK FENNELL --]

sushi_bars_aftermidnight wrote:

well thers been 2 rattlesnakes killed on center hill lake that were over 9 feet in length, and wieghed over 100 lbs each.It has been rumored that the TWRA released 1000 rattlesnakes to help control the turkey population around the lake area..i think 1000 trigger happy, cabin fever hunters with shotguns would be much more effective, and safer than giant man eating rattlesnakes!!

rattlesnakes to control turkeys??? thats crazy!! you know how much rich texans pay to hunt turkeys??? thousands!! there are some serious rattlers in south and west texas..never seen one 100lbs? they to are delicious!! its the hillbilly in me to chicken fry everything!!

[Naturalist]

trisha wrote:

I seen a black snake that was black that when bothered flattened his head like a ccobra it is not a bull or rat snake can any one tell me what kind of snake this was?

The snake you are asking about could be a hognosed snake who are great pretenders...they flatten their necks when feeling threatened and when that doesn't work to chase the threat away they will roll over, open their mouths grotesquely and play dead. They even emit a stench of death from glands within their body. Then when the threat is gone they right themselves and continue on their way. Isn't nature wonderful?:-))

[Adder Answers]

Adder is a term that is synonomis with Viper. Technically, our Coppermouth is a type of Adder. Here is a wiki article on the "adder":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adder_%28snake%2...

[hill billy]

Adder Answers wrote:

Adder is a term that is synonomis with Viper. Technically, our Coppermouth is a type of Adder. Here is a wiki article on the "adder":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adder_%28snake%2...

all i can say about these snakes are they are black,,,have large fangs...and one bite will kill a dog...they move about while it is way to cold for snakes in tn...and they have only been in tn..for about 5 years ....but they are here,,and will attack you ,,,they will not run away like copper heads.or rattle snakes will...they will try to chase you out of there teritory,,,,but i do know they are not a mix of a copperhead and black snake ,,,like the game warden told people...because a black snake lays eggs,,a copper head has live young...they remind me of the old water moccosin ,,,which no longer lives here..because they are aggresive,,,,but flatting there head like a corba..and then will come after you like a moccosin...i have spent 50 years in the tn.woods and around creeks,,have seen hundreds of snakes,,,

[not pikeville]

I've seen snakes up in the renegade area that look like what is being described. What I've seen were unearthed while blasting rock and are very similar to a Timber Rattler. They are jet black with a faint crossing pattern that is more visable in the middle. They coil like a rattler but are fatter and stubbier with no rattle. The one's we have encounterd have been very aggressive, but we also were disturbing nests. The largest were about 7 to 8 feet. We contacted TWRA and were told it was feral hybrid.