Found snake skin in my attic today.

rivermouse · Oct 7, 2011

While getting down some fall stuff my wife had stored in the attic I noticed that I had been sitting on a large snake skin.....I quickly danced back down the pull down attic stairs . Thank GOD I did not see the snake as I was reaching the top of the stairs or I could have been startled and fell down the stairs..... Any ideas would help. I for one am not moving out regardless of what the wife who almost has a phobia about snakes said and number 2 ,I am not going to call some exterminator and pay the price of a new trolling motor and depth finder for a couple hours of his time. I got to do something because its warmer in my attic than outside and Im afraid the snake may have found its winter home.....Im 99.99% sure its a black rat snake and we do grow them large down here in North Carolina. HELP.

642mx · Oct 7, 2011

Re: Found snake skin in my attic today.

Rat snakes eat mice... get rid of the mice, and the snake will go find another place for dinner.

LippCJ7 · Oct 7, 2011

Re: Found snake skin in my attic today.

You do realize that there is a reason that the snake is up there don't you? It has shed its skin so its been there awhile, if I were you I would shat up and not tell your wife, if that snake is up there in the attic not bothering you or anyone other then your mouse population your saving money by not needing a mouse or rat exterminator and I guarantee you that you have a mouse population without the snake.

This is a simple deal for me, its not poisonous and probably the single biggest mouse exterminator created by god that isn't also a hair factory. Once his food source is depleted the snake will move on completely on its own.

JB · Oct 8, 2011

Re: Found snake skin in my attic today.

I agree with these guys ^^^. You actually have reason to celebrate.

chriscraft254 · Oct 8, 2011

Re: Found snake skin in my attic today.

I would trap it and get rid of it. Take the skin to a professional to get a determination on how old and the skin is and what kind of snake it is. If there is one snake, there may be more. They breed just like anything else. The snake may have found his winter home. Yes snakes eat and like mice, but it isn't the only reason they like attics. Good luck.

paultjohnson · Oct 8, 2011

Re: Found snake skin in my attic today.

Any reptile living in MY home is not welcome. Great, it eats rodents. Then it craps and pees em out. Yuck! I sleep between my attic and ground floor. What happens when its food source runs out in the attic and it goes on the hunt. Maybe it will decide my bed is a nice warm spot to sleep. NO WAY !!!!

Fishing Dude too · Oct 8, 2011

Re: Found snake skin in my attic today.

Just after I bought a house I found a bat in the attick, he died. As far as a snake they hate human contact, when it cools they will seek warmth, put a spot light in a trap.

bigdee · Oct 8, 2011

Re: Found snake skin in my attic today.

Chances are that it just went up there to shed his skin so I would not be too concerned. I would rather have a harmless snake in my attic then bats,mice or squirrels. Rat snakes will usually seek out a protected area when it is time to shed because that is when they are most vulnerable to predators.

Fly Rod · Oct 9, 2011

Re: Found snake skin in my attic today.

Maybe the snakes pray is rivermouse.

gus-gus · Oct 9, 2011

Re: Found snake skin in my attic today.

I hate snakes.

WIMUSKY · Oct 9, 2011

Re: Found snake skin in my attic today.

Either the snake would be gone, or, I would be gone. Then the snake would still go. My wife HATES snakes. She can't even watch them on tv.....

chriscraft254 · Oct 9, 2011

Re: Found snake skin in my attic today.

Do you still have the skin, is it intact? If it is you can check towards the tail where the anal plate is. If the scales behind the anal plate appears to be divided into two rows, it is not a venomous snake. If it has scales in a single row behind the anal plate, then caution should be taken because it is a venomous snake.

tx1961whaler · Oct 9, 2011

Re: Found snake skin in my attic today.

chriscraft254 said:
Do you still have the skin, is it intact? If it is you can check towards the tail where the anal plate is. If the scales behind the anal plate appears to be divided into two rows, it is not a venomous snake. If it has scales in a single row behind the anal plate, then caution should be taken because it is a venomous snake.

I do not believe that there is a poisonous snake in N. America that you would ever find in an attic.

bigdee · Oct 9, 2011

Re: Found snake skin in my attic today.

tx1961whaler said:
I do not believe that there is a poisonous snake in N. America that you would ever find in an attic.

tx1961whaler is probably correct, an attic is not the right habitat for a poisonous snake.....I have encountered skins in attics on several occasions but I have never seen a live snake. They shed their skin and leave,they have to have water. If they have easy access they may hunt for mice up there but they don't stay. He is a good friend to have when it comes to eating destructive mice.

robert graham · Oct 9, 2011

Re: Found snake skin in my attic today.

If you and your wife are really worried about the snake in the attic, some moth-balls scattered about up there should keep them out, plus help keep other critters out too. And your wife will feel better because "you have done something to prevent this problem". The real danger up there is more psychological than real....I know how some folks are about snakes! Our neighbor lady has a real phobia about them, and when a black snake got in her kitchen she called 911!...Good Luck!

rivermouse · Oct 30, 2011

Re: Found snake skin in my attic today.

UP date... After waiting several weeks hoping the snake would leave on its own the wife finally made me go up in the attic to get her fall stuff down. To make it short I carefully climbed the stairs as I swatted with a broom hoping to scare the snake if by chance he was laying near the stairs. Lucky for me he wasn't so I went up and stood at the top and stared handing down the boxes . After the last one I decided to have a laugh so I told the wife standing below I had one last little thing I was sure she wanted . I then grabbed a black sock from a near by bag of old cloths and dropped it down. The wife screamed so lough I'm sure the neighbors heard her. She was pissed and said "You told me you weren't going to try and scare me" I then stared to come down and slowly backed down the stairs. About 2 feet from the floor the broom I had forgot slipped from the stair opening and slide down the side of my pants so fast I couldn't see what it was and I screamed like a school girl ,lost my balance and fell down the last 2 steps knocking 5 pictures off of the wall and landing on a stack of boxes as the wife moved out of the way....The wife then had a laugh.. At least I didn't break a bone.

chriscraft254 · Oct 30, 2011

Re: Found snake skin in my attic today.

rivermouse said:
UP date... After waiting several weeks hoping the snake would leave on its own the wife finally made me go up in the attic to get her fall stuff down. To make it short I carefully climbed the stairs as I swatted with a broom hoping to scare the snake if by chance he was laying near the stairs. Lucky for me he wasn't so I went up and stood at the top and stared handing down the boxes . After the last one I decided to have a laugh so I told the wife standing below I had one last little thing I was sure she wanted . I then grabbed a black sock from a near by bag of old cloths and dropped it down. The wife screamed so lough I'm sure the neighbors heard her. She was pissed and said "You told me you weren't going to try and scare me" I then stared to come down and slowly backed down the stairs. About 2 feet from the floor the broom I had forgot slipped from the stair opening and slide down the side of my pants so fast I couldn't see what it was and I screamed like a school girl ,lost my balance and fell down the last 2 steps knocking 5 pictures off of the wall and landing on a stack of boxes as the wife moved out of the way....The wife then had a laugh.. At least I didn't break a bone.

Lmao,its really gonna be funny when you open one of those boxes and find the snake!

gus-gus · Oct 30, 2011

Re: Found snake skin in my attic today.

You are quite the entertaining family.
My snake story happened the same week "Snakes on a plane" came to the theaters. An large jet aircraft coming from China was transporting 200 snakes and about 30 got loose on the plane. It was a cargo plane, no passengers, but those chinamen sure were glad to be off that plane. Well it was winter and in Alaska, so they off loaded the contained snakes and put them on another plane to continue their journey. A bunch of us went in and found/caught about 20 of them, but the snake handler said a 10 footer boa was missing. This was to much for us and we backed away. They shut the plane and left it in -20f temps for about a week and then flew it back to China to be de-snaked.
That was wild fer shur. So just turn off the heat and leave it for about a week.....LOL.:facepalm:

LippCJ7 · Oct 31, 2011

Re: Found snake skin in my attic today.

Rivermouse, it sounds as though you may be related to my BIL who has a habit of hunting Packrats on his roof while hanging out his second story bathroom window armed with a 9 Iron!!

Found snake skin in my attic today.

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