# Hey, guess what's on the back porch! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 15, 2013, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-guess-whats-on-the-back-porch/650387 "2013-02-15T14:44:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-guess-whats-on-the-back-porch/650387/1 "2013-02-15T14:44:35Z")
One of my work minions showed me a photo in his phone today. About a week ago a friend of his had come home, and noticed that the patio furniture on his back porch was “moved around” a bit. Upon investigation, he also found [this](http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k302/labtrash/IMG955794_zps1dde35c7.jpg). Yup, it’s dead now. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-guess-whats-on-the-back-porch/650387/2 "2013-02-15T14:47:32Z")
That picture makes me sad. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-guess-whats-on-the-back-porch/650387/3 "2013-02-15T14:48:46Z")
:eek: That is a bloody big snake. A big rattler yes? Did they kill it? Seems a shame for such a fabulous creature. Would it not have just buggered off by itself when it knew people were around. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-guess-whats-on-the-back-porch/650387/4 "2013-02-15T14:52:32Z")
What a grand snake. Too bad. I can see the reason for killing it - I’ve killed rattlers in my front yard, for fear of the dogs being bitten, but that certainly deserved a little effort to relocate it. StG ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-guess-whats-on-the-back-porch/650387/5 "2013-02-15T15:15:32Z")
It’s a sign in this Chinese Year of the Snake. As to what that sign may be, I have no idea. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-guess-whats-on-the-back-porch/650387/6 "2013-02-15T15:19:20Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > It’s a sign in this Chinese Year of the Snake. > > As to what that sign may be, I have no idea. > > 😃 That snakes aren’t cute, so they get summarily killed. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-guess-whats-on-the-back-porch/650387/7 "2013-02-15T15:21:11Z")
> [@Honey](#): > > That picture makes me sad. ☹ Me too. Made me even more sad when I found out it’s going to be turned into “Boots and a Belt”. I’m counting twelve segments to the rattle, and from what I understand it is uncommon to find a rattlesnake with more than 10 or 12 rattles. One segment is added with each molting of the skin (not every year - a common misconception). ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-guess-whats-on-the-back-porch/650387/8 "2013-02-15T15:28:52Z")
Holy shit, that’s a big rattler!!! What’s the length and weight? I remember seeing a pic of one from Bay Minette, Alabama that almost looked a little smaller than that and it was 98 lbs. Calling **Crotalus.** Holy shit, that’s a big rattler!!! ETA: Holy shit, that’s a big rattler!!! ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-guess-whats-on-the-back-porch/650387/9 "2013-02-15T15:30:44Z")
How remote is this dude’s back porch? That is a big f’ing snake to be in a residential community. I had no idea a rattler could get that big. Oh, yeah: Holy Shit, that’s a big snake. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-guess-whats-on-the-back-porch/650387/10 "2013-02-15T15:39:38Z")
Lotsa good chili meat in that sucker! HOOOOO-WHEEEEEEE!!! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-guess-whats-on-the-back-porch/650387/11 "2013-02-15T15:55:12Z")
This was in rural SC. Lamberttown The guy in the pic isn’t very tall (compared to the pickup truck), and looks to be holding the snake on a stick jutting toward the camera, which gives a little extra “size” to the critter, but still, it’s a big f’ing snake. I asked if he measured / weighed it, but my minion didn’t know if he had or not. When I showed the pic to my wife, she immediately asked “WHERE DID THEY FIND THAT AND IS IT NEAR HERE?!?!”, and began a search for a spacecraft to nuke the site from orbit. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-guess-whats-on-the-back-porch/650387/12 "2013-02-15T15:58:48Z")
Dayum! Thanks or posting that. That’s 10 feet easily, right? Damn! . ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-guess-whats-on-the-back-porch/650387/13 "2013-02-15T16:53:12Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Lotsa good chili meat in that sucker! HOOOOO-WHEEEEEEE!!! 🆒 Nice to know that I am not the only person to think this 😛 Well, also that it would make a great belt and hat band. Well, and I like snake nuggets a bit better than chili - it is all in the [dip](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remoulade) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-guess-whats-on-the-back-porch/650387/14 "2013-02-15T16:57:16Z")
One that big, rather than cut him up I think I’d skin it out and display on a long board hung on the wall. I’m really curious about just how much of a jolt it would be to get hit unexpectedly by a snake that large out in the brush. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-guess-whats-on-the-back-porch/650387/15 "2013-02-15T17:06:11Z")
Good lord. I had NO idea that a rattle snake could get that big. It looks like a freaking boa. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-guess-whats-on-the-back-porch/650387/16 "2013-02-15T17:27:24Z")
What did it die of? ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-guess-whats-on-the-back-porch/650387/17 "2013-02-15T17:43:32Z")
> [@74westy](#): > > What did it die of? .22 caliber lead poisoning to the back of the head, from what I’m told. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-guess-whats-on-the-back-porch/650387/18 "2013-02-15T17:52:15Z")
> [@Labtrash](#): > > One of my work minions showed me a photo in his phone today. > > About a week ago a friend of his had come home, and noticed that the patio furniture on his back porch was “moved around” a bit. > > Upon investigation, he also found [this](http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k302/labtrash/IMG955794_zps1dde35c7.jpg). > > Yup, it’s dead now. That’s here in South Carolina? Hot damn! Low or upcountry? ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-guess-whats-on-the-back-porch/650387/19 "2013-02-15T18:09:22Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > That’s here in South Carolina? Hot damn! Low or upcountry? Low. About 5 miles south of Andrews, just North of the Francis Marion Park ---
**Author:** ![nonacetone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonacetone/32/2819_2.png) [@nonacetone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nonacetone)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2013, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-guess-whats-on-the-back-porch/650387/20 "2013-02-15T18:13:37Z")
Oh, how sad. What a beautiful creature. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-guess-whats-on-the-back-porch/650387.md?page=2)