Comments by "gary K" (@garyK.45ACP) on "MyWildBackyard" channel.

  1. We had those in west Texas where I grew up. They were quite common. Locally called the "Sonoran" centipede. Same thing. Leave them alone! Scorpions were very common, but they didn't concern me any more than wasps. Tarantulas were also very common and not a concern. They would jump in our swimming pool at night if we had the lights on in the pool. 🤷‍♂ But those centipedes will send you right to the hospital! I never heard of anyone dying from the venom but it is so excruciatingly painful you'll be begging for anesthesia. That crazy guy who lets animals/insects bite him and sting him, "Coyote Petersen", got bit by one of these and it was the only time he went to the hospital.
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  2. I grew up in Runnels Co., TX on our family's ranch. We frequently saw rattlesnakes, scorpions, tarantulas and black widow spiders. I never was particularly concerned about any of those. We saw those centipedes quite often also and they are creepy. I stayed far away from those things. I know of several people who were bitten and went to the hospital...where they were basically sedated or given pain killers. I never heard of anyone dying from it. I can tell you that many people I know had the same reaction. Show them a big diamondback rattlesnake and "Meh...so what? Just leave them alone, go around them" But show them one of these creepers and they scream like little girls. 🤷‍♂ It is possible you received very little venom. The centipede had just dropped some venom in your collection cup. I doubt they carry too much venom. In any case, one persons reaction to one bite is probably not something to draw conclusions on, but to put into the matrix of possibilities.
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  3. I live in central Florida. I have found several pygmy rattlesnakes in my residential yard. A typical suburban housing development of single family homes on 1/4 acre lots. My home was built in 1996, so it isn't a new development in former 'snake habitat'. It IS snake habitat. Usually they are in the shrubs or mulch and I find them when I am weeding. That said, I have found more coral snakes than pygmy rattlesnakes. I am not suggesting they are waiting to attack me when I walk out the door. But they are NOT just 'deep in swampy territory'. Because of finding these snakes I always wear heavy gloves when weeding or trimming shrubs. The snakes are quite small and I doubt they could bite through heavy gloves. FWIW the coral snakes have never shown any signs of aggression or attempts to bite. The pygmies, on the other hand, have been very defensive. Coiling, rattling (they sound more like an insect than a snake) and even striking, even though I was not close enough to be bitten. They seem to have 'small dog syndrome'. Nothing to panic about, but if you live in their territory just be aware and take some precautions.
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  4. I agree that they are dangerous...sort of. I live in central Florida and coral snakes are fairly common. They are the most common venomous snake in developed areas. Pygmy rattlesnakes are the 2nd most common. While we also have eastern Diamondbacks, you don't see those in residential areas so much. I find coral snakes 3 to 1 over pygmy rattlers. While they are common, coral snakes are also non-aggressive. I have turned over a few while digging weeds in the mulch of flower beds and they never show any sign of attempting to bite...only to get away. I do wear fairly heavy gloves when gardening in case I accidentally pick one up in a pile of weeds. So, while their venom is dangerous, and they are common in residential areas, they do not attempt to bite if you leave them alone and they are usually quite small with short fangs and won't penetrate a heavy glove. I've never seen one over 2 ft. long and most were less than 18". They do get bigger, but it is not typical. FWIW, the most common snake here, by far, is the southern black racer. I see those almost every day in the summer, usually in my shrubbery, but also right out in the lawn, on the driveway, sidewalk, front porch. Word is that they eat coral snakes.🤷‍♂ I think the little anole lizards are their primary food.
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