# Coachwhip snake!



## Handgunner

I found this guy yesterday but didn't have a camera with me.  I could only hope to get another chance and today I was blessed!

On the way home, I slowed down to look where I saw him yesterday and sure enough, he was out again and in a bit of a better mood.  Yesterday he wanted to fight!  Today, he just laid there and posed...  I was able to move him around by slowly picking up the middle of his body and he tolerated it... After about 20+ pictures, I let him move off into his gopher hole.

The pictures really don't do him justice, but he's a solid 7 feet long... 

According to my wife, he was 25 feet long and big around as a trash can.. 

Hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I did taking them.


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## Nicodemus

I wonder how an Asiatic Cobra got turned loose in South Georgia???  That thing didn`t bite you did it? You don`t feel dizzy, do you?














I can`t believe a coachwhip let you walk up to it, and just lay there. Every one I ever found either rared up, or took off like a scalded cat.


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## marknga

Great picture.


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## Handgunner

Nicodemus said:


> I wonder how an Asiatic Cobra got turned loose in South Georgia???  That thing didn`t bite you did it? You don`t feel dizzy, do you?
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> I can`t believe a coachwhip let you walk up to it, and just lay there. Every one I ever found either rared up, or took off like a scalded cat.


I eased up and bein' a big ol' boy, I don't tread lightly.. 

He rared up this evening, but all the "raring up" pictures were blurry...  I thought I had a good one with his mouth open, but it was blurry as well.

While I was taking pictures of him, I noticed ants were on him... in one spot there were a bunch.  Being that close to a road, and seeing him near the same gopher turtle hole two days in a row, I'm about sold on the fact he got hit by a car, and is recovering.  I just hope he makes it and that the ants leave him alone...

Could be why he was in such a bad mood yesterday too!


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## Nicodemus

Well, if a car ran over me, I would be in a bad mood too!!!


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## Handgunner

Every time I've been hit by a car, I just laughed it off...


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## FERAL ONE

dang d !!! that is an awesome snake !!! i hope he makes it if he is hurt !!!


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## Arrow3

Handgunner said:


> Every time I've been hit by a car, I just laughed it off...



I bet the car didn't....


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## Nicodemus

Arrow3 said:


> I bet the car didn't....


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## wvdawg

Spectacular photos - never saw a coachwhip before.


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## Nastytater

Thats a rare find...Most eastern coachwhips I've ever saw around these parts are solid black....Biggest one I've ever caught was about 6 feet long and he was very skiddish of me as well....Tried to sneak into an old well house to get away from me,but it didn't work....Great pictures.


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## bristol_bound

Great Photo's and Story, I'm like wvdawg I've never seen a Coachwhip. That must have been a real treat.


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## dawg2

Great shot!  Definitely a coachwhip.  You're lucky to get good pics, their reputation is more along the lines of being "uncooperative."


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## huntin_dobbs

I've also never seen one! Cool looking snake.


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## Miguel Cervantes

Nicodemus said:


> I wonder how an Asiatic Cobra got turned loose in South Georgia???


 

You joke but the first coachwhip I ever encountered down on the Altamaha acted like a cobra. Also a good 7 footer and reared up a good 2 ft. off of the ground and hissed the deepest his I'd ever heard a snake do. I figured I'd let him have that stretch of woods...


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## DRB1313

Dang Again D!!!!  You are getting some awesome shots!!


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## Nicodemus

Friend of mine was markin` timber , and was tangled up, fightin` his way through a thicket of ty ty, when a big coachwhip rared up right in his face. He painted a good three feet of that snake a real purty blue, before it could get away from him.


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## JasonF

Great series!!


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## one hogman

When I was young my cousin was out with his .410 and ran up on a big snake,it was striking at his dog and he shot it and told us how big it was I didn't believe him and  I made him show me where it was, the elders said it was a coach whip and it measured a solid 8 feet, I will never forget how long that thing was, there was old wives tales that they would latch on to you with their mouth and whip you to death, another was they could bite their tail form a circle and roll down hill like a wheel, we believed them all as kids.


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## Sylvan

Great pictures. I can only remember seeing 1 that color  before and that was a long time ago.


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## Jeffriesw

Great Pics, I too have only seen 1 in my life.


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## Hoss

Great capture, HG.  Glad you got a second chance.

Hoss


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## Whaler_Dave

Cool pics!  Never seen one with those colors only solid black ones.  Was on the golf course one time, with a couple of buddies and there was a about a 6'er crossing the fairway and my buddy gets the bright idea that he is gonna chase it down.  Its unbelievable how fast they are.  Well about the time he gets up on the snake, the snakes turns and comes right up in the cart with the boys!    Both of them come spilling out of the cart and the snake is up on hte floor board of the golf cart.  If only we had a video camera!  It took a little coaching but the snake finally gave up the cart and climbed to the top of a cedar in two seconds flat.  Since I witnessed that I try to leave'em alone.


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## GAX

Surprized it didn't roll up in a hoop, and chase you..

Nice pics.. I haven't seen one in a while..


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## Woody's Janitor

Great pictures! You never forget the last Coachwhip that you saw for some reason.


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## Handgunner

Arrow3 said:


> I bet the car didn't....


Oh, hardy har har har...  

Glad y'all enjoyed the pictures y'all!  If had of carried my camera with me yesterday, I would have had some nice pictures of a huge banded water snake.

I got to play with him a little bit too...


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## Browtine

Nice pics. I don't guess I've ever seen one in person either. It's facial expression reminds me of my ex-wife... evil.


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## GAranger1403

Never seen one that color here in Georgia. Awesome

Unfortunately, If he let you get that close without rearin up or takin flight he was prolly hurt. I only see a few Cwhips a year and they usually don't hang around long.

Again great shots, hope I'm wrong!


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## Handgunner

GAranger1403 said:


> Never seen one that color here in Georgia. Awesome
> 
> Unfortunately, If he let you get that close without rearin up or takin flight he was prolly hurt. I only see a few Cwhips a year and they usually don't hang around long.
> 
> Again great shots, hope I'm wrong!


The first day I came upon him, he was ill as a hornet.  The next day he was more calm, but still rared up.... but not like the day before.

All the ants on him made me worry and I've not seen him since that day.  Maybe he'll make it.


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## rip18

Neat shots!  I hope he made it too!


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