Snakes like to curl up in rocks. They are cold-blooded and like the
coolness. In the winter they will den up in rocky areas in large
numbers. It is recommended that you try to poke around with a stick
before putting your hand into small spaces.

The snake was probably more frightened than you were.

The Bird Stamper

--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, motofranz@w... wrote:
> Has this ever happened to anybody else on the list ?
> I was doing a little box maintenance today and went to grab
my "Night
> Moves " container from under some rocks .
> And as I lifted the rocks up a SnAkE shot out from under the rocks
I had
> placed over my letterbox.
> YIKES !! I did let out a Big GiRLY scream
> I HATE snakes !
> (not enough to kill them though)
> Where is that Steve Irwin
> (Crocfiles Aussie Dude) when ya need him ?
> I guess I'll just carry a little stick with me from now on . (To
turn my
> rocks over )
>
> Have fun out there ....
>
> franzsolo..
>
>
> P175F210X39E2PB10

It's funny to imagine Franzolo letting out a "girly scream" for a snake.

I don't worry about snakes, but has anyone ever had an encounter with a porcupine, raccoon or other nocturnal animal? I'm not sure how to tell where they live or what I'd do if I disturbed one. Just wondering.

>
> From: "birder579"
> Date: 2003/07/20 Sun PM 11:55:12 EDT
> To: letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [LbNA] Re: Wild adventures
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Well, I do know that if you meet a nocturnal animal moseying about in
the daytime and if it's not because you've disturbed it, then it may
have rabies. When a raccoon was out one afternoon, we were warned to
turn around and leave the area until the ranger could assess the
situation.

catbead

--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, SamSirochman
wrote:
> It's funny to imagine Franzolo letting out a "girly scream" for a
snake.
>
> I don't worry about snakes, but has anyone ever had an encounter
with a porcupine, raccoon or other nocturnal animal? I'm not sure how
to tell where they live or what I'd do if I disturbed one. Just
wondering.
>
> >
> > From: "birder579"
> > Date: 2003/07/20 Sun PM 11:55:12 EDT
> > To: letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com
> > Subject: [LbNA] Re: Wild adventures
> >
> >
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I've run into porcupines and racoons. You just back off quietly. The
reality is that porcupines are not nearly as much of a menace as people
thing, and they don't "shoot" you from away like in the cartoons.

From: SamSirochman
Reply-To: letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2003 0:16:59 -0400
To: letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [LbNA] Re: Wild adventures


It's funny to imagine Franzolo letting out a "girly scream" for a snake.

I don't worry about snakes, but has anyone ever had an encounter with a
porcupine, raccoon or other nocturnal animal? I'm not sure how to tell
where they live or what I'd do if I disturbed one. Just wondering.

>
> From: "birder579"
> Date: 2003/07/20 Sun PM 11:55:12 EDT
> To: letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [LbNA] Re: Wild adventures
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


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.




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I had a friendly chat with a young groundhog one day. He seemed very interested in letterboxing. I've never run into anything scary, but then again, I find it fun to go looking for snakes and such.

Debean (animal lover) -MD

ehughes52 wrote:
Well, I do know that if you meet a nocturnal animal moseying about in
the daytime and if it's not because you've disturbed it, then it may
have rabies. When a raccoon was out one afternoon, we were warned to
turn around and leave the area until the ranger could assess the
situation.

catbead

--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, SamSirochman
wrote:
> It's funny to imagine Franzolo letting out a "girly scream" for a
snake.
>
> I don't worry about snakes, but has anyone ever had an encounter
with a porcupine, raccoon or other nocturnal animal? I'm not sure how
to tell where they live or what I'd do if I disturbed one. Just
wondering.
>
> >
> > From: "birder579"
> > Date: 2003/07/20 Sun PM 11:55:12 EDT
> > To: letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com
> > Subject: [LbNA] Re: Wild adventures
> >
> >
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


Yahoo! Groups SponsorADVERTISEMENT

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.



---------------------------------
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SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month!

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I agree Debean! Course as of yet we haven't seen any animals in our
adventures. I do however prefer to see the animal before the animal sees me, if I can.
Especially in cases of skunks and poisonous or dangerous animals. Those I like
to admire from a safe distance. :)




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

motofranz@webtv.net wrote:
>I was doing a little box maintenance today and went to grab my "Night
>Moves " container from under some rocks .
>And as I lifted the rocks up a SnAkE shot out from under the rocks I had
>placed over my letterbox.

I carry a pair of work gloves in my letterboxing pack -- when I have to
reach into a hole or turn over rocks, I put on the gloves first.

I haven't run into any snakes yet (at least not in letterbox hiding places,
though I did run into a rattler while on the trail to a letterbox), but I
did lift a rock off a geocache in Florida and find a large wolf spider
waiting for me. I'm not a big fan of spiders or snakes....



|-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-|
Silent Doug, P22 F168 X06
silentdoug@douglasgerlach.com
http://www.letterboxing.info

Silentdoug,
That's a good idea about those work gloves !
I wasn't expecting anything to jump out at me as I uncovered those rocks
.
Coming across 0ne snake in a year is enough for me . LOL .


P175F210X39E2PB10

Yes, that's why I have an L count. Princess Turtle and I have come
across lizards, snakes, turtles, and big toads guarding boxes.
Maryland is crawling with the dang things. Black snakes are scary,
but OK. It's the beige with brown markings that freak me out. Nasty
copperheads!
Psychomommy
L 15


--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, motofranz@w... wrote:
> Has this ever happened to anybody else on the list ?
> I was doing a little box maintenance today and went to grab
my "Night
> Moves " container from under some rocks .
> And as I lifted the rocks up a SnAkE shot out from under the rocks
I had
> placed over my letterbox.
> YIKES !! I did let out a Big GiRLY scream
> I HATE snakes !
> (not enough to kill them though)
> Where is that Steve Irwin
> (Crocfiles Aussie Dude) when ya need him ?
> I guess I'll just carry a little stick with me from now on . (To
turn my
> rocks over )
>
> Have fun out there ....
>
> franzsolo..
>
>
> P175F210X39E2PB10

ICK!!!
I probably would have fainted. I have "SNAKE PHOBIA"
me & Brian have a very strict snake ritual when we go out
First, I make HIM look at the little nooks and crannies that
I think the box might be in. (He's my hero) and if we're in
snake territory, I set the pace, which is usually fast (I do
this little hop, skip and jump step with a waving of my arms
that must look like have some kind of palsy)
and I hum and he tells me stories. If I actually SEE a snake
(or even a twig) I run right into his arms and he holds me
til I stop shaking. All in all, I spend most of my letterboxing
time terrified that I'll even see a snake, but since I havent
gotten bit yet, I've decided that 'boxing just may help me
get my terror under control.

Lori- TeamGreenDragon


-- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "psycomommy2003"
wrote:
> Yes, that's why I have an L count. Princess Turtle and I have
come
> across lizards, snakes, turtles, and big toads guarding boxes.
> Maryland is crawling with the dang things. Black snakes are scary,
> but OK. It's the beige with brown markings that freak me out. Nasty
> copperheads!
> Psychomommy
> L 15
>
>
> --- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, motofranz@w... wrote:
> > Has this ever happened to anybody else on the list ?
> > I was doing a little box maintenance today and went to grab
> my "Night
> > Moves " container from under some rocks .
> > And as I lifted the rocks up a SnAkE shot out from under the
rocks
> I had
> > placed over my letterbox.
> > YIKES !! I did let out a Big GiRLY scream
> > I HATE snakes !
> > (not enough to kill them though)
> > Where is that Steve Irwin
> > (Crocfiles Aussie Dude) when ya need him ?
> > I guess I'll just carry a little stick with me from now on . (To
> turn my
> > rocks over )
> >
> > Have fun out there ....
> >
> > franzsolo..
> >
> >
> > P175F210X39E2PB10

Hey Debean - that is funny on so many levels!

Before we learned about letterboxing, we were hiking out
in Arcadia State Park in Bar Harbor, Maine.

Brian looked up and said to me "What the heck is that?" as he
pointed to the strangest looking creature that I have ever
seen outside of captivity. I said "It's a monkey" to which
he replied "Ya think?" We cautiously walked closer to the
animal in question. We speculated that it couldn't possibly
be a monkey. We observed it picking leaves from the tree in which
it was sitting in and putting the leaves in its mouth. The animal
never acknowledge us and as we came (very cautiously) closer
to the animal, we were able to detect spines and a long tail and
agreed with each other that it was a porcupine. The little guy
looked like he could use a shower but he allowed us to just watch
him eat his leaf snacks for about 5 minutes from 5 feet away. We
speculated that he was unconcerned about us because of his defense
mechanism (ouchy spines). Finally, we decided to let him finish
his meal in peace and we walked along talking about how we really
should bring a camera with us when we go out.

Lori - TeamGreenDragon



--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, Deb King wrote:
> I had a friendly chat with a young groundhog one day. He seemed
very interested in letterboxing. I've never run into anything scary,
but then again, I find it fun to go looking for snakes and such.
>
> Debean (animal lover) -MD
>
> ehughes52 wrote:
> Well, I do know that if you meet a nocturnal animal moseying about
in
> the daytime and if it's not because you've disturbed it, then it may
> have rabies. When a raccoon was out one afternoon, we were warned
to
> turn around and leave the area until the ranger could assess the
> situation.
>
> catbead
>
> --- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, SamSirochman
> wrote:
> > It's funny to imagine Franzolo letting out a "girly scream" for a
> snake.
> >
> > I don't worry about snakes, but has anyone ever had an encounter
> with a porcupine, raccoon or other nocturnal animal? I'm not sure
how
> to tell where they live or what I'd do if I disturbed one. Just
> wondering.
> >
> > >
> > > From: "birder579"
> > > Date: 2003/07/20 Sun PM 11:55:12 EDT
> > > To: letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com
> > > Subject: [LbNA] Re: Wild adventures
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups SponsorADVERTISEMENT
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
Service.
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Do you Yahoo!?
> SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month!
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]