Comments on: Snakes on Plains

By: eyeofnewt

eyeofnewt — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 13:29:51 +0000

I’m working on a book about Kentucky cryptids as we speak, trying to pin down the Reynolds Lake sighting, but it’s proving very difficult. From what I can tell so far, after consulting the USA Place Names Gazeteer online, there is no lake by that name anywhere in KY.

By: Steelfox

Steelfox — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 00:29:38 +0000

thanks for the info toirtis

By: swol

swol — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 21:42:10 +0000

I remember reading of a minor myth of giant snakes around the european alps.

I mention this only because my mother, who was in Germany during the war, stated that she once saw a gigantic serpent of some sort. She remembered it as 100 ft or so long.

I know it’s unlikely, but if you think about it, all that bombing might have forced something nocturnal up into the daylight once.

Thought I’d just mention this simce snakes were the subject. I’d love to hear if anyone else ever mentioned anything like that.

By: traveler

traveler — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 03:38:15 +0000

As I lived many years of my life in the amazon basin, I too believe that that is the place to look for giant snakes. I am a firm believer. I also believe that there are new giant species of snakes as yet undiscovered in the amazon.

By: Toirtis

Toirtis — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 02:08:53 +0000

Steelfox, what your mother likely remembered are green snakes from the genus Opheodrys (O. aestivus & O. vernalis)…not at all uncommonly found in or near trees and shrubs, where they spend most of their time.

By: Chiksika

Chiksika — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 16:13:32 +0000

I’am from the greater Cleveland area.I remember hearing this story as a kid. It was great telling it around the campfire in my scouting days. Sometime within the last 5 or 6 years the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that a local fisherman hooked onto a very large but dead snake in the Rocky River which is the next river west of the Cuyahoga. It was speculated that it was someones pet and it had frozen to death as it was late fall when this happened. The story should be able to be found in the papers archives. As a kid of maybe 11 or 12 (mid 1970s) I witnessed a large black colored snake while at summer camp in Lake County Ohio. The snakes body crossed the entire road and extended into the woods on either side. I estimate at least 15′. The camp director wanted my friends father to drive over it but he wouldn’t do it. The snake eventually crossed the road as we watched.

By: Steelfox

Steelfox — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 23:46:48 +0000

I have a question to throw out to anyone. my mother lived on a farm in near Fort Wayne, IN and actually talked of green tree snakes, they weren’t giant but I have never heard of tree snakes in the U.S.?

By: loyalfromlondon

loyalfromlondon — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 23:36:49 +0000

I know there’s some debate as to how large certain species of snakes can grow. I don’t think zoos can be used to properly measure this. Diet, stress, unnatural enviroments, all can affect growth patterns.

Anacondas, for one, continue to grow as they age. Certainly there has to be old timers swimming about, free from predators, that have grown well pass 30 feet. I wouldn’t be shocked if that footage was doubled or more.

By: Steelfox

Steelfox — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 23:30:54 +0000

I’ve been collecting stories from here in North East Indiana, my ancestors turned the swamps to fields. One newspaper account tells of serpent from Blue Lake near Busco being sent off to San Francisco.The serpent had small rear legs. My great grandmother told a story of sitting on one thinking it was a log. The river that feeds into Blue Lake is known as the EEL River. Blue lake is not far from Oscar’s hometown Churubusco. I do believe that at one point in the history of the midwest there were several types of snakes that became extinct do to agriculture changing there ecosystems.

By: crypto_randz

crypto_randz — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 23:29:40 +0000

This is a great topic , great story loren. Snake Topic good choice, There are enormous snakes around the world i too agree the place THE AMAZON RIVER. Quite a prehistoric look to it. Heres a thought what if that the ogopogo, champ some of the other lake dwellers are really enormous water snakes? Im not saying they are im just mentioning could be a possibility? just something for everyone to think about its an interesting topic to chat about.