Snake with a Can on Its Head: Would You Help It?

@AgrilusHunter -- no, I'm being completely serious. I have two young children and don't take any chances.

@John Farrier
Since I've enjoyed your posts in the past so I'll tell myself that your comment was sarcastic in nature and you are not actually purporting the pointless destruction of ... GASP ... animals in your yard.

#11

As much as I would want to help I don't think I could bring myself to. I don't know enough about snakes to know how to help it safely.

lol @ #20

I like mah helmet!

@anothermichael: I thought everything in Australia was "deadly venomous run!", except kangaroos and koalas, and probably even some of them.

thats not an uncommon sight in parts of Australia. people leave garbage behind when camping which attracts mice and rats. mice attract snakes. this photo shows what happens when a snake eats a mouse hiding in a can. if the snake could spit out the mouse it could pull its head out but it cant. as an aside snakes generally fall into two categories in Australia, snakes with patterned scales (harmless tree snakes) and snakes with uniform colours (deadly venomous run!)

Not only is that Snake poisoness, its Stupid too, So would let natural selection do its thing. Nah actually would most likely help it, i rescued a turtle out of the middle of the road once and released him in a swamp.

Looks like an eastern brown/taipan, i'd ponder about helping it for a while, best bet, i'd assume if i were to help it at all would be to grab the can and let the snake come out then haul ass as fast as i could, hopefully living and not get tagged

It would be nice to know where this is. I don't know of any North American snake with that color and pattern that is venomous (although some, like some racers, are nasty tempered). If in Asia or Africa, I would be concerned that it was a mamba or cobra.

If there is even a faint chance it is venomous I would go carefully. With a couple long sticks, I could immobilize the body by the head, then try to work the can off- but there is probably something acting like a flap or trap keeping it there. If this failed, it should not be too hard to 'herd' into a bucket or bag that I could secure- just in case the can came off prematurely- and take it to someone who could help.

If it was around here, I would know it is not venomous so would just pick the poor thing up, pry the flap or whatever off, and let us both go on our way.

Even seeing a picture of a snake can freak me out (I suppose it's verging on a phobia?)... so no, I would not help it or go anywhere near it.

Not a chance. Have fun, snake.

Judging by how elevated it is, it's probably a black mamba.

I'd think very carefully before touching that.

It's a trap!

Never trust a snake.

No. And I kill snakes near my home on sight.

i'm irrationally afraid of snakes...but i'd still try to help it. the poor thing looks so pitiful.

Grab it by the tail and swing it around until the can flies off..?

Aw, poor snake!

And easy, just corner it and then call animal rescue to come take care of it. I ain't taking no chances with taking it off myself, thank-you-very-much!

Of course I'd rescue him. With the pointy end encased in the can, I'd grasp the section just outside of the can and then get him to a rescue facility right away, the poor thing is probably starving. It reminds me of the poor shark discovered starving at the bottom of the ocean near a beach by local divers. The beast had a fishing gaff shoved into his mouth and gut and he could not dislodge it by himself. With the handle jutting out of him, he couldn't feed. But the divers couldn't just turn away so they, mercifully, intervened. Look it up. It made me misty.

I wold help it if I was sure it was not of the poisonous variety. However, without seeing the head, I couldn't be sure.

Sure, I have corn snakes. Haven't we all stuck are heads where they don't belong on occasion?

Well, depends on what kind of snake it is. Doesn't look to be either a coral snake or a rattler, so yes, I'd try to help. Throwing a coat or blanket over it would allow one to grab the snake through the cloth without getting bitten (assuming the can came off that easily).

Of course I'd help it. I'd probably grab the can and stand still and let it pull its head out (then run like hell). If that didn't work, dump it in a bag and take it to the RSPCA. If they weren't about, put it in the fridge until it'd cooled down (always good for photographing reptiles) and cut the can off.

Use a stick, then haul ass.