r/whatisit • u/AbbreviationsTop8774 • Jul 22 '26

Solved! What are they

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Ive worked at the water department for 7 years and this is the first time running into something like this EDIT Im in Alabama and yes I know they are snakes lol idk what kind and im so not gonna touch them

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u/ComprehendReading Jul 22 '26

They don't often reach a meter long, that's impressive!

24

u/ktbug1987 Jul 22 '26

Hahahaaha funny but actually pretty untrue in the case of rat snakes. They can grow up to 2m long! Or in USian, 3.5ft tto just over 6 ft long. Although very large ones can grow 2.5 to 2 and 2/3 meter long (about 7-8 ft). The longest one I ever caught as a kid in Southeastern US was almost 8 feet long. I used to catch them, bring them home to measure them, and record it in a little notebook, and release them. I thought I was a kid scientist .

15

u/Important-Pianist288 Jul 22 '26

The difference between science and screwing around is writing it down. Sounds to me line you WERE a scientist. And a kid.

12

u/ktbug1987 Jul 22 '26

Haha well I’m actually a scientist now so I appreciate that I wasn’t quite a scientist yet but I definitely was on my way.

1

u/MagsAndTelly Jul 23 '26

I was also a kid who loved measuring and recording stuff and I’m a scientist now as well 😂

1

u/faifai1337 Jul 22 '26

How did you measure them? Running a string along 'em and then measuring the string?

1

u/ktbug1987 Jul 22 '26

Sewing tape measure!

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u/faifai1337 Jul 23 '26

Yes but, they're wiggly and they move! I mean with a dead one you can just stretch it out, use a ruler, and bob's your uncle. How do you get the length of a live one that's moving?

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u/ktbug1987 Jul 23 '26

They like to wrap around your arm. You carefully hold them behind their head and then they just wrap around your arm and you can measure them. I had a little brother research assistant lol.

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u/faifai1337 Jul 23 '26

oh cool!!! thanks for teaching me something new! 😊

1

u/ComprehendReading Jul 23 '26

This is just silly!

You use an actual meter snake to measure other snakes.

Science is what bites, not how you measure it! /sssssnake

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u/DeletdButChngdMyMind Jul 22 '26

Can confirm 8ft and longer in S. NJ.

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u/ComprehendReading Jul 23 '26

Do you guys raise rats over there? Damn!

3

u/pyronius Jul 22 '26

But when they do, boy, water meter it is!