Thawing snakes for skinning

[NTD]

I'm going to pick up those snakes my buddy threw in the freezer for me, today.  What is the best way to thaw out the snakes prior to skinning?  Room temp, warm water?

Also I remembered today that I have a 6 foot albino reticulated python in the freezer.  It was a personal snake that died a few months back.  That thing should make a killer backing.

Nate

[Pat B]

I would thaw them in cold water or at least room temp. Warm water might begin to cook the snake and skin.  The albino python is a cool looking snake.

[zeNBowyer]

I  love  snake  skins  but you're  gonna  skin  your  pet  snake?  Gahhh!

[youngbowyer33]

that is such a cool snake but i could never skin a pet

[Dano]

I'd do as Pat said, cold water will do the trick.

[DustinDees]

i think thats going to be a sweet backing.
my roomate had just over a 9' burmese python die about 5 years back, he threw it out, i skinned it, made about 14"x8' of skin, he asked for it back a few months after that and sold it to someone for a wall hanging. ive been kicking myself for getting rid of that skin since i got into building bows.

two pics for perspective. im 5'11" tall. and in the shower pic u can see a regular shampoo bottle compared to the size of leviathan.





Dustin D

[PeteC]

you've probably figured it out by now,but it's a whole lot easier to skin it,scrape it,and remove the belly scales(and skin),before you freeze it.   God Bless

[NTD]

Thanks for the help guys.  And as far as skinning a pet...well it wasn't really a pet.  I couldn't skin my dogs if they died but snakes for me aren't really pets, I have a couple that are special to me (almost pets   ) that I don't know if I could skin.  But I have almost a hundred snakes on hand right know.  I breed them for a side business.  So for the most part I don't have an emotional attachment to them.  I care for them, take care of them, they are humanely handled and housed but most are more like livestock for me.  They provide a use while alive and if they can provide a use dead then great.  Better for me than rotting in a hole in the backyard.

[Justin Snyder]

I would rather skin my pet dog than live with a 9' snake in the house.

[NTD]

   Yeah I read a thread on here about peoples feelings on snakes and it didn't seem like many people had the warm fuzzies for them.  I like them.  They intrigue me.  To each their own but I am a DOG guy first for sure.   

[Pappy]

I just thaw them at room temp.I skinned a 15 ft Python once a guy gave me.He killed it because it ate his neighbors Poodle.  While it was on a leash.He kept it in the back yard to sun.
That being said it was not like skinning a normal snake,it was more like skinning a deer,lots of flesh
and scraping. It was much thicker than normal.It would give some back protection like raw hide.
That one should make a pretty bow back.
   Pappy

[Justin Snyder]

  Yeah I read a thread on here about peoples feelings on snakes and it didn't seem like many people had the warm fuzzies for them.  I like them.  They intrigue me.  To each their own but I am a DOG guy first for sure.   

Oh I like snakes. We had a couple of rattle snakes in a big pen in the back yard for quite some time so we could watch them hunt. But they sure aren't comming in the house. My sister in law had snakes and lizards all over her house. There was reptile crap all over the carpet and it always stunk. 

[recurve shooter]

when we kill them i zip the skin off right there. takes all of like 3 minutes.

i always thought it would be really easy to find big copperheads and other snakes in south louisiana. now dont get me wrong, its easy to find a snake, not easy to find one over 2 foot long. 

[El Destructo]

not easy to find one over 2 foot long. 

Thats because everyone else has killed them all...We are having the same results here in the Texas Panhandle....tons of Prairie Rattlers....just no more 4-6 footers...all 2-3 foot long or smaller....all due to Environmental Encroachment....Roundups and Snake Hunters

NTD...as for snakes being like Cattle....ain't never seen a Heifer...or a Bull for that matter....eat the Neighbors Kid or Pet....... I have a Buddy...He moved away now...but i used to tend His Herd when He was away at Shows and other Exhibits....well I was on Night Shift ...stopped by to check on the Snakes....I knew exactly how many steps to go to reach for the Ceiling Fan Light Cord to turn on the Light....well I counted to 7...not11...when something chomped down on my Leg and tossed Me to the Floor like a Rag Doll....I reached down and started prying what turned out to be His 15 foot Tiger Retic Female....and I guess She was Hungry...well to make a long story short....I locked Her up good in her cage....and called Shawn and told Him that the Snakes were on their own...me and my Snake Fang wounded Leg were going Home and not comming back for seconds!!

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[NTD]

"NTD...as for snakes being like Cattle....ain't never seen a Heifer...or a Bull for that matter....eat the Neighbors Kid or Pet"

deaths caused by non-venomous snakes is so friggin minimal that it's quite hard for me to believe that people are crying for legislation.

http://www.rexano.org/Statistics/Constrictor_Captive_Snake_Fatality.pdf

Cattle may not eat their victims but they sure kill a whole hell of a lot more people.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5829a2.htm

Perspective people!!!

I didn't intend to veer so off topic.  Original point my snakes are not pets, I don't see a problem utilizing their skins when they die.  If you all don't like that you don't have to back your bows with my snakes.  I on the other hand look forward to having bows back with species that most people would never get ahold of.


Cheers,
Nate