WATCH YOUR STEP! Timber Rattler

[Kray Gelder]

My lense was less than 3 feet from this guy. I was moving real slow, ready to move fast! When I moved on, he was still in this pose.

 

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[Carolina Tom]

When I was a young man we knew them as Canebrake rattlers. Awesome animal, part of the natural order. Nice photo.

I believe you will receive a lot of different opinions on this post.

Good luck sir.

 

[randywa]

It made me pee a little and the really loud voice in my head keeps yelling snake.

 

[worldtalker]

Nice looking female.

GOD Bless

Chris

 

[Kray Gelder]

When I was a young man we knew them as Canebrake rattlers. Awesome animal, part of the natural order. Nice photo.

I believe you will receive a lot of different opinions on this post.

Good luck sir.

Yeah Tom, These animals will flat put the hurt to you if you step on them, or molest them, but serve a valuable purpose. He kept his eye on me, but only buzzed a couple times, to let me know "close enough"! I left him unmolested, and thanked him for the pic. This may sound odd, but when an animal lets me get a good photo, I always say "thanks".

 

[Kray Gelder]

Nice looking female.

GOD Bless

Chris

All right my friend, educate me. How can you tell this is a female? Thanks.

 

[tamrock]

I've seen rattlesnakes in Arizona and once on a highway early in the morning in Wyoming there were many rattlesnakes warming up I presume on the black top? I did what I could not to run over any, as there were so many. Long ago I was pheasant hunting in Iowa and walked along a creek and came by two fellas wearing stove pipes on their lower legs. They said they were out hunting for timber rattlers. I said really, you can find those in Iowa? I looked into it and indeed rattlesnakes can be found in Iowa. Some fella here in Golden, Colorado died recently from a rattlesnake bite. http://www.denverpost.com/2017/10/07/hiker-dies-after-being-bitten-rattlesnake-jefferson-county/

 

[tamrock]

Yeah Tom, These animals will flat put the hurt to you if you step on them, or molest them, but serve a valuable purpose. He kept his eye on me, but only buzzed a couple times, to let me know "close enough"! I left him unmolested, and thanked him for the pic. This may sound odd, but when an animal lets me get a good photo, I always say "thanks".

I do too and dang you when they fly or run away.

 

[RTR]

All right my friend, educate me. How can you tell this is a female? Thanks.

She's got 'that look'...you know..."THAT look" LOL

 

[worldtalker]

All right my friend, educate me. How can you tell this is a female? Thanks.

Males are black.

 

[smokeythecat]

Yes, that look. I was in Nevada walking through the desert to look at a rock formation. 200' from the car. Wide open. And a park, so the place is patrolled, reasonably "safe". There was a geometric pattern right in front of me in the sand and that inner voice yelled "STOP". Three feet and a step and a half away was a big for his species sidewinder, all coiled up. He was hunting bugs or lizards. He was mostly buried in the sand, like a little land mine. He jumped. I scared him real good. I stepped back two steps, now he's all of 18" long but quite fat, so I leaned over him and took a nice picture. Took two steps back and left and I hope he caught lunch. I got a great photo of "squiggly". Have it here somewhere.

 

[nmth]

Out my way, Westerns are the biggest "jerks". They are often large and will sometimes mad-dog you, on the verge of chasing you down. I've had them go full loco when I'm not even hiking their direction, just passing by.

The Blacktails, Banded Rocks, and Massasaguas (sp?) have been very docile and forgiving.

Recently, I ran across one in mixed timber, grass, and cactus (typical NM sub-alpine transition zone) and it was very aggressive. It came up into a full upright coil. I wanted to see how long I would have to wait were it closer and I had nowhere to go. After about 8 minutes, it finally relaxed a tiny bit. About 5 minutes later, it just collapsed down into its full length and started to slither away in one fluid motion. I could tell it was scared too, as it's face hit a seed stalk as it was moving away and it sort of twitched and involuntarily rattled a little bit.

Another time, a big Mojave was very patient with me. It kept rattling just once at a time. I could not find it in and among the rock jumble I was in, and was second-guessing that it was just grass/husks/seeds. I got the impression that I had better find it, or else. I eventually climbed up and looked back at where I had been, head down metal detecting - it was in a pocket of rocks not far from my head, and it was HUGE. I thought Mojaves were not supposed to be big, but this one was huge. My lucky day...

If it's ever you or the snake, choose YOU. I have not had to do that yet, thankfully.

Oh, and I find that kicking rocks, knocking a stick around, etc. help them get out of your way. Though, one time I wondered what that funny thing on the end of my metal detector was and why it was making a wierd noise.

Oh yeah, and be extra careful if you are hard of hearing. A buddy of mine danced a jig trying to get away when I yelled "snake", but he could not hear or see it. He was basically throwing a Tarantular fit and backing right toward the thing, which was in turn buzzing and backing away as fast as it could. I can only imagine that the snake was very confused, yelling with all it's might (in snake) "I'll do it, man! Don't test me! Seriously, I'll do it!" and thinking to itself "What's wrong with this guy!?"

 

[Kray Gelder]

Males are black.

Thanks. Did not know that. Just felt that new wrinkle form in my brain!

 

[Kray Gelder]

Out my way, Westerns are the biggest "jerks". They are often large and will sometimes mad-dog you, on the verge of chasing you down. I've had them go full loco when I'm not even hiking their direction, just passing by.

The Blacktails, Banded Rocks, and Massasaguas (sp?) have been very docile and forgiving.

Recently, I ran across one in mixed timber, grass, and cactus (typical NM sub-alpine transition zone) and it was very aggressive. It came up into a full upright coil. I wanted to see how long I would have to wait were it closer and I had nowhere to go. After about 8 minutes, it finally relaxed a tiny bit. About 5 minutes later, it just collapsed down into its full length and started to slither away in one fluid motion. I could tell it was scared too, as it's face hit a seed stalk as it was moving away and it sort of twitched and involuntarily rattled a little bit.

Another time, a big Mojave was very patient with me. It kept rattling just once at a time. I could not find it in and among the rock jumble I was in, and was second-guessing that it was just grass/husks/seeds. I got the impression that I had better find it, or else. I eventually climbed up and looked back at where I had been, head down metal detecting - it was in a pocket of rocks not far from my head, and it was HUGE. I thought Mojaves were not supposed to be big, but this one was huge. My lucky day...

If it's ever you or the snake, choose YOU. I have not had to do that yet, thankfully.

Oh, and I find that kicking rocks, knocking a stick around, etc. help them get out of your way. Though, one time I wondered what that funny thing on the end of my metal detector was and why it was making a wierd noise.

Oh yeah, and be extra careful if you are hard of hearing. A buddy of mine danced a jig trying to get away when I yelled "snake", but he could not hear or see it. He was basically throwing a Tarantular fit and backing right toward the thing, which was in turn buzzing and backing away as fast as it could. I can only imagine that the snake was very confused, yelling with all it's might (in snake) "I'll do it, man! Don't test me! Seriously, I'll do it!" and thinking to itself "What's wrong with this guy!?"

HA. Thanks for sharing your snake stories. Back in the day, while hiking out east of San Diego, I actually had a reddish brown diamond back charge me from under a bush. A big one, close to 5 feet. As soon as I had spotted him, he came straight at me, full throttle. I have no idea why. When I realized he wasn't stopping, I held the sole of my boot up as a last ditch defense, and he struck it twice, real fast bam bam! It felt about as hard as when you clear your cleats with your bat. I thought what the?! He was still coming at me as I backed up, so I grabbed a stout stick lying near by, and clubbed him to death. In hindsight, I could have easily outrun it, but when you're a young guy, full of piss and vinegar, you don't run from a snake. I took it back to my apartment, and skinned him, and my buddies and I had fried snake and beer for dinner. Didn't taste like chicken. I'd say it tasted like fried snake. Ha Ha. I do regret the incident, but at the time it was high adventure.

 

[Kray Gelder]

I've seen rattlesnakes in Arizona and once on a highway early in the morning in Wyoming there were many rattlesnakes warming up I presume on the black top? I did what I could not to run over any, as there were so many. Long ago I was pheasant hunting in Iowa and walked along a creek and came by two fellas wearing stove pipes on their lower legs. They said they were out hunting for timber rattlers. I said really, you can find those in Iowa? I looked into it and indeed rattlesnakes can be found in Iowa. Some fella here in Golden, Colorado died recently from a rattlesnake bite. Hiker from Golden dies after being bitten by rattlesnake ? The Denver Post

Thanks for links and stories, Tamrock. Here in SC I have encountered a lot of copperheads, and would call them docile. Unbelievably, I have removed 5 copperheads from my back yard this year. Scoop them up with small rake, put them in a trash can, and take them for a ride to a new home far away. My wife took a pic with her phone of the last one. I think her hands were shaking a bit. She is terrified of snakes.

 

[worldtalker]

Thanks for links and stories, Tamrock. Here View attachment 1524259 in SC I have encountered a lot of copperheads, and would call them docile. Unbelievably, I have removed 5 copperheads from my back yard this year. Scoop them up with small rake, put them in a trash can, and take them for a ride to a new home far away. My wife took a pic with her phone of the last one. I think her hands were shaking a bit. She is terrified of snakes.

I kept one in an aquarium once.

 

[Kray Gelder]

I kept one in an aquarium once.

View attachment 1524265

I never had the desire to keep a snake, let alone a venomous one. Although, I was tempted to get one after my wife brought home a yapping Chihuahua mix pup, after stating in no uncertain terms that I did not want another dog, and did not want to live in a dog's house ever again. Aside from that, what did you feed it?

 

[WaterScoop]

Snakes creep me out. Hate them!


Nevertheless very nice photo.

 

[worldtalker]

I never had the desire to keep a snake, let alone a venomous one. Although, I was tempted to get one after my wife brought home a yapping Chihuahua mix pup, after stating in no uncertain terms that I did not want another dog, and did not want to live in a dog's house ever again. Aside from that, what did you feed it?

What ever baby bird I spied out.

 

[nmth]

HA. Thanks for sharing your snake stories. Back in the day, while hiking out east of San Diego, I actually had a reddish brown diamond back charge me from under a bush. A big one, close to 5 feet. As soon as I had spotted him, he came straight at me, full throttle. I have no idea why. When I realized he wasn't stopping, I held the sole of my boot up as a last ditch defense, and he struck it twice, real fast bam bam! It felt about as hard as when you clear your cleats with your bat. I thought what the?! He was still coming at me as I backed up, so I grabbed a stout stick lying near by, and clubbed him to death. In hindsight, I could have easily outrun it, but when you're a young guy, full of piss and vinegar, you don't run from a snake. I took it back to my apartment, and skinned him, and my buddies and I had fried snake and beer for dinner. Didn't taste like chicken. I'd say it tasted like fried snake. Ha Ha. I do regret the incident, but at the time it was high adventure.

Yeeeeikes!

Why the regret? A snake that aggressive could go after someone's child later on.

Being a human, I find myself siding with my own species. To do otherwise invites hypocracy and anarchy.

Good story. I do NOT want to top that one.