I fell chest first onto a huge rattler this morning! Over 5' Coontail Rattler

[BLK HOLE]

HOLY COW!!! Talk about guardian angels!!

 

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[Louie D]

Wow! All I can say is I hope you had a darn good reason to be out in the woods.

 

[dirtlooter]

A guy asked me if I was scared or what, I told him that I didn't have time to get scared, I was too busy trying to keep raised up high enough for it to get free of me. I have nearly stepped on snakes before, had them fall out of trees on me and watched my grandfather nearly sit on a cottonmouth but this was a first for me and hopefully a last. They have become kind of a rare thing to find in the woods and no telling how old it was and is. Just because I find a snake doesn't mean that it is a death sentence for them. I have been sitting on the ground turkey hunting and watched a three foot copperhead slowly crawl past me at less than two feet. Just part of nature. I do have to say that when I was a lot younger and hauling hay, it was never a good feeling to grab a bale and realize that you just grabbed a snake that was now part of the bale, especially at night.

 

[RTR]

Your one lucky dude...They say, large snakes protect Big Treasures

 

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

Can’t believe you pancaked it and came out unscathed. I run across snakes in my parts, they are harmless, but I still steer clear of them. Glad you are OK.

 

[smokeythecat]

God was watching over you for sure. I generally give a snake a stern talking to about "snake safety" when I see one outside. They tend to run from me.

 

[kingskid1611]

Poor little guy probably was wondering why that big animal was falling on him for no reason.... But seriously glad your ok. next time take me with you when tromping thru the woods.

 

[RGINN]

My goodness, dirtlooter. Glad you're ok. And I hadn't heard them called coon tail rattler in a loooong time, not since I lived in SE OK.

 

[Kantuckkeean]

You definitely lucked out there. Geez. Like an Indiana Jones movie! That's a beautiful snake. I'm glad you didn't kill it.

Not sure if this is true or not, but I was talking with someone working for a state fish and wildlife department many years ago (I think it was in KY or PA). He was saying that because people were killing rattlesnakes that would make themselves known by rattling, humans were not only reducing population sizes, but also likely causing the population to become less loud... that is, that the rattlesnakes that didn't rattle were more likely to live and reproduce, so future generations of rattlesnakes would likely be less likely to rattle as frequently. It was probably just speculation but I found it interesting and the hypothesis makes sense.

Kindest regards,
Kantuck

 

[smokeythecat]

It is a pretty snake. Anyone know the proper name for them?

 

[Kantuckkeean]

It is a pretty snake. Anyone know the proper name for them?

To me, it looks like a timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus), rather than a western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox), which is sometimes referred to as a coontail, because of the striped tail. Timber rattlesnakes usually have a solid, dark tail.

Kindest regards,
Kantuck

 

[Zarpman]

I was changing the blades on my riding mower under a tree for shade and the wind picked up. This black racer fell on my neck and looked me square in the eye. I jumped up and I am still running around the yard. Zarpman

 

[dirtlooter]

To me, it looks like a timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus), rather than a western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox), which is sometimes referred to as a coontail, because of the striped tail. Timber rattlesnakes usually have a solid, dark tail.

Kindest regards,
Kantuck

ah but it did have that dark tail, kind of a dark bluish black tail, maybe ten inches or so was. Never have seen anything but Timber Rattlers and various pygmy rattlers in these mountains. it was a beautiful snake, the colors very very vivid as if it had recently shed. The fact that it had been so chilly that morning was why it was so sluggish and slow. They serve an important purpose in nature and this one could easily eaten a full grown rabbit, squirrel or wood rat. We have more than enough of the rats, we tend to call them pack rats around here. I still can't believe that I fell on one, especially that big. That head looked so sinister, really demanded instant respect, it got mine as I stared at those eyes and the very large poison sac filled cheeks. Didn't want to see how large those fangs were. kind of like being in a fox hole and having a dud shell land in it with you, you know that you were just blessed big time.

 

[pulltabfelix]

Very scary thing to happen. Probably scared the snake also! Had you got bitten in the neck it probably would have been over for you. Glad you are safe!

 

[A2coins]

You were blessed

 

[A2coins]

Would have made a nice wallet lol

 

[Bum Luck]

And supper. They're very good.