Snakes Are A Crawling

[logueb]

Yesterday as the wife and I were eating supper, Harley (the black lab) was barking in the back yard. He had something in the grass at bay. I could see from the sliding glasss doors of the dining room, the brown ball shaped object that he was attempting to pounce on. You got it, a snake, a rattlesnake, coiled and ready to strike, which he did a couple of times before I could get Harley onto the deck. That dog can really move, and so could the snake. It would have made a nice pic, but not worth the risk of Harley being bit. And that was what was about to happen. The fenced in back yard is Harley's domain, and he's very protective of this area when it comes to other animals. He will carry around his "trophies" until I take them and bury them in the animal cemetery behind the pond. A rattlesnake in the striking position.

 

[logueb]

I've never photographed a rattlesnake coiled and ready to strike. Here I approach to get a closeup and the snake focuses his attention on me. It has its tail up with its head directly behind the rattles.

 

[capsoda]

Hey Buster, The rattles in front of the head is the a warning. Whe the rattles start to slide to the side like the first pic then the strick is emminent. Cool shots.

 

[OsiaBoyce]

Buster how big was that snake? Looks pertty small. I've seen the Canebreaks here and the one Doug posted looked like a Timber I don't know. Ya ever seen an Eastern Diamondback? I haven't I don't think they come this far from the coast and thats what 90 miles the way the crow flys. What all this boils down to is,is that a Pygmie Rattler? I've only caught one and that was about three years ago,didn't have a bucket so I had to through him in the back and by the time I got home he was gone. One of my smarter moves was when I again didn't have a bucket,but I did have a glass gallon milk bottle. That was a job getting him in that and a fun trip home. Rattlers are selling any where from 75-150 ft. now as we were getting 50 a pop 25 year ago. Sell them for anti-venom. If I get brave I'll show you how we can milk them. One last note,what do 90% of people who are bitten in the U.S. have in common? If you guessed they were drunk you are Absolutey right.

 

[OsiaBoyce]

I caught this one in my grapevines the other day,the best place to find these is at night in a brair patch,and you got to be fast to grab them.

 

[OsiaBoyce]

Must have been a male it was pretty small I didn't check.

 

[OsiaBoyce]

And of course I let it go closer to the house,I like to see the in the flower beds

 

[logueb]

Thanks for the info Cap, The first shot was after he had made a couple of strikes at Harley, the second was when I approached. So that was my warning, see my rattles, don't come any closer.

Yea Pat, Wasn't that large of a snake , but just as dangerous. My brother and I used to play with those garter snakes, freaked Mom out, especially when you pulled him out of your pocket.

 

[CALDIGR2]

I have also handled venomous snakes and seldom pay any attention to rattlers, unless they are in the yard. Those trespassers are usually stuffed in a pillow case for a quick ride to the other side of the river. The snakes do a nice job of helping to rid the ranch of young ground squirrels, rats and mice. It does no good to arbitrarily kill them out of fear and loathing.

 

[capsoda]

Went to dig out some druggest bottles in my shop and found this little fella hidin in the corner. Got a shovel and flicked him out the door on the back skirt and he decided he was commin back in. I flicked him put again and he charged and struck at the ole carbon fiber leg so I wacked him a goodun. I try not to kill them when ever possable but copperheads are perticularly nasty little critters. They come up on the hill during mating season and are plentiful around here right now.