WELCOME TO RIVER DAVES PLACE

Better than coffee for wake up!

h2o225

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2011
Messages
1,924
Reaction score
335
This litte guy got my shoe and pant cuff this morning. Thought I snagged cuff on railroad tie. Off with its head and tossed so some other critter can eat. Baby rattlesnake 10-12" long
20210923_083910.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Taboma

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2008
Messages
14,615
Reaction score
20,792
This litte guy got my shoe and pant cuff this morning. Thought I snagged cuff on railroad tie. Off with its head and tossed so some other critter can eat. Baby rattlesnake 10-12" long

That's the truth. :oops:
I don't think I'm ever awake as much as when I'm dealing with a rattler, with the ones who's rattle surprises me immediately quadrupling my heart rate. 🤯
Lucky you weren't wearing shorts and flip flops.
As an apprentice out at UCI early one morning I picked up a spent wire box and the coiled up rattler underneath grazed my knuckle, causing a groove in the callus, but not breaking through, just left it wet with venom. He died a shovel's death, I lived, although shook up for the first hour or so.

Nice Mohave Green recently on the road near our ranch, off my property, I let them go on their way. Near my home, only one of us survives.

Mohave Green Rattlesnake, ranch rd..JPG
 

VooDooChildZ28

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2021
Messages
231
Reaction score
484
Snakes kick ass they eat dumb ass rodents. On your property, I understand killing them. Family first
 

Taboma

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2008
Messages
14,615
Reaction score
20,792
Snakes kick ass they eat dumb ass rodents. On your property, I understand killing them. Family first

If I'm doing my job correctly, then when it comes to rodent food, those snakes will starve round my place. Even with the residential use grove, I'm pretty aggressive with rodent control, be it rats, mice or gophers and the ground squirrels (Pellet gun targets).

We do however treat the non-venomous varieties like royalty, and go so far as to rescue their dumb-asses from getting run over out in the road.

The trick is, you want less rattlers, quit feeding bird seed and feeders for the birds and that goes for any wildlife. Fewer food sources mean fewer rodents and far fewer snakes, including rattlers.

In 30 years here, I've happened across two rattlers either preparing to feed or having failed at it. One had bitten a lizard, and gone off to wait for the venom to work, I'd found the lizard so simply patiently waited for his return --- Surprise 🥳

In another case, the dumb-ass rattler, although a huge one, had attempted to swallow an entire bunny. However, having incorrectly accounting for the the size of the bunny's hips, Mr snake found himself in a bit of a quandary with 2/3rd of the bunny down his throat, but the ass-end and legs dangling from his lips.
Intrigued, I actually patiently waited while the snake spent a few hours using my stucco stone wall to dislodge and extract the bunny out backwards, before dispatching his ass.
As you can see, his appetite by far exceeded his ability to stretch his jaws, although I must admit, impressive for sure.

The Bunny.jpg
 

TPC

Wrenching Dad
Joined
Sep 20, 2007
Messages
30,445
Reaction score
22,549
Amazing to me how they blend in.
Rattlers are lazy. They’d rather bite than move.
 

DILLIGAF

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2008
Messages
17,109
Reaction score
24,039
That's the truth. :oops:
I don't think I'm ever awake as much as when I'm dealing with a rattler, with the ones who's rattle surprises me immediately quadrupling my heart rate. 🤯
Lucky you weren't wearing shorts and flip flops.
As an apprentice out at UCI early one morning I picked up a spent wire box and the coiled up rattler underneath grazed my knuckle, causing a groove in the callus, but not breaking through, just left it wet with venom. He died a shovel's death, I lived, although shook up for the first hour or so.

Nice Mohave Green recently on the road near our ranch, off my property, I let them go on their way. Near my home, only one of us survives.

View attachment 1052492

those Mohave Greens…YIKES!
 

Taboma

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2008
Messages
14,615
Reaction score
20,792
those Mohave Greens…YIKES!

Thankfully I've never had the occasion to test the validity of the reports, stories and lore surrounding this species.
I do not believe we have them here in coastal / inland San Diego. At least not in the 30 years at my house anyway. I've also never seen one at Havasu.
I've only seen two around our ranch area, both times on the road. Neighbors have reported encountering them, but rather rarely and they seem to respect the snake and give them a wide berth, as do I. 👍
I don't doubt the nasty double-whammy toxin data, but I'm not sure if their aggressive attitude is as bad-ass as written, or if they've just got a great publicist. 😁
 

nowski

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2013
Messages
6,954
Reaction score
9,258
And I thought, the best part of waking up is Folgers in my cup...
 

DILLIGAF

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2008
Messages
17,109
Reaction score
24,039
Thankfully I've never had the occasion to test the validity of the reports, stories and lore surrounding this species.
I do not believe we have them here in coastal / inland San Diego. At least not in the 30 years at my house anyway. I've also never seen one at Havasu.
I've only seen two around our ranch area, both times on the road. Neighbors have reported encountering them, but rather rarely and they seem to respect the snake and give them a wide berth, as do I. 👍
I don't doubt the nasty double-whammy toxin data, but I'm not sure if their aggressive attitude is as bad-ass as written, or if they've just got a great publicist. 😁

their reputation is earned. Back out in the Kingman hills (Golden Valley) there are tons of those nasty snakes. They are no joke
 

Taboma

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2008
Messages
14,615
Reaction score
20,792
their reputation is earned. Back out in the Kingman hills (Golden Valley) there are tons of those nasty snakes. They are no joke

I'm more than willing to take everybody's word on that. 👍
 
Top