Rattlesnake Encounter, Almost got bit !

Very nice looking snake! love the rattlers, as long as they're not biting me...I grew up in Australia so seen and had close encounters with all sorts, worst was hiking and a Taipan started just going at us (highly venomous, and we were a long way from the car) which shaved at least 5 years off my life! :D

Dont mind seeing the odd snake, as long as we have a little distance going.
 
Beautiful Snake! Wow. Great picture too.

ALWAYS have to keep your eyes sharp and your ears tuned around the foothills and mountains around here. I stepped right over this little fellow and did not see him at all.... I don't think he saw me coming either. Needless to say he was pissed and I was a bit shocked. Had to be within 8" of him when I stepped over.

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Something is hanging out of the brush. :D

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Myself and another hiker accidentally walked within inches of this one during a 5 mile night hike to camp. My uncle being 3rd in line seen it. Our rattlers stay still until they know the gig is up so yea get little warning but not an aggressive animal either. It could have hit both of us but did nothing

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vaj1111 said:
[video=youtube;qFPnF_hRnTE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFPnF_hRnTE[/video]
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This is an awesome video. Just out of curiosity, what camera did you use to take it? Also, what resolution/framerate did you use?
 
Beautiful snake! Glad you had a good experience with it.

I've seen a few timber rattlers up in the mountains, but they are very shy and tend to move away unless cornered. I was on a dove hunt in S. GA a couple of years ago and a hunter lost his prized bird dog to a Rattler, when it went into a wooded area to retrieve a downed bird. The dog was dead in a matter of minutes
 
good stuff. i love snakes although i have yet to see any venomous ones here though. gotta keep looking i guess.
 
Pilot1 said:
They sun themselves on the walking trail behind my house when I used to live in Colorado. You always had to be wary you don't step on one. A walking staff can be helpfull. :)

In PA they typically hide in the tall grass, and that's when they can get you or your dog. Good, high boots are recommended.
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As an aside, can a typical medium-sized dog--say 45 lbs to 70 lbs--live through a rattlesnake bite where he was injected with venom without some sort of medical intervention or is medical intervention or death the more typical result? I'm just wondering because it's not like a human where the dog is going to tell you that he was just bitten by a rattlesnake. Depending on the location and severity of he bite, I can imagine that some time might pass before you start to see the signs that a bite has occurred.
 
Funny how I just posted that I hadn't been rattled at in a long time. Yesterday afternoon I was out for a hike and playing with a new knife. My mind was wandering and all of a sudden came that very recognizable buzz from the bush at my foot. I jumped several feet off the trail! Used my hiking stick to try and look under the bush, didn't see the snake but he rattled at me again. I waited a few minutes and still couldn't see him. Needless to say I was much more careful for the rest of the hike!
 
on_the_edge said:
As an aside, can a typical medium-sized dog--say 45 lbs to 70 lbs--live through a rattlesnake bite where he was injected with venom without some sort of medical intervention or is medical intervention or death the more typical result? I'm just wondering because it's not like a human where the dog is going to tell you that he was just bitten by a rattlesnake. Depending on the location and severity of he bite, I can imagine that some time might pass before you start to see the signs that a bite has occurred.
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You will notice pretty quickly, dogs in particular will focus on a wound or injury and alert you to the region but depending on the snake they may become weakened before doing this (some venoms hit hard and fast)...that said I have a friend whose cat and dog both survived snake bites, the cat they believe was bitten over 12 hours before hand and they only noticed because he was really lethargic, off food/water and had necrosis around the bite which was in the pit of his forearm.

Animals can survive a snake bite, i'd give it a 50/50 chance and it depends on the snake...some breeds when threatened will only deliver a warning shot of venom.
 
vaj, great pics and video. That video had me on the edge of my seat - that bugger was getting ready to launch! What type rattlesnake was that? Mojave or Western?

woods, what type was yours? It looks like an Eastern, very dark and very big!

Thanks,
 
Albin said:
vaj, great pics and video. That video had me on the edge of my seat - that bugger was getting ready to launch! What type rattlesnake was that? Mojave or Western?

woods, what type was yours? It looks like an Eastern, very dark and very big!

Thanks,
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I am no expert on snakes but the OP's looks like a Mojave but as stated I could be wrong. All of the rattlers shown are Timbers some of which seem to grow rather large in my AO. I think it’s a combo of their protected status, good localized habitat with a big population of rodents and water. Gravid females like to sun themselves on rocks so betting that was the story. The other snake was just hanging out early in the evening looking for a good time. I never knew they can rattle on the move.

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The deadly New England Black Mamba. :D

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Nice pic of a Red Diamond rattlesnake. They are not only attractive but can grow to about 5 ft. in length, although 3-4 ft. is more common. My experience with them is that they are usually mild mannered, especially compared to the Western Diamondbacks we had around Tucson.
 
Nice picture and video. We have a ton of snakes down here in Dixie. I think we have somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 plus different species, 5 or 6 of which are venomous (most being pitvipers except the Coral Snake :eek:) I've seen some freaking MONSTER Diamondbacks around here, some pushing 7 and 8 feet long.
 
on_the_edge said:
As an aside, can a typical medium-sized dog--say 45 lbs to 70 lbs--live through a rattlesnake bite where he was injected with venom without some sort of medical intervention or is medical intervention or death the more typical result? I'm just wondering because it's not like a human where the dog is going to tell you that he was just bitten by a rattlesnake. Depending on the location and severity of he bite, I can imagine that some time might pass before you start to see the signs that a bite has occurred.
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Dogs seem to handle rattlesnake bites pretty well in my experience. They usually get bit on the muzzle because they're always nosing around. Its pretty obvious when they get bit because the swelling comes on fast. The type of rattlesnake can make a difference-a mojave rattlesnake from SE Arizona can be very serious. The toxicity is high. I looked into the canine vaccines made by Red Rock Biologics a few years ago. They are are not effective. On the directions they advise that an envenomated dog should be taken to a 'vet for antiserum. If they worked, you wouldn't have to spend a $1,000.00/vial for antiserum. The money might be better spent on snake aversion training. Theres a guy in Oracle, AZ. who puts on training.
 
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Looks like a Red Diamond Rattler (Crotalus ruber) and a great shot on one at that. I've shot Rattler photos all over and that Red is still one of the coolest looking rattlers around. Nice job sir. Here are a couple from my part of the country
Mottled Rock Rattlesnake:
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Northern Black Tailed Rattlesnake:
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Our good old Western Diamondback:
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and a BEAST of a Diamondback at around 6+feet and as big around as my leg!
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and a sidewinder from Arizona....
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Sorry, I just like this subject...:)
Jason
 
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