Mississippi Rattle Snake

[Oldtrader3]

Most snakes won't bother you if you leave them alone. I ate lunch once wth a coworker while I was working in Costa Rica, sitting on a log that had 2 Fer-de-Lance sunning them selves behind the log. They never moved despite being less than 2 feet from our butts.

 

[DrMike]

To be truthful Doc, rattlers are not aggressive unless you: 1. step on them, 2, try and pull them out of their dens, or 3. tease them. I've walked up to rattlers down here and they turn and go or coil and basically tell you "don't bother me". Now Water Moccasins get down right testy if you approach them and you best be fleet of foot. It seems like they wake up ornery.

Agreed on all points. We have no snakes this far north, and I'm not sorry about that.

 

[Guest]

I assisted on some snake research while in college (I was a wildlife management major helping some grad students out) and I even owned a big Burmese Python for a while. Constrictors and other non-venomous snakes are great. They're amazing to watch and they provide a good service of keeping the vermin in check. You all should especially like King Snakes, as they eat other snakes - including rattlers, copperheads, and moccasins.

What I can tell you from being in the field around a lot of snakes (capturing and measuring and releasing) is that coppers and rattlers are happy to mind their own business as long as you don't provoke them, either accidentally or purposefully. Even when captured, once they settle down a bit, they're not bad - as long as you realize you're holding a live wire, so to speak. But cottonmouths are a different breed altogether. They are the only snake I've ever seen that will go out of their way to come toward humans, with the express purpose of inflicting harm. They are highly territorial snakes, and for whatever reason, they have a surly attitude. My description to a friend went something like this: Cows look at you like you owe them $5. Dogs look at you like you're a god. Mocs look at you like they just caught you raping their sister, and they mean to settle with you hastily.

I've had several field experiences with coppers and canebrakes without any incident. My field experiences with mocs are a little different. I've never been hit, but it ain't from their lack of trying. I was walking transects taking a vegetation survey one afternoon in the spring with my lab partner. Big hunk of property, with about a 10' wide creek as the back property line. We got to the creek and turned to walk about 200yds down and backtrack across the property, and as I looked around a giant oak tree for a place to step, I saw a little water snake all balled up and muddy sitting in the crook of the roots on the far side. I eased around to get a better look and the thing slanted his head a little to get a look at me. That's when I saw the black and white eye-stripes and realized what it was. I still don't know how I got across that creek without getting the tops of my boots wet, but I did. The snake began to show its cotton mouth and act all irritated, but I think it must have been injured because it was having trouble moving fluidly. That may be all that saved me from getting hit. My partner Randy took the long way back up the creekbank and around the tree from about 25yds, keeping a careful watch. I got soaked getting back across the creek about 200yds downstream. That's the second scariest snake encounter I've ever had. Scariest was also a moc. We were out in a flood control structure (series of ditches and canals) looking for mocs at night. I know, that sounds crazy, but it was all in the name of research, of course. I was crossing a ditch about 5' wide, and was standing shin deep in the water, looking down the ditch, when a buddy of mine told me to freeze. I did, and his light illuminated the 3.5-4' moc literally swimming down the ditch between my knees. Still not sure why he didn't investigate me further, but there were a ton of us and he was focused on another guy a few yards down from me (who was hastily getting out of the ditch). After the snake's tail cleared my legs, I made a spectacular bound up and out of that ditch, as you can imagine.

I've seen the darn things come off shore and out to a boat and try to get in, or drop into a canoe or boat going under a limb. Very aggressive snakes. The good news is they're not as potent a venom as the big Eastern Diamondbacks. There are some "snake-handling" religious folks around the southeast (maybe other places, too) and it's interesting to note there are none of their churches down in the coastal plain area, which is the habitat of the big Eastern. Once you get up above there, in the piedmont, you get some of these churches around, and they handle canebrakes, coppers, and mocs, but never Easterns. Easterns are deadly, for sure.

 

[ajvigs]

Thats reason right there I want a Taurus Judge. 410 shot right in the things head would fix it quick...just looking at it makes me cringe

 

[Oldtrader3]

There is a species of diamondback rattlesnake in the central California coastal region (Satnta Maria area) that is called a Pacific Diamondback rattlesnake which is very aggressive. They have greenish skin with tan diamonds and grow to approximately 6 feet long. I ran over one with my landrover once and it started striking the tires. I got out to see what the problem was and the snake came after me. I have never had a diamondback persue me before or since but this one did aggressively and pretty quickly.

I even stepped on a 5 foot diamondback in the Columbia Breaks along the river on the Yakima Firing Range and had it strike my boots and then get tangled in the sage brush striking while I was shooting it from midair. My hunting buddy said that I jumped 4 feet straight up and came down shooting it with a Ruger Mark II. That snake was not even particularly aggressive while I was not standing on it.

I stepped on a small brush rattler hunting hogs in Texas once and it did not even strike but it was small and young. I have a pair of Gorky snake boots and wear them when ever I am in snake country.

 

[Al in SC]

Never heard of one being ANYWHERE NEAR that big. I killed a diamond back many years ago that was a tad under 6' and it was considered up close to mamimum size for them. My national guard unit killed 2 in eastern GA many years ago around 5' 8" and everyone said they were up near maximum size as well.

 

[BP736]

Man I hate snakes. Me and snakes don't get a long too well. The rule around my house is anything with no legs or more than 4 is on the "kill on sight list"!
BP

 

[SJB358]

Man I hate snakes. Me and snakes don't get a long too well. The rule around my house is anything with no legs or more than 4 is on the "kill on sight list"!
BP

Same here. Not a fan... We ran across some monster's on Camp Pendleton while out PT'ing.. Seen them big son of guns stretched across the roads and trails.. No thank you... I have used a few "safety" rounds on them..

 

[Oldtrader3]

The record eastern diamond back for Texas is 8 feet 2 inches long.

 

[big rifle man]

That doesn't surprise me charlie. My daughter used to live in Palm Coast, Florida and while visiting one of the local state parks they had a Diamondback go across a dirt road in front of them. The snake extended across both tire ruts so you can get an idea of how big they can get. Florida is going to make the Diamondback a protected species as everybody likes the skins and rattles and as a result their are fewer and fewer snakes (I'm sure much to a lot of peoples delight).

 

[Oldtrader3]

I have seen rattlers in Florida that were at least 7 feet long in the Tampa, Plant City area around Hillsborough State Park my wife saw one that was the size of a fire hose and at least 7 feet long. My ex was from there

 

[runtohunt]

There is a species of diamondback rattlesnake in the central California coastal region (Satnta Maria area) that is called a Pacific Diamondback rattlesnake which is very aggressive. They have greenish skin with tan diamonds and grow to approximately 6 feet long. I ran over one with my landrover once and it started striking the tires. I got out to see what the problem was and the snake came after me. I have never had a diamondback persue me before or since but this one did aggressively and pretty quickly.

I even stepped on a 5 foot diamondback in the Columbia Breaks along the river on the Yakima Firing Range and had it strike my boots and then get tangled in the sage brush striking while I was shooting it from midair. My hunting buddy said that I jumped 4 feet straight up and came down shooting it with a Ruger Mark II. That snake was not even particularly aggressive while I was not standing on it.

I stepped on a small brush rattler hunting hogs in Texas once and it did not even strike but it was small and young. I have a pair of Gorky snake boots and wear them when ever I am in snake country.

That wasn't a Pacific Diamondback! That was a Diamond-Fienstien!!! :evil: Very, Very dangerous. Known to lack any intelligence what-so-ever spewing her venom across the US. You were very lucky to have gotten away. I hate snakes. You should have run over the snake again!!

 

[DrMike]

[That wasn't a Pacific Diamondback! That was a Diamond-Fienstien!!! :evil: Very, Very dangerous. Known to lack any intelligence what-so-ever spewing her venom across the US. You were very lucky to have gotten away. I hate snakes. You should have run over the snake again!!

It is quite obvious that the mother of this particular breed has escaped and found her way to the east coast. :shock:

 

[Oldtrader3]

Actually, I shot this one with a Colt .45 in the head. She may have become the "brainless" rattlesnake known as Crotalidae Feinsteinia, spewing venom with fangs but no brain, having been blown out!

 

[DrMike]

Actually, I shot this one with a Colt .45 in the head. She may have become the "brainless" rattlesnake known as Crotalidae Feinsteinia, spewing venom with fangs but no brain, having been blown out!

Very good, Charlie. Next time you will have to take out some other part as a brainless Crotalidae Feinsteinia is dangerous beyond belief.

 

[Oldtrader3]

Will do, apparently she is more dangerous witout a brain than she is with one. Ole Bitch, harridan snake thinks she is special I guess. I'd shoot her in the heart but I don't think I could find it?

 

[CatskillCrawler]

I let any rattler live. They have always warned me of their presence for which I am thankful. It does concern me with my dogs but I have to go up the mountain to run into any Timber Rattlers and I keep a short leash when I go into rattler country. Copperheads, on the other hand, get shot on sight. Their bite is very painful and they seem to be more aggressive than the rattlers and give no or little warning.

When I lived further south in Cottonmouth territory they too earned the shoot on sight honor. Don't like them one bit. "Hi!" "Bang!"

I don't like snakes but I try to avoid shooting the harmless snakes as they are very beneficial for rodent control.

 

[DrMike]

I don't like snakes but I try to avoid shooting the harmless snakes as they are very beneficial for rodent control.

True, dat. I know they are more afraid of me than I am of them. Unfortunately, my feet have never gotten the message; they seem to have a mind of their own.

 

[bullet]

I don't like snakes but I try to avoid shooting the harmless snakes as they are very beneficial for rodent control.

True, dat. I know they are more afraid of me than I am of them. Unfortunately, my feet have never gotten the message; they seem to have a mind of their own.

That is funny Mike, I love it, "they seem to have a mind of their own." :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[CatskillCrawler]

I don't like snakes but I try to avoid shooting the harmless snakes as they are very beneficial for rodent control.

True, dat. I know they are more afraid of me than I am of them. Unfortunately, my feet have never gotten the message; they seem to have a mind of their own.

That is funny Mike, I love it, "they seem to have a mind of their own." :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Adrenaline fueled River Dancing ala St Patrick!