DANGER, Will Robinson

[Jogeephus]

Hit the woods early this morning cause it was cool. Saw a few box turtles crawling around so I expected I'd better watch my step cause the snakes would be crawling. Didn't see any but I did get warned after I placed my foot within a foot of one.

See if you can see her. I sure didn't see her even after she warned me it took a few seconds for her to materialize out of the forest duff. (Hint, her head is left of the pine cone and right of the stick)

Here's one of her in the prone position. She has drawn the line with her tail and is letting me know she means business.

Here is one more shot to give you a little better perspective. I figure she is somewhere between 4 and 5 foot long.

And no, didn't kill her. She warned me and could have bit me but she didn't. I think she knew that had she bit me, she would merely been a stain on the forest floor resembling somewhat the stain in my britches.

I never kill the ones that warn you. Its my belief, this trait is being lost and should be promoted. Years ago, rattlesnakes around here would warn you when you got with about 6 feet of them. Now, its rare for one to even warn you - they either strike or play possum.

 

[DavisBeefmasters]

Yikes... I didn't see her in the first picture until I read your description of where to look,

I read somewhere that they can never keep more than 7-8 buttons... so it's hard to tell when you get one that's been around for awhile...

...the most we've ever seen was on a 4' one last year (no warning) and it was just 7 buttons.

 

[hillsdown]

Thank goodness the only ones I have seen have been from a vehicle or the zoo.That's one good thing where I live the winters are long an cold but no snakes. ;-) I think if I lived where those critters are I would never leave my house. :shock:

 

[Gate Opener]

It took me forever to find her even with you telling me where she was. I haven't heard the thing about the box turtles. I will remember that. What is the thinking behind that? Can you educate me on the Will Robinson thing also?

 

[warpaint]

It took me forever to find her even with you telling me where she was. I haven't heard the thing about the box turtles. I will remember that. What is the thinking behind that? Can you educate me on the Will Robinson thing also?

Can't help ya with the box turtle thing, but the Will Robinson family was "Lost in Space" with their trusty sidekick robot and the evil Dr. Smith. Along with their pilot Major West,(who had a thang for Julie Robinson) they were stuck on an alien planet with all kinds of weirdo alien beins. ;-)

 

[Jogeephus]

It took me forever to find her even with you telling me where she was. I haven't heard the thing about the box turtles. I will remember that. What is the thinking behind that? Can you educate me on the Will Robinson thing also?

Warpaint is right. Robot always warned the boy by saying that line. Always thought it was funny and kinda stuck in my head.

The thing with the box turtles is something I learned when we dipped turpentine. Some of the old timers would point out a turtle and warn you the snakes were crawling and they would be right. If you think about it, its pretty simple. If the conditions are nice enough for a turtle to roam it is also nice enough for a snake since they are both cold blooded. In the heat of the day, snakes and turtles find a place to cool off. Being a woods rat, I spend a good bit of time in the woods and the rule is pretty much on the money.

 

[MikeC]

Jo Gee, can't believe you didn't kill her.

I don't trust females period.

Specially ones without hips. :P

 

[Mahoney Pursley Ranch]

Your a gambler JoGee.The more of those things you let live the greater the chance one of them is gonna get you one of these days. I hope not.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Every rattlesnake I see is endangered. I hate Timber rattlers!!!

 

[Jogeephus]

Your a gambler JoGee.The more of those things you let live the greater the chance one of them is gonna get you one of these days. I hope not.

I've been bitten several times but only been partially venomated twice. I really don't care much for them but I'll take them any day over yellowjackets. What impressed me about this girl was she let me know she was there and didn't strike me.(she scored major points for this) I can't stand it when they just come out of nowhere and hit you. When this happens, I usually make mud out of em but have also been guilty of painting them blue. ;-) :lol:

After 25 years of working in the woods, you'd think I'd get used to them but I don't think I ever will. (Oh, if you folks in Texas heard a woman scream this morning about 7:30, no cause for alarm, it was just me. :oops: :lol: )

 

[Caustic Burno]

Your a gambler JoGee.The more of those things you let live the greater the chance one of them is gonna get you one of these days. I hope not.

I've been bitten several times but only been partially venomated twice. I really don't care much for them but I'll take them any day over yellowjackets. What impressed me about this girl was she let me know she was there and didn't strike me.(she scored major points for this) I can't stand it when they just come out of nowhere and hit you. When this happens, I usually make mud out of em but have also been guilty of painting them blue. ;-) :lol:

After 25 years of working in the woods, you'd think I'd get used to them but I don't think I ever will. (Oh, if you folks in Texas heard a woman scream this morning about 7:30, no cause for alarm, it was just me. :oops: :lol: )

I have seen two people hit by timberrattlers and both nearly died, I thought ones leg was going to rot off before they got the boy turned around. His leg still looks funny. The second guy passed out within about five minutes and was peeing and crapping on himself. He nearly died from shock. I have also lost three good squirrel dogs to the demons. I have tried to find a source of Blue Indigos to turn loose to eat the ones I don't kill.

 

[Jogeephus]

CB, a fella here got bit last week and he almost didn't make it. A guy I used to work with lost his leg and another died of a heart attack on the way to the hospital.

Thankfully, I've been lucky in that the worst bites I have had have been more reactionary bites and are considered dry. That's not to say there is no poison cause there is some. However, if one is miffed and fills his glands up, and pumps you, you got about 20 minutes before you will be doing cartwheels in the cab of your truck and then your heart will shut down.

The worst bite I had was on the leg. The puncture site on my calf rotted for 3 months and it took another 3 months to heal over. It was a mess. This bite was considered a dry bite with very little venom.

 

[I luv herfrds]

Was in Wyoming with my Dad years ago. Found a rattler on the highway. He wanted to get the rattles for me and tried to run over the head and missed he got the tail. He got out of the truck with a tire iron and danged if that snake didn't start chasing HIM up the highway. Another guy stopped with a pry bar and they dispatched the snake.

Was out with my husband when we first got married and were in an area looking around and a snake buzzed right next to me. Husband said he never knew a person could do a 6' jump to the side from a standing position.
You never see the snake unless you are scared of them the saying goes. It must be true for me and a neighbor.
I was rounding up our bulls on my horse one day and a friend with me asked if I had seen those rattle snakes we went past. I never saw them and neither did my horse, thank goodness or we would have had a rodeo for sure.
Last year a neighbors bull got in with our cows and he was trying to get him out with a 4-wheeler and we kept seeing him suddenly keep jerking to one side in this one area. It was a 5' rattle snake. We were on foot fixing the fence and never heard nor saw it.

 

[GMN]

I heard on a PBS show once that rattle snakes through breeding are not rattling anymore, a new survival instinct, so no one can catch them to kill them. Don't know if this is true or not.

GMN

 

[Jogeephus]

I heard on a PBS show once that rattle snakes through breeding are not rattling anymore, a new survival instinct, so no one can catch them to kill them. Don't know if this is true or not.

GMN

I'd love to watch that show. A few guys I work with have had this idea for some time. Seems we have all noticed they have quit rattling about 15 years ago. That's what impressed me so much about this one.

Thanks, I think I'll do some surfing on the subject. :idea:

 

[Ryder]

An anthropomorphic characterization of a snake is the stuff of animal rights and PETA people.

Any REAL redneck would have killed that snake :!:
'nuff said.

 

[Jogeephus]

An anthropomorphic characterization of a snake is the stuff of animal rights and PETA people.

Any REAL redneck would have killed that snake :!:
'nuff said.

Good God Ryder, I didn't name her or even try to pet her, I just spared he life cause she didn't strike me. :lol: Last spring, one struck me and I painted it blue and all sorts of people got on me about that.

As for PETA, well if you're referring to People Eating Tasty Animals - I'm a charter member. ;-)

 

[GMN]

An anthropomorphic characterization of a snake is the stuff of animal rights and PETA people.

Any REAL redneck would have killed that snake :!:
'nuff said.

Good God Ryder, I didn't name her or even try to pet her, I just spared he life cause she didn't strike me. :lol: Last spring, one struck me and I painted it blue and all sorts of people got on me about that.

As for PETA, well if you're referring to People Eating Tasty Animals - I'm a charter member. ;-)

You got to understand Ryder is deathly afraid of snakes and hates them!

Don't worry you did the right thing, plenty of room in this world for creatures and humans alike.

GMN

 

[Jogeephus]

I'm scared of em too. When I get around em, it seems I can levitate better than that David Blaine. Gravity just don't effect me if you know what I mean.

 

[I luv herfrds]

Sounds like a friend of mine. She can leap on a fence post and balance there if she sees a snake. It doesn't matter if the post is wood or metal. :lol:
No I do not chase her with fake snakes.
Don't feel bad about not killing her. I watched a couple of rattlers mate a couple years ago out in our pasture. Didn't even have the .22 with me, just sat there and watched them and wished I had brought the video camera. Pretty neat to watch.