I’ve not a lot of experience with them, one time I was hiking along a Colorado River tributary through sagebrush. The one thing I’d note, they have really excellent camouflage, and seems adapted to match the local environment. I never actually saw it consciously, but my mind did, if that makes sense. Really weird, it just sort of popped into focus. Scared the bejeezus out of me, it was very large, and never moved or made a sound.
I did, however. Gave it a wide berth and continued on my way.
Yep, that’s it.
Or spray with your garden hose if in your yard.
Rattlesnakes are generally easy to avoid but dogs are suckers for that rattling noise.
Well, if I had no arms or legs and had to slither around on my stomach, I’d be in a pretty pissy mood all of the time. LOL
Is snek.
You’re welcome.
This is the Year of the Rat Snake at our place in Kentucky.
They are too pugnacious for my taste, tending to coil and lunge on the approach of largish mammals, before reluctantly giving ground, I much prefer Snakus Garterianus, which flees at the first opportunity.
Mrs. J. firmly believes that the only good snake is an ex-snake.
Beckdawrek, he was IN THE ROAD, he would have been run over, And it was my event, so my responsibility, and no danger noodles are getting run over on my watch, not even spicy bois.
Herps have been on the earth longer than we have. No danger of us running out.
But I get it. I don’t like to see wildlife hurt in any way.
But I would’ve just left the the scene and hoped he moved on.
Dad got his PhD in Herpetology and so when he went walking he’d always actively look for reptiles.
Some years ago he was walking a trail out at Sabino Canyon and, as is his habit, was looking down as he walked to keep an eye out for snakes, lizards, etc. He met some people going the other way who were stopped. One of them said “mister, didn’t you see that snake?!” He turned and saw he’d stepped over a rattlesnake. It never rattled once and was so well camoflaged he hadn’t seen it.
Mostly here I see Caliifornia king snakes. They’ll let you pick them up and move them.
The markings are similar but I’ve never seen one that fat.
Our pet garter snake’s name is Snakie! Actually all of them are named Snakie, Big Snakie, or Little Snakie. And there could be more than one of each, it’s hard to keep track since they’re free range.
OK, I’ll grant that those two didn’t give warning… but then, they didn’t attack, either. Presumably, they decided, based on whatever criteria snakes use for such decisions, that they weren’t under any threat, and that warning/attack wasn’t necessary.
Can I just say I love this term? and kudos for making sure he got out of the road, even though he didn’t appreciate your efforts. We have rat snakes that like to bask there and it’s so not a good idea.
I learned a tremendous amount about snakes when I was a kid. One of the most common ways to get bit by a rattlesnake is to step somewhere you can’t see. Like if you step over a log, where you can’t see the other side. If you make contact with a rattlesnake, it will strike you. What will save you is wearing snake boots. (Or not stepping where you can’t see.). Listening for rattles won’t help you.
You’re right that if you hear it, you should pay attention. But people get bit most often when making contact, and you don’t get a warning then.
Nope rope
Decades ago I took a canoe to the Hartstown Swamp. I was having a great time paddling and hiking, wearing my sandals and shorts. Then I realized that everyone I saw was wearing long pants and boots.
I’ve wondered about that since then. I didn’t stick around at all to inspect it. Technically I was on private ground, ranch land near a national park boundary. One thought I had was maybe it was a decoy or something like that put out by the landowner. I think this unlikely. This was early season in the spring, with warm days and cool nights, but maybe it was just torpid or whatever. You’re right, it’s my understanding most snakebite victims are usually, not always, doing something ill advised like sticking their hands and feet into places snakes like to hang out.
We came across a rattlesnake while on a hike in Colorado way back in the 1980s. A few other hikers were standing around the snake, who was rattling at them, discussing the best way to get it off the trail. Nobody had a hiking pole and in this part of Colorado there weren’t any trees with branches long enough to safely prod the snake with. We stood a farther distance away watching for a few minutes until my dad suggested they just leave the snake alone, give it a wide berth, and it would like slither away. Then we continued with our hike.
So that’s been my general policy when it comes to venomous snakes. If I see a king snake or a blue racer in my yard I might pick it up and move it, but if I see a snake in the wild I’ll just admire it and move on. There was one time I attempted to move a cottonmouth because it was lying coiled up next to a paved trail with a lot of people walking around with their small children and dogs. I grabbed a fallen branch that was long enough and gentle nudged the little guy, but I think he was dead. I couldn’t see any wounds, but the snake was unresponsive and I couldn’t actuall pick it up with the chosen stick and I sure wasn’t going to use my hands so I left it alone. He was big boy too, about as thick as my wrist but as he was curled up I couldn’t tell how long he was.
This article came across my news feed this morning.
I’d be inclined to think a den of garter snakes under the deck would be a good thing myself.