Close Encounters of the Rattlesnake Kind

[P. A. Schilke]

Our day started as usual for being retired... Up, cup of coffee, argue with the computer to check emails etc and plan on the time we should go on our 2.0 mile walk to keep our tired old bodies moving. So normal until we made our way to our pathway where things changed big time. There was a very loud buzzing rattle as Margie, in the lead headed toward our backyard stair case. I recognized this as a rattlesnake rattle and told Margie to RUN!...she turned toward me and moved a bit just as the rattlesnake launched a strike, which missed Margie's left leg by less than an inch... The snake recoiled but Margie was about 3 ft away by that time. Whew! I still have the picture in my mind of the open mouth with fangs showing that barely missed my wife's leg. To say the least, Margie is still very rattled...

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[AzScorpion]

Glad to hear she (or you) weren't bitten! They're coming up from underground now and we'll have to be more vigilant now walking and doing things around the yard. Curious, what'll happen if Tito comes up to one? Or has he in the past? I'm sure he can just tuck his head away and play dead. lol

Last summer when we were here looking at houses we were walking (coincidentally in our neighborhood) on the sidewalk at dusk I heard this faint hissing sound. It sounded like when an irrigation system starts and the air comes out but I quickly realized it was a rattler about a foot away from me. I pushed Annie off the sidewalk and jumped off myself and it got louder and louder and his tail was straight up and coiled like yours. That's a sound you'll never forget! Darn thing blent into the rocks so good I never saw him but now when we're out we're much more aware of what's around. I also put the Santa Rite Fire Dept number at the top of my favorites. The joys of living on the edge of the desert.

 

[TJC]

The joys of living on the edge of the desert.

Rattle snakes are everywhere. Those out west are smaller but just as deadly (maybe more so).

We have numerous poisonous snakes in South Fl, and several here in central NC.

I put up an engineered retaining wall around 2 sides of my garage, and a long one terracing my yard. The copperheads love them. Those boys are ill tempered. Almost stepped on one laying under some leaves up again the retaining wall. He was full grown, coiled, and ready to strike. Only about 24"-30" long but thick.

I cut his head off with a shovel, and 20 minutes later he was still very much alive, showing his fangs, mouth wide open when I'd walk by..

I've even seen them (rattlers) hiking up mountains in North and South Carolina, and on the barrier islands of north Florida (in salt water swimming to the island shore!).

I personally hate snakes.

 

[NotBudule2]

Where the hell was Tito ? I would imagine him out in front on the morning walks, or at least not too far behind...

 

[NotBudule2]

We have idiots here that actually incorporate them in "Church" , they get bit and sometimes die ... the idiots, not the snakes...

 

[RedlandRanger]

Rattle snakes are everywhere. Those out west are smaller but just as deadly (maybe more so).

Rattlesnakes are ALMOST everywhere, but here in the valley in Oregon we don't have any - I guess it must be too wet for them or something. You have to get to the drier areas of Oregon to see Rattlesnakes. In general, snakes don't really bother me too much - they usually startle me, as I'll be walking along and all of a sudden they quickly slither away.

I've read that most (not all) rattlesnake bites are due to people actually messing with them when the rattler is "rattling" - that is their warning to stay away - go figure....

Phil, glad everyone survived that encounter without any damage.

 

[AzScorpion]

Where the hell was Tito ? I would imagine him out in front on the morning walks, or at least not too far behind...

Tito took one look at the Rattler and high tailed it outta there!

 

[TJC]

Rattlesnakes are ALMOST everywhere, but here in the valley in Oregon we don't have any - I guess it must be too wet for them or something. You have to get to the drier areas of Oregon to see Rattlesnakes. In general, snakes don't really bother me too much - they usually startle me, as I'll be walking along and all of a sudden they quickly slither away.

I've read that most (not all) rattlesnake bites are due to people actually messing with them when the rattler is "rattling" - that is their warning to stay away - go figure....

Phil, glad everyone survived that encounter without any damage.

Yep, it is usually the 2nd person in a hiking line that gets bit.

 

[21rangerCactus]

Down here in the Orleans area both of our mtb trails are in swampy areas and surrounded by canals. I've come up on a few Water Moccasins throughout the years, riding the smaller trail that get as much traffic.

I had one coil up and jump at me. I knew it was going to miss but my fear was that it would get caught up my back wheel. Then make it's way up to me.

Many of them were small but a few of them were pretty huge.

 

[NotBudule2]

Usually , every other round is snake/bird shot for just such an occasion...

 

[TJC]

Down here in the Orleans area both of our mtb trails are in swampy areas and surrounded by canals. I've come up on a few Water Moccasins throughout the years, riding the smaller trail that get as much traffic.

I had one coil up and jump at me. I knew it was going to miss but my fear was that it would get caught up my back wheel. Then make it's way up to me.

Many of them were small but a few of them were pretty huge.

As a kid living 3 miles from Everglades Nat'l Park, we'd go fishing in the canals that drained the swamp.

I had caught a bass, and was reeling him in when a Cottonmouth began trailing the fish... right out of the water and up near me. I began to retreat and run, somewhere along the way I threw down the rod and reel. I don't know when or if the bass unhooked himself, but 15 minutes later when I came back with my Dad the pole was on the ground where I left it, and both the snake and the bass were gone. I HATE SNAKES!

They were everywhere down there... coral snakes, copperheads, several kinds of rattlers, and cotton mouths.

The rest were largely harmless, although I hear from friends that the pythons are now an Alpha predator in the Everglades.

They got loose when an exotic breeding pet store was destroyed by Andrew in 1992, letting loose hundreds of pythons.

During the monsoon season they came out of the woodwork!

 

[Dgc333]

There are only two kinds of snakes I don't like, they would be live ones and dead ones.

Anyway, a number of years ago I was working at an engineering test lab in Santa Clarita, CA, on the first day there as I pulled into the parking lot there was a sign stating to watch out for rattlesnakes in the parking lot. I asked the receptionist at the entrance if that was real and she told me they rangle about 5 per week off the parking lot. They like to rest in the shade under cars and a number of people had been bitten. Needless to say I was a little spooked every time I returned to my car.

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

Wow Phil - what a close and frightening call for sure. I’m glad no one was hurt.

Whenever I was out in the different mountain biking areas in PHX, I would notice the warning signs at the trailheads in the parks. Every twisted stick beside the trail would spook me.

I saw this big slithering creature sunning itself on a gravel track in the old Caterpillar Proving Grounds in Buckeye.

I don’t know what it was but I didn’t want to get too close.

 

[Bob902]

This copperhead was in my brother in law’s backyard Friday

 

[21rangerCactus]

As a kid living 3 miles from Everglades Nat'l Park, we'd go fishing in the canals that drained the swamp.

I had caught a bass, and was reeling him in when a Cottonmouth began trailing the fish... right out of the water and up near me. I began to retreat and run, somewhere along the way I threw down the rod and reel. I don't know when or if the bass unhooked himself, but 15 minutes later when I came back with my Dad the pole was on the ground where I left it, and both the snake and the bass were gone. I HATE SNAKES!

They were everywhere down there... coral snakes, copperheads, several kinds of rattlers, and cotton mouths.

The resat were largely harmless, although I hear from friends that the pythons are now an Alpha predator in the Everglades.

They got loose when an exotic breeding pet store was destroyed by Andrew in 1992, letting loose hundreds of pythons.

During the monsoon season they came out of the woodwork!

My biggest fear is getting bit out there and not getting help soon enough. I'm not in the middle of no where, cell service is fine but I'm far enough out that help would take much longer then I'd like.

I grew up in a small rural town. Every summer we would be at the river and creeks. One day we all jumped into the creek and multiple snakes popped up. Lmao.. Oh man.. I remember all of us swimming for our lives. Being kids... We didn't leave. Decided to wait a bit and jump back in.

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