MHBC Goes to MO: Pygmy Rattlesnake

On 06/19/2009, members of the Mile High Bug Club met up with members of the Missouri Bug Hunt to go tarantula hunting and herping. While out field hunting for the MO Bug Hunt IV one of the campers happened across a very camouflaged pygmy rattlesnake. They caught it and brought it back to the campsite to look at it up close and personal.

Please do not attempt to handle a pygmy rattler like you see in this video. Backwoods has done this for a very long time and has a lot of experience. Also, for the safety of the animal it's usually not recommended to put any objects in its mouth; it was done so in this video to show the animal's fangs.

These trips are a lot of fun! Register on our club forum to get invites to our summer field hunting expeditions: http://milehighbugclub.com/forum/forum.php

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Caney Mountain
• MHBC
• Mile High Bug Club
• MO Bug Hunt IV Snake
• Pygmy Rattlesnake
• Rattler
• Rattlesnake
• Snake Handling
• reptile

[MileHighBugClub]

This was down around the Caney Mountains... close to the AR border.

[Snakeman418]

Beautiful snake. I hope you did not kill it.

[MileHighBugClub]

@Snakeman418 Oh no, neither the MHBC or the folks who coordinate the MO Bug Hunt would do that/have done that. :)  We all have a lot of respect and interest in rattlers.

[sactownatureboy]

Thats actually a cooler find than pygmy. That is actually a Massasauga. Their hemotoxin is worse than a pygmys. Great find.

[Djb917]

@gtrpkr1 It's actually a hemotoxin like most rattlesnakes.

[gtrpkr1]

Those little fellas carry a very nasty venom.Different from a diamondback.Neurotoxin that tries to shut down your lung function.

[Kokopelliman417]

Hey nice pyg! Is this located near st. louis?