Don't Tread On Me - - Rattlesnake Encounter hifi

When you are looking for bugs you are almost forced to go off trail. I try to be as careful as possible, leaving as little a trace as possible. Going off trail is not with out its risks... southern Califorina is full of spiky plants, sharp rocks, and... rattle snakes. I almost stepped on a rattlesnake when i was by my dad's house in Rancho Cucamonga, California, USA. When i realized the snake wasn't going to go anywhere i decided to record it :)

I am not a reptile person. In general i know how to recognize a rattlesnake by the large, arrow-shaped head and relatively narrow neck. I noticed this trait in the snake, which put me on guard. I doubted myself a little bit when the snake remained almost perfectly motionless even when i was tickling it with a thin stick. Good thing i decided to make SURE it wasn't a rattle snake before i grabbed it!

As i said, i don't know much about rattle snakes... but i described the snake as well as i could to a local herp enthusiast and he said the snake sounded like a Southern Pacific Rattlesnake ( Crotalus oreganus helleri or Crotalus viridis helleri... i am not sure which is the correct trinomial). Apparently, that is one of the WORST snakes to get bit by in California, as in addtion to the normal hemotoxic affects all rattlesnakes possess this species also has neurotoxic affects... :/

WARNING: I have moderately quick reflexes and have a little bit of experience in manipulating rattle snakes (not handling... i keep at least 4 feet of stick between me and them at all times!)... so where as i stand a reasonable chance of not being hurt (or hurting the snake!) the average person off the street should NOT force interaction with potentially dangerous animals! Do not try this at home or field unless you are qualified to!

[uploaded from a 27MB WMV file]

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Crotalus
• oreganus
• viridis
• helleri
• Southen
• Pacific
• Rattlesnake
• buzztail
• Don't
• Tread
• On
• Me

[Gingerdreadhead1987]

lol, i love how you say your gonna poke it and then say how it scared the fuck outta you! haha! Made me laugh!

[Tidnull]

im so glad you didnt step on him and got to encounter him