Posted on 03/05/2017 1:41:32 PM PST by OddLane
One of the most misunderstood creatures in this country is crotalus, a genus of venomous pit vipers most people simply call rattlesnakes. Crotalus horridus, also known as the timber rattlesnake or canebrake snake, epitomizes the deeply ambivalent relationship Americans have with this animal, which Benjamin Franklin considered a symbol of our nascent country-and which remains a symbol of freedom and defiance of unjust government-yet has been hunted to extinction or near-extinction throughout New England.
The fear and loathing with which most Americans view rattlesnakes is illustrated most vividly by events like the Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup, wherein thousands of rattlesnakes are captured, killed, and skinned-often in gruesome ways-as a means of promoting local tourism. This deep revulsion is exhibited towards an animal that in normal circumstances does not threaten or harm humans, who are rarely-if ever-killed when an encounter does occur. It should be noted that some of these fatalities include people who wantonly abuse snakes.
With this sort of deep misunderstanding and distrust, Ted Levin’s insightful book, America’s Snake: The Rise And Fall Of The Timber Rattlesnake, is such a welcome resource...
(Excerpt) Read more at american-rattlesnake.org ...
ping
America’s snake? Obamus horribilis?
The largest North American snake is the Eastern Diamondback and a big one will kill you.
I have a good opinion of rattlesnakes. They are the only venomous snake that gives large animals and dumb people a warning before it bites their stupid a** and sends them to the other side.
Rattlesnake == moslem terrorist== communist demoncrat...
Only good ________, is a dead ________!
I had a pet rattlesnake about 12 years ago.
I called him “Shapka.”
We have Timber Rattlers in the South the size of Python’s. They are so strong that a strike on your leg by a big one can break your leg.
That being said, the rattlers that decide to curl up on my porch or under my truck are trespassers, and are treated as such.
We have plenty of timber rattlers here in VA, he can come take some of ours to repopulate New England.
Wouldn’t bother me a bit.
I have encountered rattlesnakes in my work as a orchard field man. They have always given the rattle as a warning. I just agreed to move out of their way. Usually they then slithered off and I was happy to let them.
LOL.
The problem with rattlers is when they’re shedding. Their eyes are clouded from the loose skin and they will strike before rattling as they can’t tell from visual cues and use their heat receptors only and strike ‘blindly’ in the direction of the heat source.
That there is the reason they are called....”Vipers”...
I live right in the middle of them, as I live in a swamp. they are often huge, esp. the females, but they don’t seek trouble and steer away from activity. The raccoons, when they have kits, will spot a diamondback slithering along and start walking alongside the snake to “steer” it away from their dens. That’s often the easiest way to spot a diamondback in the grass- watch the behavior of animals that know it’s there.
Turkeys do the same to all big snakes when they have poults to be sure that when they roost for the night, they have escorted the snake from their roosting areas.
The rattlers and water moccasins, rat snakes, red bellies, racers, cornsnakes and indigos, around here are pretty valuable because of all the citrus rats and other pests in Florida, which, needless to say, are not a problem for me.
They seem to prefer heavier cover than what is available around the house because snakes in general want to avoid being spotted by our resident pair of red shouldered hawks, who can and will kill quite large snakes. I’ve seen them grab and kill snakes they caught sunning on logs and fly up into a tree to eat them, often snakes 4 or 5 feet long.
Oh quit sugar coating it. Everyone knows that they'll bite a leg clean off. ;)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.