Posted on 06/19/2021 7:18:44 AM PDT by SJackson
This is a serious rattlesnake den!
Most people either love or hate snakes. Regardless of your opinions on these reptiles, most of us can agree we do not want to encounter too many venomous snakes in our outdoor adventures here in North America. Of course, it can be rather difficult to do that if you are in a major rattler snake state like Texas, Arizona, or New Mexico.
In the case of today's video, it is Montana. This is not an ordinary snake sighting either. Literally dozens of rattlesnakes have all crammed into a small area, hiding out in crevices and a large hole in the ground.
As dozens of rattlesnakes rattle away in the hole, the brave cameraman sticks a GoPro on a stick deep into the den to get way closer and personal with the snakes than most would like. At least using this method, you do not need to fear snakebites.
The interesting thing with this video is that even though there were dozens of snakes in this hole, we did not see even one rattlesnake bite the camera. It all goes back to the fact that most species of rattlesnakes are probably more fearful of humans than we are of them.
Most snakes simply want to be left alone so they can spend time basking in the sun or hunting down their favorite meals in amphibians, and small mammals. Den sites this large are usually uncommon in most ecosystems. Although it is common for the pit vipers to gather in places like this when they go into hibernation during colder times of year.
Whether you love or hate snakes, it is important for rattlesnake populations to be maintained carefully because of the work they do keeping many rodent populations in check. With a little common sense in snake country, you can avoid dens like this entirely.
One must be careful when crossing rock piles and outcrops in snake country because denning sites like this are not a place you want to stumble into by accident. The best thing to do if you come across a den like this, whether the species is prairie rattlesnakes, timber rattlesnakes, western diamondback rattlesnakes, etc, is to leave them alone. Most snakebites happen when someone tries to capture or harm the serpents.
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I’m with Indiana Jones about snakes....
That is the stuff of nightmares for me. ugh
Too late. They elites are already on their way to Montana so some tale of rattle snakes ain’t gonna stop them. They’ll just have them killed. The snakes that is.
We have a place here the locals call Rattlesnake Ridge. Lots of nooks and crannies on the rocky cliff that are supposed to be loaded with rattlers.
I wonder how long that selfie pole was that he used for the GoPro?
Based on the shadows it did not seem too long.
If that was me? Maybe a 20’ pole and some serious hip boots taped at the top.
So, who gets to fetch the drone if the operator crashes it right there? :-)
When they tore down the old NCO club at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, there was a rattlesnake nest that they estimated had several hundred thousands of them. They threw in a lot of dynamite sticks to destroy the majority of them.
Wow, that’s a lot of democrat congressmen in one place.
When I saw the headline, I thought that is what it meant by “huge.” When I read “dozens,” I thought “stupid yellow journalist blogger.”
Just got done freeing a black snake that got tangled up in the bird netting that keeps the blueberries on the blueberry bush for me and not the birds.
It was very docile. Probably tired from trying the get loose. Took a while to cut it free. It wrapped itself around my wrist as I worked. Now go eat those field mice good buddy.
Otherwise known as DNC headquarters.
Mineral Point Wisconsin decided to do some work to the county fair grounds 25 years ago or so. It was early spring and still pretty cold. They found a den with 500+ in it, they where all relocated. Interesting thing is that no one in the community had seen a eastern timber rattler in years. Makes one wonder if the years of aggressively killing them took out the predominate rattlers (aggressive rattling) and the passive ones, that were less likely to rattle took over the gene pool.
Relocated to a boot/belt factory?
That would have been my choice. Not sure that the WI DNR would follow that protocol, to bad really.
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