Poisenous Snakes on the Trail

“Taste like chicken ??”

“Actually, there are no poisonous snakes in the U.S. - they're all edible.

Venomous snakes are a whole nother issue, tho :)


I was walking some local woods last week when I heard a strange sound - sorta akin to the humming sound made by high voltage power lines. I looked leftward (aport?) to see Sarabelle nose to nose with a curled-up snake. It was black with faint white markings. I yelled "NO!" and Belle backed down. I got scarce and the dogs followed - I didn't stick around seeins' how Gizmeaux has a tendency to back Belle up in wildlife encounter situations.

Weird sound, it was.”

“Yah, not at all like the "maraca" sound they use in movies and TV. More like a buzz.”

“Yeah, this guy sounded like a giant cicada.”

“Nothing but nothing sounds like a rattler.

I suspect the sound "my" snake was making came from within. Throat? Nasal?”

“That's a pretty snake, Rockman. Very nice shot.”

“Good shots Rockman. Yeah the buzz of the rattler. It means, "Don't tread on me!"”

“http://users2.ev1.net/~prank/snakerattle.wav

http://www.kwic.com/~pagodavista/ratlsnk.wav

http://mccants.anderson5.net/technology/sorrow/sounds/animals/rattlesnake.wav”

“what kind of Rattler is that? Anyone know?”

“It looked like a rattleheadedcoppermoccasin to me!!”

“The only type of rattlesnake living in the SF Bay Area is the western rattlesnake according to the local wildlife rehab museum.”

“Not sure where you spotted the snake, but I'm betting it is a Northern Pacific...

Rockman... the Western Rattle snake is the common name for 8 subspecies. In the Bay Area and Surrounding FootHills the Northern Pacific is what you will find.

gojo... Eastern, Western and Southern Hognosed Snakes have "no" true delivery system for their Venom, so they have also been described as Poisonous. Unless you are sensitive to Bee stings they're relatively harmless to Adults.

Ken”

“Ken, you are absolutely correct! It is indeedy a northern pacfic. Thanks.”

“OK, I'll bite (bad pun intended)

Tech details please
Lens, film, and camera settings.

If the lens was a 28mm, you are truly nuts.
Great pix.”

“GA has mostly canebrake and eastern diamondback. A few timbers and pigmys in the north.

The eastern diamondback is the most massive snake in N. America, and are sometimes mistaken for bull gators - lol! It also injects more venom in a single bite than any snake in the world (tho not as lethal as some AfroAsian species).”

“Manuka,
The camera is nothing special. It's a Oly C4000Z. Digital.”

“Good looking snake. Very nice pictures too.

I was in the shed in my back yard about a week ago and niticed a Rat snake up in the rafters. Over the past couple of years, I've found skins but never saw the snake that left it till now. I saw him again the next day but not anymore since then.”