Yesterday the guy that cuts grass around here in the retention ponds said he killed 4 sidewinders and the day before he killed 6! Down the street a little girl got nailed and they had to take her to Tuscon for treatment. So last night we went out and sure enough we found 2 in 10 minutes right behind the houses here. This is not normal this time of the year. Looks like it might be a good year for the rattlesnakes. Do they run in cycles like everything else?
I think it would be nice if anyone has GOOD photos of rattlesnakes to post them here for the benefit of anyone who travels in the desert or is thinking of doing so. I'll start off with 2 ----
First one - sidewinder with a close up of the head -- notice the spikes over the eyes - it's a dead give-away for a sidewinder!
Second one is a Mohave Green -- this is a beautiful snake about 3 1/2 ft long which demanded my respect -- stay away!
It's a shame that they got killed, but it was done by accident while he was cutting the grass. Allot of children play in these retention ponds. Just be careful and be aware of your surroundings while exploring the desert right now.
I think the significant rain we received this past winter has contributed to the rodent population, which in turn has given rise to the number of snakes we have been seeing lately. I could be wrong but that's my take on it. I really don't like snakes, most likely due to ignorance (fright) , but I stay very alert for them whenever I am in their habitat and am ready to run like hell in the opposite direction if I come across one.
Allen wrote:I think the significant rain we received this past winter has contributed to the rodent population, which in turn has given rise to the number of snakes we have been seeing lately. I could be wrong but that's my take on it. I really don't like snakes, most likely due to ignorance (fright) , but I stay very alert for them whenever I am in their habitat and am ready to run like hell in the opposite direction if I come across one.
I dont like them either, although I have learned to tolerate the non-posionious ones, but you just cannot allow rattlesnakes to be in a populated area, thats just plain stupid. I have heard of several bites already. But I repeat, O tolerance for rattlers around populated neighborhoods. Already the little girl was bitten.
I agree that rattlesnakes shouldn't be allowed to roam freely in human neighborhoods...
But shouldn't the same rules and penalties apply to stray dogs?
After all, stray dogs kill more people in the USA than venomous snakes, and they also inflict far more attacks (bites). Would you take a shovel to the neck of a roaming rotty? Why not? It's potentially dangerous and lethal!
At least with rattlesnakes, you can always trust them. They don't wag their tails as a gesture of good will and then bite you in the face.
reptilist wrote:I agree that rattlesnakes shouldn't be allowed to roam freely in human neighborhoods...
But shouldn't the same rules and penalties apply to stray dogs?
After all, stray dogs kill more people in the USA than venomous snakes, and they also inflict far more attacks (bites). Would you take a shovel to the neck of a roaming rotty? Why not? It's potentially dangerous and lethal!
At least with rattlesnakes, you can always trust them. They don't wag their tails as a gesture of good will and then bite you in the face.
U can trust them? Are we now instituting the "joke of the day"? Stray dogs are already rounded up; just call animal control. While we're on the subject, how about the ever increasing coyote intrusion problem?
U can trust them? How many people have been bitten who never saw it coming? Is that trust? 'Cmon Rep, U know better than that. Moderators above all should tell the truth. U no damn well U cannot really trust ANY wild animal...
Last edited by Goldseeker on Sat May 09, 2009 11:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
Of course!
You can always trust a rattlesnake to behave just like a rattlesnake.
They never pretend to be your friend.
You certainly can't say that about people and dogs....
You can always trust a rattlesnake.
reptilist wrote:Of course!
You can always trust a rattlesnake to behave just like a rattlesnake.
They never pretend to be your friend.
You certainly can't say that about people and dogs....
You can always trust a rattlesnake.
Its certainly true about some people, thats for sure, but MOST dogs wont bother you, unless they are wild and in a pack, or maybe pitbulls, like I already said, right to carry .......
, but I stay very alert for them whenever I am in their habitat and am ready to run like hell in the opposite direction if I come across one.
Stray dogs are already rounded up; just call animal control. While we're on the subject, how about the ever increasing coyote intrusion problem?
How many people have been bitten who never saw it coming? Is that trust? 'Cmon Rep, U know better than that. Moderators above all should tell the truth. U no damn well U cannot really trust ANY wild animal...
