Rattlesnakes anyone?

[Goldseeker]

Whatsa matter wit youse? Didn't youse see da story I posted about the mixed breed lab that saved his owners from possible death, at least sure severe injury, from that very recent mountain lion attack, in south orange county ca? Would any of your beloved rattlers have done that?

Tell the truth. I want your answer. You gotta wonder about someone who doesn't like dogs.

Or maybe according to a certain few here it should be rattlesnake, mans new best friend?


Geezz....

[reptilist]

There are lots of people who don't like dogs. Please don't insinuate that people who feel differently than you on the subject are abnormal. Dogs have attacked millions of people and each of them have a reason to be less than cordial to canines.

Now will be a good time to get this back on topic....rattlesnake pics.

[reptilist]

Sonoran sidewinder inside a restraining tube.

[Goldseeker]

There are lots of people who don't like dogs. Please don't insinuate that people who feel differently than you on the subject are abnormal. Dogs have attacked millions of people and each of them have a reason to be less than cordial to canines.

Now will be a good time to get this back on topic....rattlesnake pics.

Millions? You have any statistics to back up that number?
By the same reasoning dont think that people who dont like rattlesnakes are abnormal.

And BTW, not liking and tolerating are 2 different things. I can tolerate them out in the wilds, it does not mean I have to like them

[reptilist]

Don and Linda, I'm sorry I hijacked this thread...
This is my final comment on the dogbite/snakebite comparison that I started.

Bill, here is a c/p from dogbitelaw.com:

The number of victims

A survey by the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta ("CDC") concluded that dogs bite nearly 2% of the U.S. population -- more than 4.7 million people annually. (Sacks JJ, Kresnow M, Houston B. Dog bites: how big a problem? Injury Prev 1996;2:52-4.)

Almost 800,000 bites per year -- one out of every 6 -- are serious enough to require medical attention. (Weiss HB, Friedman D, Coben JH. Incidence of dog bite injuries treated in emergency departments. JAMA 1998;279:51-53.)

Dog bites send nearly 368,000 victims to hospital emergency departments per year (1,008 per day). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Nonfatal Dog Bite–Related Injuries Treated in Hospital Emergency Departments — United States, 2001, MMWR 2003;52:605-610. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report is published by the CDC.

16,476 dog bites to persons aged 16 years or greater were work related in 2001. (Ibid., Nonfatal Dog Bite–Related Injuries Treated in Hospital Emergency Departments — United States, 2001, MMWR 2003;52:608.

Every year 2,851 letter carriers are bitten. (US Postal Service.)

Getting bitten by a dog is the fifth most frequent cause of visits to emergency rooms caused by activities common among children. (See Weiss HB, Friedman DI, Coben JH. Incidence of dog bite injuries treated in emergency departments, JAMA 1998;279:53; also see US Consumer Product Safety Commission, Injuries associated with selected sports and recreational equipment treated in hospital emergency departments, calendar year 1994. Consumer Product Safety Review, Summer 1996;1:5.) Note that this comparison is limited to activities that children more or less voluntarily engage in, such as playing sports, playing with animals, etc. Dog bite injuries are not specifically set forth in Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, Child Injury and Mortality, pp. 36, 37, 136 and 137, which states that the leading causes of emergency room visits overall are falls, being struck by or against an object, natural or environmental causes, poisening, being cut or pierced, and motor vehicle accident.

An American has a one in 50 chance of being bitten by a dog each year. (CDC.)

The number of fatalities

In 2007, there were 33 fatal dog maulings in the USA. (The complete list, showing names, dates and locations, is found at Canine Homicides, a section of Dangerous and Vicious Dogs, at this website.)

They took place in 17 states. Ten deaths were in 4 one bite states, of which there are a total of 15. Eight deaths were in the three mixed dog bite statute states. Fifteen deaths were in 8 strict liability states, of which there are a total of 32 plus the District of Columbia. (See Legal Rights of Dog Bite Victims in the USA to learn how the states are categorized.) A chart of these figures appears below:

[Goldseeker]

Don and Linda, I'm sorry I hijacked this thread...
This is my final comment on the dogbite/snakebite comparison that I started.

Bill, here is a c/p from dogbitelaw.com:

The number of victims

A survey by the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta ("CDC") concluded that dogs bite nearly 2% of the U.S. population -- more than 4.7 million people annually. (Sacks JJ, Kresnow M, Houston B. Dog bites: how big a problem? Injury Prev 1996;2:52-4.)

Almost 800,000 bites per year -- one out of every 6 -- are serious enough to require medical attention. (Weiss HB, Friedman D, Coben JH. Incidence of dog bite injuries treated in emergency departments. JAMA 1998;279:51-53.)

Dog bites send nearly 368,000 victims to hospital emergency departments per year (1,008 per day). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Nonfatal Dog Bite–Related Injuries Treated in Hospital Emergency Departments — United States, 2001, MMWR 2003;52:605-610. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report is published by the CDC.

16,476 dog bites to persons aged 16 years or greater were work related in 2001. (Ibid., Nonfatal Dog Bite–Related Injuries Treated in Hospital Emergency Departments — United States, 2001, MMWR 2003;52:608.

Every year 2,851 letter carriers are bitten. (US Postal Service.)

Getting bitten by a dog is the fifth most frequent cause of visits to emergency rooms caused by activities common among children. (See Weiss HB, Friedman DI, Coben JH. Incidence of dog bite injuries treated in emergency departments, JAMA 1998;279:53; also see US Consumer Product Safety Commission, Injuries associated with selected sports and recreational equipment treated in hospital emergency departments, calendar year 1994. Consumer Product Safety Review, Summer 1996;1:5.) Note that this comparison is limited to activities that children more or less voluntarily engage in, such as playing sports, playing with animals, etc. Dog bite injuries are not specifically set forth in Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, Child Injury and Mortality, pp. 36, 37, 136 and 137, which states that the leading causes of emergency room visits overall are falls, being struck by or against an object, natural or environmental causes, poisening, being cut or pierced, and motor vehicle accident.

An American has a one in 50 chance of being bitten by a dog each year. (CDC.)

The number of fatalities

In 2007, there were 33 fatal dog maulings in the USA. (The complete list, showing names, dates and locations, is found at Canine Homicides, a section of Dangerous and Vicious Dogs, at this website.)

They took place in 17 states. Ten deaths were in 4 one bite states, of which there are a total of 15. Eight deaths were in the three mixed dog bite statute states. Fifteen deaths were in 8 strict liability states, of which there are a total of 32 plus the District of Columbia. (See Legal Rights of Dog Bite Victims in the USA to learn how the states are categorized.) A chart of these figures appears below:

OK Terry, I stand corrected on that one. But also check on the number of snakebites worldwide yearly, its a lot.

[Desert Cruiser]

Nice pics Reptilist. As for the snakes in the neighborhood: I really don't care if they're here or not and would not kill one here. THIS IS THE DESERT AFTER ALL! If you don't like the environment then move. It wouldn't matter if you killed every one you saw they'd still be there --- so learn to avoid them like Allen does. And that was the reason for this thread to give people and idea of what to look for to avoid being bit or to photograph them if you want. One word of caution here, I use a camera extension with a remote release on the camera and usually wear snake chaps especially if doing this at night. Dogs on the other hand are not wild animals and should be controlled on a leash by their owner, especially in a neighbor full of houses and kids. And most dogs --- I don't like them -- and have a lot of friends that feel the same way. Having a prejudice against pit bulls doesn't make any sense either. I've seen other breeds that were just as dangerous. Besides this thread was suppose to be about snakes in the desert or it's surrounding areas.

Terry what's the difference between the Sonoran Sidewinder and the ones we have here? You photo made him look a lot darker and it had larger eye guards? Is it any larger?

Does anyone have any good shots of Western Diamond Back?

[Goldseeker]

Nice pics Reptilist. As for the snakes in the neighborhood: I really don't care if they're here or not and would not kill one here. THIS IS THE DESERT AFTER ALL! If you don't like the environment then move. It wouldn't matter if you killed every one you saw they'd still be there --- so learn to avoid them like Allen does. And that was the reason for this thread to give people and idea of what to look for to avoid being bit or to photograph them if you want. One word of caution here, I use a camera extension with a remote release on the camera and usually wear snake chaps especially if doing this at night. Dogs on the other hand are not wild animals and should be controlled on a leash by their owner, especially in a neighbor full of houses and kids. And most dogs --- I don't like them -- and have a lot of friends that feel the same way. Having a prejudice against pit bulls doesn't make any sense either. I've seen other breeds that were just as dangerous. Besides this thread was suppose to be about snakes in the desert or it's surrounding areas.

Terry what's the difference between the Sonoran Sidewinder and the ones we have here? You photo made him look a lot darker and it had larger eye guards? Is it any larger?

Does anyone have any good shots of Western Diamond Back?

Using that logic, I guess the pioneers should have let Grizzly bears alone too, after all, they were here first too. Using that logic, which I dont. You can.

[Desert Cruiser]

It's pretty obvious your looking for an argument. But your not going to get one. This site is for people interested in the desert and it's wildlife. Your analogy has nothing to do with this thread at all. Congratulations!
Don....

[Goldseeker]

It's pretty obvious your looking for an argument. But your not going to get one. This site is for people interested in the desert and it's wildlife. Your analogy has nothing to do with this thread at all. Congratulations!
Don....

U draw the wrong conclusion I do not want an argument. Dont judge. I even hesitated to post here, fearing this kind of a reaction, but in my life I have had nothing but good experiences with my dogs, and a few bad experiences with snakes. And I bet those people attacked by the mountain lion would agree with me.