Tales of a Snake Hunter

[xtatik]

Just a heads up. Keep in mind that the venom of a mohave green is different then the average diamondback. We generally have the pacific rattler. The MG is a nervous and aggressive fellow with the bite of a cobra. There are docs that are not even aware of this fellow and the proper antivenom to use.

Regards, Steve

The Mojave is actually passive until you annoy it. If you step near it, or reach in close, it will strike, no question. It's not the only buzztail to have a neurotoxic or necrotic component in its venom. It just has the most by a wide margin.
If you do get bit...this is the dude to have contacted (linky below). He's done a good job of educating and stocking most major urban and desert area hospital emergency rooms in So Cal. If you're lucky enough to get flown to Loma Linda...it wouldn't get better than having him attending your case.

http://lomalindahealth.org/medical-cent ... index.html


I wear these during the early bird season in the Mojave while its still warm, and just pray they don't strke higher





https://www.uplanders.com/home.php?dr=p ... iAodkU6PmA

[WA4DQS]

RE: looks like a rattler

He does indeed look like one! I grew up messing with Florida diamonbacks, so I knew this guy was not a bad snake. I once saw a 10+ foot diamondback rattler back while motorcycling/offroading in Florida. I ain't exagerrating -- it was stretched completely across a standard limerock road. We made a half-hearted attempt to catch it, knowing nobody would believe us later. This was around 1980. It remains the largest snake I've ever encountered in the wild.

[Toyotaholic]

As an amateur snake hunter and fairly experienced owner of a few captive bred and wild caught specimens I wanted to comment on this thread. I have learned a bit about the snakes in my area and I have photographed and read up on them all. I have been keeping snakes on and off since I was 11, now 34. They are not for everyone and I know in some situations it really can be appropriate to eliminate them I really like to think that "treading lightly" includes not killings snakes unless you have a good reason, i.e. protecting your livestock. Glad to hear you relocated one BorregoWrangler, nice random act of kindness there, pretty brave to I might add.

WA4DQS, what you have in your hands is a gopher snake, most likely a Sonoran, or San Diego/Sonoran intergade. You ID was very close! They look slightly different depending on where you find them and there is some natural variety as usual..
http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/p ... finis.html

BorregoWranger I am guessing you caught a Red Diamond rattlesnake, like this possibly?
http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/p ... ruber.html

Otherwise it could have been a Southern Pacific
http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/p ... lleri.html

Now the 10 ft monster could have only been a Eastern Diamondback And if it was 10 ft it was a record, the link here says the largest one documented was 96", might as well be 12 ft, thats a huge rattlesnake. The ones out here do not get near that size... sheesh!

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/herpetology/fl ... anteus.htm


I am very passionate about snakes, it was the addiction I had before I discovered 4wheelin'. The funny thing is that my snake buddy introduced me to 4wheelin', and now we do both together. It's safe to say we never run out of things to talk about!!

One last local snake to share. This is a Speckled rattlesnake, just about the only other rattle snake around So-cal besides the Sidewinder. We found this guy on our way down Upper Coyote Canyon trail in Anza.
http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL162 ... 210681.jpg


I am having a problem posting links , sorry??

[ssc]

Toyholic,
Welcome to OAUSA. Feel free to introduce yourself in the new member section. I am not much of a snake person, but like king snakes and gopher snakes are always welcome. I hate gophers. I posted the Black mamba and the boomslang I had a close encounter with in my Africa run thread. If I can find the pics of the puff adder and gaboon vipers and cobras we ran into, I will post them. Found the puff adder, but photo was with a phone--not good.

Regards, Steve

Puff adder Namibia--Big boy

Puffer.jpg (2.91 KiB) Viewed 2104 times

[BorregoWrangler]

Welcome to the forum. I fixed your links.

Glad to hear you relocated one BorregoWrangler, nice random act of kindness there, pretty brave to I might add.

Thanks. I always keep an eye out for my legless friends.

BorregoWranger I am guessing you caught a Red Diamond rattlesnake, like this possibly?
http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/p ... ruber.html

Yep, that's the one.

[WA4DQS]

WA4DQS, what you have in your hands is a gopher snake, most likely a Sonoran, or San Diego/Sonoran intergade. You ID was very close! They look slightly different depending on where you find them and there is some natural variety as usual..

Thanks! I'm not as familiar with CA snakes. I grew up in south Florida, and knew the snakes there well- I was like you, I just love snakes, and kept several as pets. Even had a baby alligator at one point. I never got around to getting or making a snake catching stick, but would like to. But I have to wonder about the short length most seem to be. After encountering that 10+ foot rattler years ago, I just can't bring myself to carry a 4 foot stick, even though I know CA doesn't likely have many really big venomous snakes like Florida and Texas do.

[Toyotaholic]

Cool. Does that Gaboon viper have a huge head or what!! They remind me of the my favorite venomous snake , the Rhinoceros Viper. If you google imge them you will see why, if it's a good one they have this bright blue lines on their pattern, amazing!

[ssc]

That is a puff adder. I have not been able to find the gaboon vipers. That was the largest puff adder I have ever seen. We were driving around with him in a bag and the boomslang in another bag. The person holding the snake is a snake nut. He has over 40 snakes including a breeding pair of gaboon vipers. He catches mamba's, but doesn't keep them as he doesn't think they are "pretty." One thing for sure. When you are cruising with Norman, you learn very fast not to open any bags nor tied socks nor cases nor tool boxes, nor shaving kits.

You should see him chase down and catch moniter lizards.

Regards, Steve

[Toyotaholic]

Wow that is a big puff adder, I envy your stories. I would love to do some herping in other countries.. I would love to see the pics if you find them!

[ssc]

TH,
I have not been able to find the pics of the gaboon vipers. Reason being, when I first went to Africa, I was shooting film. I will look for my pictures and if able to locate them, I will try to post. The below picture is of the enclosure that has the Gaboon vipers. The back enclosure had cobra's. The dog is a boar and this is in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. I will let you guess what TSA found in his suitcase once.

Regards, Steve

Zimbabwe 2003 100.jpg (118.17 KiB) Viewed 2051 times