One good thing about Illinois, poisonous snakes are very, very, very rare.

Yep, them and cougars.

If it's from southern NM, then no, probably not a Baja. But, knowing that, I do think that's an image of a Mojave rattlesnake, and not a western diamondback.

 

Here's a Mojave (Crotalus scutulatus):

 

 

All that aside, the snake from the shot Tex posted is certainly long enough that it would have had rattles if it was a rattlesnake. Bull snake is still my best guess for a rattler mimic, even with the pit-viperish head.

Hm. Mojave is a desert scrub snake as I understand it, more common further to the west and at lower altitudes, in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts - less so in Chihuahuan areas like NM and TX. Looking at the range map in Wiki (which shows the range only in the very SW bootheel of NM), as well as seeing the entry about "up to 2500m" (this was found somewhere around 2800 or 3000m in a forested area), make it seemingly outside of its range.

 

But you are right, it sure as heck looks like that. Then again, that pattern is pretty darn close to a diamondback's, so... I just can't tell.

 

I wish I knew my snakes better, they are crazy cool animals. Same with bats, I think I could have been happy being a bat biologist. Until they all started dying from this awful white nose syndrome thing, that is just wiping out colony after colony in the northeast.

Tex's scary snake story? I almost asked if this thread was safe for work, but then I thought about it, and I figured it would be a shortstory anyway.

Tex's scary snake story? I almost asked if this thread was safe for work, but then I thought about it, and I figured it would be a shortstory anyway.

Ziiiiing

That story is why I come to Soxtalk. Good stuff. It's not a rattler at that size though... bull snake.

Yikes.

 

I HATE snakes. That would have scared the s*** out of me.

 

As for using a knife, don't know if I would use it, but it was probably the best option. What else are you going to use if you don't have a gun?

That story is why I come to Soxtalk. Good stuff. It's not a rattler at that size though... bull snake.

Rattlesnakes can get awfully big - some can be 5 feet long. Heck, just look at the picture I took, that snake is bigger than the one in Tex's picture, and its definitely a rattler of one kind or another.

 

That story is why I come to Soxtalk. Good stuff. It's not a rattler at that size though... bull snake.

 

I've seen bigger. The size was well within the range.

 

Rattlesnakes can get awfully big - some can be 5 feet long. Heck, just look at the picture I took, that snake is bigger than the one in Tex's picture, and its definitely a rattler of one kind or another.

 

I've seen bigger. The size was well within the range.

 

No, what Steve means is that at that size the snake would have had a well-developed rattle. It didn't have a rattle according to Tex's friend, ergo, not a rattlesnake.

 

No, what Steve means is that at that size the snake would have had a well-developed rattle. It didn't have a rattle according to Tex's friend, ergo, not a rattlesnake.

I agree, I did learn that a gang down here initiates their members by having them cut the rattles off a live snake. It's suppose to represent their gang being deadly, but never giving a warning.

 

I'm raising the and thinking urban legend.

No, what Steve means is that at that size the snake would have had a well-developed rattle. It didn't have a rattle according to Tex's friend, ergo, not a rattlesnake.

You would be correct.

I'm raising the and thinking urban legend.

 

It would be a good one. Nothing on Snopes about it though.

 

Yikes.

 

I HATE snakes. That would have scared the s*** out of me.

 

As for using a knife, don't know if I would use it, but it was probably the best option. What else are you going to use if you don't have a gun?

I don't know a baseball bat? Honestly...I'd shut the f***in door, block the bottom of it and call the po po. Be like I heard someone 'rattling' around in my office? HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yikes.

 

I HATE snakes. That would have scared the s*** out of me.

 

As for using a knife, don't know if I would use it, but it was probably the best option. What else are you going to use if you don't have a gun?

my uncle lives in texas near dallas and he had a 5 foot cottonmouth out near his pool (at least thats what they thought it was) and my grandpa chopped it in half with a spade shovel

I don't know a baseball bat? Honestly...I'd shut the f***in door, block the bottom of it and call the po po. Be like I heard someone 'rattling' around in my office? HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!

Heck, a nice long 2x4, golf club, hockey stick, or something like that would work too. There are a lot of things that you could use. I wouldn't be getting that close to it with a knife.

Heck, a nice long 2x4, golf club, hockey stick, or something like that would work too. There are a lot of things that you could use. I wouldn't be getting that close to it with a knife.

 

Knowing Gerry.

 

The golf club is probably his worse tool.

He's about the only Canadian without a hockey stick.

 

What he should have done was grab his ropin' gear and try to rope that critter. Of course getting his ropin' horse into the house would have been a challenge.

Did he ask it to just leave the room before he killed it?

 

Seriously, that's kinda weird. Glad to hear he managed just fine though.

Yep, them and cougars.

I've never met a poisonous cougar before.

I've never met a poisonous cougar before.

 

Do you meet cougars often?