Crotalus horridus -- beautiful gem from SNP this past weekend! 9-6-14

[TurbineBlade]

This is by far the best wildlife sighting I've had locally -- I just thought I'd share it with the folks here! 

I missed the tie unfortunately -- we had some transportation issues.  

Gene

[Misha Gill]

Forgive my ignorance, is that some kind of rattlesnake? 

[TurbineBlade]

Yep - Timber or "Canebrake" rattlesnake.

Many of you have probably run into them, but this was a first for us.  I was pretty excited!  

Fishing for trout was *average -- kept catching a lot of jumping minnows in the spots where brook trout usually are.  And fallfish.  

And nearly stepped by (inches from) a rattlesnake -- not "on" it though.  Everyone has a "I almost stepped on a rattlesnake" story, but that was entirely accurate with me.  Luckily, they're shy and reluctant to expend energy in a human encounter.  

Gene

[Matthew Longley]

Was fishing with a buddy on the Savage over labor day and he stepped right next to one of these guys - didn't see it until it rattled at him.  I didn't realize they were in that area...

[TurbineBlade]

I've said if before -- but the Copperhead is one of the more beautiful snakes (animals?) out there in my opinion.  I love 'em -- but haven't seen one since 2007 when I had to move one off of the bike path in Springfield, MO.  It was sunny and cool that day.  However, this particular rattlesnake was a pretty snake for sure!  If you were a timber rattler in breeding condition, you could settle down with this one!  

Gene

[Miles]

I saw one in the middle of Skyline Drive a few years ago. I stopped the car and told my wife, 'Baby, get a stick' -- then stood in the middle of the road to keep people from running it over. It was a big snake. After I shooed it to the grass, a lady stomped up to me to yell that I could have caused a traffic accident, with her kids in the car, who did I think I was, all that for a snake. Some people are immune to the wonders of nature, I guess.

Miles

[Andy Thomas]

I wasn't aware rattlesnakes were up here.  I knew we had copperheads but thought that was the only poisonous snake in this area (NVA, DC, MD).  Apparently that's wrong.  I was also in Shenandoah this past weekend.  Saw a large black king snake.  I let him go one way and I went the other. 

 

I grew up in MS where rattlesnakes, moccasins and copperheads are all too common.  My dad used to say (and still does) that the only good snake is a dead snake.  While I don't mess with them when I encounter them in the woods, I can't say my heart breaks when I see a dead one.  I grew up fearing rattlesnakes in the southern pine forest.  And although it is true that they do avoid humans when they can, that should not be mistaken for timidity.  They would just assume bite you as look at you.  I've seen it and it's not pretty.

[Matthew Longley]

Virginia actually protects its snakes pretty well.  It is illegal to kill any species of snake unless doing so is the only way to avoid immediate personal harm.

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[Rob Snowhite]

I used to work at a lodge in W. Va just over the border from Loudoun County. Steve Irwin came up there to shoot his rattlesnake episode as there was such a dense population. 

I'm glad I didn't go hiking up there. 

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[TurbineBlade]

Some states also have no "open season" on any snake species, which sort of makes it illegal by default.  I think that's how Missouri approaches it from a legal standpoint.  

Of course, getting someone to enforce something like that could be nearly impossible ;).  

Also -- even given how often snakes (venomous and non-venomous) are needlessly killed out of ignorance, I try to be reasonable and understand that there are situations where you cannot expect people to abide their continued presence (e.g. some idiot releases a "pet" Indian cobra in a residential area, the pythons in FL, etc.).  

Gene

On Wednesday, September 10, 2014 11:37:22 AM UTC-4, Rob Snowhite wrote:

I used to work at a lodge in W. Va just over the border from Loudoun County. Steve Irwin came up there to shoot his rattlesnake episode as there was such a dense population. 

I'm glad I didn't go hiking up there. 

Sent from my iPhone

On Sep 10, 2014, at 10:42 AM, Matthew Longley <matthew...@gmail.com> wrote:

Virginia actually protects its snakes pretty well.  It is illegal to kill any species of snake unless doing so is the only way to avoid immediate personal harm.

On Wed, Sep 10, 2014 at 10:28 AM, Andy Thomas <andrs...@gmail.com> wrote:

I wasn't aware rattlesnakes were up here.  I knew we had copperheads but thought that was the only poisonous snake in this area (NVA, DC, MD).  Apparently that's wrong.  I was also in Shenandoah this past weekend.  Saw a large black king snake.  I let him go one way and I went the other. 

 

I grew up in MS where rattlesnakes, moccasins and copperheads are all too common.  My dad used to say (and still does) that the only good snake is a dead snake.  While I don't mess with them when I encounter them in the woods, I can't say my heart breaks when I see a dead one.  I grew up fearing rattlesnakes in the southern pine forest.  And although it is true that they do avoid humans when they can, that should not be mistaken for timidity.  They would just assume bite you as look at you.  I've seen it and it's not pretty.

 

On Tuesday, September 9, 2014 7:50:35 AM UTC-4, TurbineBlade wrote:

This is by far the best wildlife sighting I've had locally -- I just thought I'd share it with the folks here! 

I missed the tie unfortunately -- we had some transportation issues.  

Gene

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[D. Walker]

snakes terrify me, I just assume ill stay away from them and they can stay away from me.

when I lived in Alabama went to a sale at my local hunting/ fishing store where they had vendors and provided lunch etc... and one of the vendors brought in some rattlesnakes that were 6" around I think..... he proceeded to tell me if I bought his snake chaps or boots I could test them out..... noooo thank you!

[Misha Gill]

Once, in Central Texas, I was descending a cliff to get down to a beautiful, green-watered limestone creek. My descent involved a lot of rock hopping. Halfway down, something in me said "look before you leap." On the next ledge lay a coiled rattlesnake. Just sunbathing in the early morning. I found another path down. 

[Miles]

I recently read Lynne Isbell's "The Fruit, the Tree, and the Serpent", in which she argues that snakes (, fear of) played a major role in primate evolution, especially with respect to vision and cognition. She says the reason we see so well (in color, pattern recognition, etc.) is so snakes don't kill us dead.

One of the things she mentions is that a lot of people who have done fieldwork in snake-infested areas have similar stories: they somehow know the snake is there before they see it. It seems like magic, but really our brains are hard-wired to see snakes at a subconscious level.

It's a fascinating book -- not too long, not too technical.

Miles

[TurbineBlade]

When I was taken on at graduate school back in 2006 (?) to do a behavior project with Cottonmouths there was another graduate student Evan Menzel who was like that -- he could spot 6-7 before I would see 1.  I got better over time, but he was like a wizard in the field.  He always said you needed a "search pattern" and that his was a bicycle tube (Cottonmouth pattern varies, but in the Crane Co. area a bicycle tube was pretty accurate for a general pattern), but I still couldn't find 'em like he could.  I think he's still doing field research somewhere in the Midwest.  

People who are around horses (like Beth) will tell you that most horses definitely react, seemingly instinctively to the presence of snakes.  

That book sounds like an interesting read -- though my favorite has to be King Solomon's Ring by Lorenz (it's hilarious).  I can't even fathom the guy's genius during his time .  Of course, he had numerous birds 'imprint' on him throughout his work with instinctive behavior, so it makes for some funny pictures:

Gene

[Richard Farino]

I read an argument (and I believe saw a video somewhere too) of primate evolution to wake up suddenly if we feel we’re toppling over…  falling asleep in a chair, sitting down, whatever, and that other animals don’t.  This trait helped keep monkeys from falling out of trees when sleeping.

You can see other animals not having the same trait – ever watch a dog fall asleep standing up, or hanging half off a bed and completely hit the deck and not have any idea what happened?

R

Richard Farino

Urban Angler VA | 108 N. Washington Street  2nd Floor | Alexandria, VA 22314 

(703) 527-2524 | fax: (703) 527-3313 | ric...@urbanangler.com    

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[D. Walker]

It is funny when my dog falls asleep standing up

On Friday, September 12, 2014 10:34:57 AM UTC-4, Richard Farino wrote:

I read an argument (and I believe saw a video somewhere too) of primate evolution to wake up suddenly if we feel we’re toppling over…  falling asleep in a chair, sitting down, whatever, and that other animals don’t.  This trait helped keep monkeys from falling out of trees when sleeping.

You can see other animals not having the same trait – ever watch a dog fall asleep standing up, or hanging half off a bed and completely hit the deck and not have any idea what happened?

R

Richard Farino

Urban Angler VA | 108 N. Washington Street  2nd Floor | Alexandria, VA 22314 

(703) 527-2524 | fax: (703) 527-3313 | ric...@urbanangler.com    

From: Miles <m...@oppidi.net>
Reply-To: <tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com>
Date: Friday, September 12, 2014 at 7:41 AM
To: <tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: {Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders} Re: Crotalus horridus -- beautiful gem from SNP this past weekend! 9-6-14

I recently read Lynne Isbell's "The Fruit, the Tree, and the Serpent", in which she argues that snakes (, fear of) played a major role in primate evolution, especially with respect to vision and cognition. She says the reason we see so well (in color, pattern recognition, etc.) is so snakes don't kill us dead.

One of the things she mentions is that a lot of people who have done fieldwork in snake-infested areas have similar stories: they somehow know the snake is there before they see it. It seems like magic, but really our brains are hard-wired to see snakes at a subconscious level.

It's a fascinating book -- not too long, not too technical.

Miles






On Thursday, September 11, 2014 10:51:18 AM UTC-4, Misha Gill wrote:

Once, in Central Texas, I was descending a cliff to get down to a beautiful, green-watered limestone creek. My descent involved a lot of rock hopping. Halfway down, something in me said "look before you leap." On the next ledge lay a coiled rattlesnake. Just sunbathing in the early morning. I found another path down. 

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[TurbineBlade]

Really?  I need to get a dog -- maybe a retired racer, I love greyhounds.  

That's interesting Rich -- I love stuff like that.  

Gene