Author Topic: PLEASE ID this snake for me, I think it's a rattlesnake... (Read 34720 times)

Calindy · « **on:** Mar 31, 07, 09:19:05 PM »

My dog was brking by her water dish, and there is a snake. It looked like it was shaking the end of it's tail too. I think it is a rattlesnake...thank God no one got bit! Man I HATE snakes!!

hill okie · « **Reply #1 on:** Mar 31, 07, 09:30:24 PM »

King snake??? King snakes eat rattlers I think.

Calindy · « **Reply #2 on:** Mar 31, 07, 09:32:57 PM »

I hope that it is, hopefully someone will let me know FOR SURE!!

Hobbes · « **Reply #3 on:** Mar 31, 07, 09:59:12 PM »

Hello, I believe that is a gopher snake.

Hobbes · « **Reply #4 on:** Mar 31, 07, 10:01:47 PM »

Actually, I know it is a gopher snake, sorry to sound so wishy washy.

MtnDude · « **Reply #5 on:** Mar 31, 07, 10:01:59 PM »

No, that is not a rattle snake. Rattle snakes have a noticeably defined triangular head, as do most poisonous snakes. Cool looking snake though!

Wildman · « **Reply #6 on:** Mar 31, 07, 10:04:31 PM »

Definately a Gopher Snake...one of the good guys in the legless world. They will shake their tail like a rattle snake and will often open their mouth and hiss. As already stated, he doesn't have the pit viper head. Beautiful creature.

Calindy · « **Reply #7 on:** Mar 31, 07, 10:04:55 PM »

THANK-YOU so much!!! I feel so much better and I can let my dogs out now. The snake has slithered on his way...yeah!!!

Nolena · « **Reply #8 on:** Mar 31, 07, 10:53:57 PM »

Gopher snake.
You want them. They keep the rats & mice down.

lynnc · « **Reply #9 on:** Mar 31, 07, 11:48:25 PM »

Lazy Faire Ranch in West Cajon Valley had its first rattlesnake today - a baby one. Paul killed it - it was about 30 feet from some of the horses (including mine!) Guess spring is here!

RobertW · « **Reply #10 on:** Apr 01, 07, 05:06:32 AM »

Quote from: Nolena on Mar 31, 07, 10:53:57 PM

Gopher snake.
You want them. They keep the rats & mice down.

Ditto!! Definately a gopher snake. You want these creatures around, especially with all the rats around lately.

They won't harm you and are good for keeping the vermin in check.

KWBoy · « **Reply #11 on:** Apr 01, 07, 06:42:05 AM »

Quote from: RobertW on Apr 01, 07, 05:06:32 AM

Ditto!! Definately a gopher snake. You want these creatures around, especially with all the rats around lately. They won't harm you and are good for keeping the vermin in check.

I wish they would hang around our property and take care of all the dang rats

cedar · « **Reply #12 on:** Apr 04, 07, 05:26:58 AM »

Thanks for asking rather than just killing the snake. Gopher snakes will try to imitate rattlesnakes when they are frightened. If there are dry leaves around the tail shaking can resemble a rattlesnake rattle.

Please try not to hate snakes. As others have pointed out snakes eat rodents that carry diseases. Where I work the rattlesnakes are removed from the area (not killed - a fairly easy, safe, process if you know what you are doing) . Now, the ground squirrels are a big problem. Too many ground squirrels mean that plague could be an issue (the same one that killed 1/3 of Europe - before antibotics). I'd rather watch out for snakes (which you should be doing in Wrightwood anyway when it is warm) than worry about diseases.

If there is a snake that anyone thinks is in the wrong place. Let me know. I will try to come rescue it and get it to a safe place.

BWsgirl · « **Reply #13 on:** Apr 04, 07, 04:44:19 PM »

I get the Mojovi greens and the regular rattlers here. Along with a ton of the king snakes but I did find a baby once that was a goffer it was scared and did the rattler thing. Now I have a electric wire up and it seems to be keeping the snakes out of the top half of the yard they can have the roam of the back as long as they dont get to my kids or pets. I do believe that with the shock wire on they dont come in. Anyone else ever notice this with any shock wire they have up?

Surfer_Dude · « **Reply #14 on:** Aug 04, 09, 02:14:48 AM »

A friend ran into a black rattlesnake on Ontario Peak. Interesting...I haven't seen a black on in the Angeles yet.

http://fireflyforest.net/firefly/2007/07/27/arizona-black-rattlesnake/

Surfer_Dude · « **Reply #15 on:** Aug 04, 09, 02:16:23 AM »

They say it "Didn't happen unless you have pics!"

I am guessing AZ rattler...but he was a bit lost.
Anyone?

Naughty pines · « **Reply #16 on:** Aug 04, 09, 03:19:04 AM »

I've lived in Wrightwood for almost eleven years now and have only seen one snake. I was driving down towards Jackson Lake and it had been run over on the road, didn't bother to see what kind it was.

Janie · « **Reply #17 on:** Aug 04, 09, 03:55:16 AM »

Quote from: Surfer_Dude on Aug 04, 09, 02:16:23 AM

They say it "Didn't happen unless you have pics!"
I am guessing AZ rattler...but he was a bit lost.
Anyone?

The common rattlesnake here, Crotalus viridis helleri, Southern Pacific Rattlesnake ... they just get darker the higher up you go.

"high elevation populations can be very dark or black dorsally, with little or no pattern definition"

http://www.werc.usgs.gov/fieldguide/crvi.htm

ChrisLynnet · « **Reply #18 on:** Aug 04, 09, 01:48:34 PM »

Thanks Janie, that makes perfect sense to me. I saw 3 rattlesnakes last year on the local trails and they were very dark. I couldn't figure out what kind of rattler they were as the dark color didn't seem to fit. The lowest elevation was 6000' (hiking up to Helicopter Hill) and the other 2 were up in the Grassy Hollow area. The latter were EXCEPTIONALLY annoyed at my dog and me -- scary!

Surfer_Dude · « **Reply #19 on:** Aug 04, 09, 03:29:04 PM »

I have seen them dark but never as dark as the picture. Thanks for the ID.

Author Topic: PLEASE ID this snake for me, I think it's a rattlesnake... (Read 34720 times)

Calindy

hill okie

Calindy

MtnDude

Wildman

Calindy

KWBoy

BWsgirl

Naughty pines

Janie