Check out this bad boy

[Windustsearch]

Heres a big nasty red diamond rattler I cought on a recent trip to SoCal. Hes about 4.5 feet and thicker than a pop can.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v317/Windustsearch/Cali05049.jpg

[Muggzy]

I don't have to deal with those raskles here in the midwest. Copperheads and
cottonmouth every once in a while.

That dude is ...chunky

Telephoto lens I assume?:D

I ran into a cornsnake here. They are marked, kinda like a rattle snake. When
I reached down to get 'em...he started rattleing his tail and it sounded like rattle but itwas his tail moving the leafs. It did make me stop my reach for him.

Neat photo

[Windustsearch]

No telephoto. Just stay 2.5 feet away! Just a digital point and shoot. The snake sat there like that posing for a half an hour while we all took pics. It was just waiting for someone to get within striking range.

[renaissance_warrior]

Mmmmmm tastes like chicken, but a much better looking belt and hatband!

Mark :beer:

[Windustsearch]

Naw, that big ol monster? We let him loose where we found him. That guys probably 10 or 15 years old.

[lutefisk]

Actually, there is a healthy rattlesnake population at Devils Lake State Park near Baraboo. Used to climb there as a kid and always worried about grabbing the wrong handhold. AIR, these were Timber Rattlesnakes.

[ftierson]

Damn, he's (she's) beautiful...

Around here, most that I see are pretty green...

[Windustsearch]

You must be in the eastern US? Timber rattlesnakes?

Anyhow, we had a blast on that trip, caught 77 snakes in 7 days, lots of variety. The weather was perfect for camping.

Heres a few more starting with this southwestern speckled rattlesnake.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v317/Windustsearch/Cali05073.jpg

A few of the San Diego Mountain Kingsnakes

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v317/Windustsearch/Cali05065.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v317/Windustsearch/Cali05064.jpg

And a couple of the Rosy Boas

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v317/Windustsearch/Cali05050.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v317/Windustsearch/2a490a54.jpg

[redrum007]

nice snake, sit stay...and all well trained to I might add:D

[idsubgun]

Is the Rosy Boa native to this country? I didn't think we had any boas that were native.

[J308]

Windust, send me up one of those mountain kingsnakes wouldja? Just kidding, but I'd love to have one of those beauties..

[Windustsearch]

There are two species of boas in the US, lichanura trivirgata-Rosy boas, and charina bottae-Rubber boas. The rosies are found in southern CA, AZ, the southern tip of Neveda, and south into Baja and Mexico. The Rubber boas occur from BC south into WA, ID, OR, UT, NV, and the Northern 3/4 of CA. Neither one gets over 3.5 feet. Both make calm and easy to care for pets.

You can buy captive bred Mountain Kings for usually under $100. The subspecies we were catching there is protected by CA, so all were released, in fact everything on the trip was released. They are bred in captivity though. All others can be collected from the wild legally except for any from the small population in WA.

[P806]

Holy brown cap!:uhoh:

[idsubgun]

Thanks Windustsearch, learn something everyday.

[Sword of Laban]

I have been looking for a Rubber Boa for years, just not looking hard as snake hunting was a bit easier before children and wife. Saw a big one as a kid and never saw another. Caught lots of Mountian Kings, Rosy Boa's, Cali Kings, a couple diamond backs, a coral and a Freaking huge escaped Python as a young kid in southern Cali. before moving to Oregon. Kids used to call my house the Wild Kingdom. Only managed to be bit by a gopher snake once, I thought they were safe.

[Windustsearch]

They can be really easy to find in the right place with the right conditions. Up to a dozen a day is not out of the ordinary. You definately live in the right place, Oregon is the best place to look. PM or E-mail me if you want some locales or tactics.

[Windustsearch]

Heres a size comparison shot my buddy took.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v317/Windustsearch/mike21.jpg

[Plain George]

Snakes are interesting and beautiful creatures.
I have no desire to have one as a pet.
I finally got my wife to stop killing every one on sight.

[cannoneer]

There is a "rattlesnake rodeo" held in Opp, Alabama once a year for many years. Local people bring in hundreds of them(eastern diamondback) and 6 footers bigger than your arm are quite common. It is a local carnival event where they serve them fried, etc:. They do , in fact, taste a bit like chicken. You can buy boots and belts and hat bands and just about anything else made with rattlesnake hide and heads. This makes P.E.T.A. very happy of course.:D