EISPIRATEN

Last Sunday I was re-shooting the interior of Big Horn Mine with my new GoPro. On the way back to the parking lot I was surprised to see this dusty black Southern Pacific rattler slithering across the road (in the middle of the day). He crawled into a bush, which made shooting him a challenge, so I laid down on the road next to him and tried to get as close as possible. People were walking by wondering what I was doing. "Hey meeester, are you O.K.?" He wasn't rattling at that time. This particular snake was a juvenile, about 3 feet long. Full grown ones are about four feet and sometime slightly bigger.



My hope was to get him to strike the camera. He eventually did strike it (twice) but it happened so fast the camera was unable to capture his fangs. I had to wipe venom off twice to keep shooting because it was blurring the lens. It's amazing how well these snakes have adapted to blend in to their surroundings, and you can see how easy it would be to accidentally step one while bushwhacking. The ones I've seen at lower elevations are usually black with more prominent diamond patterns or a completely different color (tan and beige) with well defined diamonds. Sean took a good shot of one on Mt. Lowe, with more defined markings. Same snake, different adaptation.



From what I've read these snakes are evolving quickly. Their venom is becoming stronger and their territorial range has increased all the way down to Baja. According to Dr. Sean Bush of Loma Linda Medical Center they been deemed the "people-biting snake in California." While they're not nearly as dangerous as the Mojave Green they can still do some serious damage to humans. Their venom is a hemotoxin, which attacks red blood cells and can trigger problems in breathing, loss of muscle control, and it can sometimes even cause you to go into a coma.



Some interesting fact about these snakes ~

• The military has has used them for advances in their night vision and heat seeking technology.
• When a rattlesnake's head is severed from its body it can still bare its fangs and bite. The warmth of a hand will activate the striking reflex.
• Rattlesnake venom, dried and stored, has been found to be "toxic to mice for at least 27 years," according to the USGS Southwest Biological Science Center.
• Rattlers are deaf. They smell with their tongue and track prey with a Jacobsen's organ on the roof of their mouth.



• Although they have excellent vision the heat sensing organs on the side of their face can detect prey that are as little 1/10 of a degree warmer than their background
• The number of rattles does not indicate their age, only the number of times they've molted (shed their skin), which can be several time a year.
• When a rattlesnake breaks a fang while striking, another one will grow back in its place.

Were you holding the camera while he struck at the lens?

I'm crazy but not that crazy. GoPro makes a stick called the El Grande that allows you to keep your distance while you shoot. Those photos are actually clips I took from video. Because he was trapped in a bush his striking range was only about one and a half feet.

Gorgeous snake! Thanks for sharing. Brush is so thick now because of the wet winter, I am extra careful tromping through it.

Because of the heavy rain this winter, the rodent population is heavy and there are supposed to be a record number of rattlesnakes. If anyone is worried about getting bit in the brush, snake leggings are relatively cheap and will make you bulletproof from the knee down.

Wow! Thanks for the information. I pissed off a rattler on our group hike last week. We didn't get a picture of it but I caught a glimpse of it after I almost stepped on it. It was a dark color just like your picture. I didn't know rattlesnakes were deaf. I think we both surprised one another. It was a close call. My foot was very close to him as he was curled up on the side of the trail in some shade. It all happened so fast, I ran away so quickly he could not strike me but he slithered off in the opposite direction. Mad as hell as he was still rattling going down the steep ridge.

I was wondering the same thing as Richard K asked about the snake striking your camera. I was thinking you are one crazy dude! aka CrazyHermit.

I stepped on one about three years ago in Eaton Canyon at night. He bit me on the boot, but fortunately his fangs didn't go through the leather. They're way more scared of you than you are of them. Most of the time they won't even rattle because it gives their location away.

Beautiful pics.

In the Woolsey Fire burn area, I've actually seen far fewer rattlesnakes this year than previously. Despite the rains and rapid revegetation, I think the fire really decimated their food sources.

Sigh.

Great pictures and thanks for the reminder to be careful when out in the wilderness.