Leave rattlesnakes alone. They eat mice. Mice spread Lyme Disease. Karma will give you Lyme disease on your hike.Originally Posted by JC13
Break time!!! Take some great photos. Keep an eye on it while you eat your lunch or breakfast or dinner. The hubby and I encouraged a black hognose(?) off the trail with a little nudge on our PMT. It wasn't venomous, but just because it won't kill me if it bites me, doesn't make me any more eager to get bitten. Snakes will bite, venomous or not so... I'd just as soon not walk over it if I can help it. I bet even the "harmless" ones have teeth and I bet it doesn't tickle if they bite you.
" Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt. "
is that the real OkefenokeeJoe? if so, believe what he says!
remember, all snakes eat mice and they are your worst enemy on the trail. followed closely by skunks.
First snake encounter on the AT was a timber rattler on the jump out a few miles north of NOC. Left it alone, and warned other hikers we passed.
Second one, different hike, was a few miles south of the NOC, also a timber rattler. This one was half concealed right on the edge of the trail. I almost stepped on it! It must have very recently eaten, because it was very docile for a warm June afternoon. We encouraged it away, so nobody else was in the danger that I avoided.
The non venomous snakes, while still startling, are just ignored and bypassed.
Most timber rattlers are very laid back. They often dont rattle, and can even be picked up. Mostly they just slink away. . A diamondback is high strung and lets you know if too close.
Skunks are great mousers. The family that lived under my summer place kept it mouse free for years.
"It's fun to have fun, but you have to know how." ---Dr. Seuss
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Just enjoy the experience and let them be.
thats a big snake
Yeah it is!
Holy smokes! Is it a timber rattler? Where was that taken?
Section hiker on the 20 year plan - 2,078 miles and counting!
If non-venomous I use my trekking pole to gently nudge it to get it to move out of the way. If venomous I back track a bit, grab a long stick (5' or more), gently nudge it to get it to move out of the way and confirm it has moved several feet away from the trail. Then I move on. Haven't had a snake not move yet.
AT: 2007-2019 (45 sections)
JMT: 2013
Hugh Quinn; Retired zoo Curator of Herpetology says just leave it, don't harass it or engage it in any way
Late fall and winter hiking is soooo much better than summer hiking. No bugs, no snakes, no bears, no problem.
" Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt. "
Just walk around it and leave it alone. Not a big deal, and there's certainly no reason to interact with it to move it off the trail.
Yes they are timber rattlers, The picture in my original post was the fourth one I saw that day not far from the AT is Western MA. The one that is coiled and rattling was spooked by a deer I had just jumped and it ran down the trail ahead of me. Three of the snakes had cloudy blue eyes and dusty skin, evidence that they were getting ready to shed. When I showed these pictures to a Herpatologist at UMass, she said that it is unusual to see a TR with so many rattles as they are very brittle and break off. The snake in my original post, tuned and headed up the trail toward me. I had my dog (on a leash) between my legs to hold her back. When the snake sensed us, it turned off the trail and then past by just off the trail about 3 feet away, affording me the chance to get close up shots of its head, body and tail. No aggression, it just moved very slowly. I felt very fortunate to see these as they are endangered here in MA.
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The likelihood of a bite from this rattlesnake, if it got stepped on by the next hiker to come along, seemed a fair enough reason to shoo it off the trail.
No sure if you were insinuating that I put myself in danger by doing so, therefor I should have left it alone?
I'm not a professional snake handler, but I'm also no stranger to snakes... much caution was used.
Living in Florida has desensitized me to snakes. I've found myself cruising along at a good pace and looked down to see I just walked over a pygmy rattler more times than I can count and I can only imagine how many I've walked over and haven't noticed.
I was hiking through the old growth swamp at Rice Creek conservation area and I came across this massive fella just chilling next to the trail:
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Later that same day, I was resting at the shelter and met the caretaker:
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And here is a beautiful and large coral snake that two of my friends jogged past without noticing. I was lucky enough to spot him before he disappeared into the pine duff:
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My general advice to newbs who are scared of the outdoors because of animals is that they are more scared of you than you are of them--give respect and distance and all that jazz. Unless it's a cotton mouth--all bets are off with those belligerant bastards.
"I am learning nothing in this trivial world of [humans]. I must break away and get out into the mountains to learn the news." --John Muir
Ha ha, yeah there's a lot of advice to just walk right on by or step over these guys. I like snakes and love seeing them. 99% of my encounters with snakes have been pleasant where they just stay put or slither off. So I'm in agreement to leave them be, except when they are laying across the trail or in very close proximity to the trail. Is a snake close to the trail gonna chase me down and bite me...nah...but they are still wild animals and who knows what one might decide to do if it gets a wild hair...er ummm scale up it's rear. So for that reason I shoo the ones on or right next to the trail off. As I previously posted a gentle nudge usually gets them to casually slither away.
AT: 2007-2019 (45 sections)
JMT: 2013
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my rattler encounter on the AT last week
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