>
> You are absolutely correct, Chuck. They are indeed a more placid snake
>than the Diamondback, but that is a relative thing. They are also far less
>common than the Diamondbacks.
>
<<SNIP>>
While guiding a group of people many years ago, I heard the sound of a
rattler but could not determine the exact direction it was in as we were coming
down a slope in a narrow canyon and the sound was bouncing off the canyon
walls. I slowly followed the sound, in the end looking down at my feet.
There, coiled beneath an overhanging rock, I saw a Mojave rattler that was
about 3" across in the middle and about 2" from my foot. I knew it was a
Mojave from the greenish tint and pattern of the scales.
Mojave rattlers are aggressive, and they have a habit of chasing people.
I first made sure that everyone was well away from me, then jumped about 8 feet
downhill. It was the closest encounter I've ever had with any species of
rattlesnake.
Also many years ago, I was sent some photos by a botanist at the
Boyce-Thompson Arboretum of a rattlesnake they had encountered and killed on
the grounds. It took me a couple of weeks, but I finally identified it as a
Red Diamond Rattlesnake. They later encountered a second one. What they were
doing there I have no idea, as they are supposed to be found in far southern
California and northern Baja.
Chris
When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro
- Hunter S. Thompson
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