OT local news for today

Check out my Mr. bill's big brother. He was taken out of a backyard a few blocks from my house. A six foot Diamondback! He was released in a wooded area nearby without harm.



Here's the link to the story

http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Headlines/03NewsHEAD03061505.htm

The story I believe.....the size isn't unheard of......but that is clearly a faked photo.

I agree with CAV, something just don't look right with the snake in that photo.

Cav, PCAR,

Though I thought it looked a bit colorful. I never considered it to be faked. Why bother? These snakes are all over the place around here. The size is about normal too.

Perhaps they colorized it for effect. However I have no reason to doubt the story. I included the link. Did you guys read it? It's perfectly legit.

I hate the paper. It's a liberal rag full of one sided opinions. But there was lots of news today. No need to make this up for fill.

Eric

If you notice, CAV believed the story, and so do I. And, the size of the snake is pretty common. We were just commenting on the picture.

Yes, I read the story, actually just got done reading it for the second time.

BTW...where did you get that picture? I didn't see it in the article, nor did I find links to it from the atricle.

You decide.................

1. Shadows are above the snake on the pants legs.....in broad daylight no doubt.

2. Unless the snake is magnetic and that bar is a magnet, there is no hook or tong visible under or around the snakes neck.

3. I've seen a 5-6' long Diamondback and they just aren't that beefy, especially when suspended vertically. They flatten out when horizontal on the ground.

to add to this, I have never seen one that colorful either. Most are very dull grey with lighter patches creating the diamonds. This one just strikes me as being too bright.

CAV said:

2. Unless the snake is magnetic and that bar is a magnet, there is no hook or tong visible under or around the snakes neck.

Click to expand...

To me it looks like one of those 'noose poles' that animal control uses to remove dogs/cats. I have seen them in use for reptiles when watching Animal Cops and they used one for a large, angry burm that had escaped its owners enclosure and had found its way into a garage of a neighbour.

It looks like a white/yellowish cord around the back of the rattler's head. :shrugs:

I have never seen a rattle snake in person, but it does look really brightly colored from the pictures that I've seen. The whole picture looks like it was taken on a cloudy day and the man holding the snake was bombarded with flashes from an army of news photographers. Probably to get pictures over with at one instant.

For now, I believe the story and I'll believe the picture, even if it does look touched up.

Although, what idiot (animal control or not) catches a rattlesnake and isn't wearing the 'kevlar leggings' I see and have used when hiking in a location where there are rattlers?

If you go directly to this site, now,
http://www.news-journalonline.com/
You will see the picture. I've been in Florida for 33 years and have seen some big easterns, but this picture looks like a fake to me as well :shrugs:
The photo credit is given to the woman in the story

pcar said:

If you notice, CAV believed the story, and so do I. And, the size of the snake is pretty common. We were just commenting on the picture.

Yes, I read the story, actually just got done reading it for the second time.

BTW...where did you get that picture? I didn't see it in the article, nor did I find links to it from the atricle.

Click to expand...

I found the picture on the home-page of that web site: http://www.news-journalonline.com/

The caption reads:
Jacee Econom, with Advanced Animal Control, stands in the O'Hagans' yard holding the 6-foot eastern diamonback rattlesnake he caught Friday.