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Accidental find in Riverside

Lovin2act

Lovin2act

I gave my wife herps
A friend of mine was at a shooting range in Riverside, (he is a detective) and found this little guy in the parking lot about to be destroyed by someone. He managed to scoop him up and get him out of there thankfully. He texted me about it and I told him to bring him to me the next morning at church so I could get some photo's, but I had no idea he was bringing him from Riverside unfortunately. We are about an hour from there where we live. He is clearly a newborn I would think as he cant even make noise with his tail yet, and is maybe only 10-12 inches long. This pic is right after I had given him a nice little meal, for hospitality sake :D

I will say that this little guy acts like he was captive bred, totally mellow, does not attempt to strike or show aggression in any way at all for the most part. I am not gonna test that with my hands though haha! But his attitude when I go in with the hook is quite chill, he just jumps right on and moves about with me on the hooks. We took a video of him last night when we offered a live hopper mouse (we plan to release him, didn't want to spoil him with f/t, not sure if it would but why risk it) and he acted like we were not even there, just started eating right away with us hovering over him with the lights on him. Dang if only all of my pet snakes acted this way! Sheesh! :D
 

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I have to say, even though I don't like watching a live feeding(and I have a couple of ball pythons that eat live) that was very interesting to watch. It's amazing to watch how these guys have to kill in the wild since I'm guessing they don't coil like our corns do. Thank you for posting that.
 
Yeah believe me I am the same way in that regard. I only made an exception this time due to the fact that they eat so differently and I had never seen it up close and personal like that, and I also didn't want it to teach it any bad habbits by waiting for some human to toss it prekilled prey items, what with my plans to release him. He is so young, might tweak the lifelong learnings that they get from their childhood haha! Probably would not be an issue, but for something going back to the wild and being so young, I didn't want to take a chance even if its very minimal. I did not enjoy seeing a little cute mouse die, I never like seeing that, so I hope no one sees that video as taken for pleasure or enjoyment. It most definitely was not. I am a f/t guy all the way with my captive bred collection here. If only our stinkin sand boa would get the message too haha! She goes months on end without eating until I finally cave and get her a live hopper. So frustrating!
 
I know right! First feedings are always a huge ordeal for us to get over most of the time when we get a new critter, yet this guy, after almost getting killed, being transported in a bucket and probably scared to death and stressed out, simply acted like it was just another day getting a meal from the giant human. Not to mention being videoed, under bright lighting, with two people watching the whole thing and a dog sniffing around trying to see why he was not being pet and played with.
 
Cool!! He sure makes sure he's bitten the mouse enough times, huh? What would happen in the wild if the mouse ran off after the first bite? Would he go look for it? I wonder how he decides it's time to eat. I wonder how he would react with FT!
 
Yeah he definitely made sure that mouse was gonna be his! I am pretty sure he would have gone after it and kept a slight distance until it had passed and then started the meal. But who knows! I have seen them on tv where they let the thing run off and they track it down a minute or two later following the scent particles and by using their facial heat trackers (yes pits) ha!
 
Congrats- speckled rattlers (wc ones) can sometimes be extremely hard to get feeding (usually wc adults). Rescuing a baby is a real treat.

I've been keeping hots for ~20 years now. DO NOT LET YOUR GUARD DOWN no matter how chill the little rattle-bug seems. Be extremely responsible when keeping him, a bite would be publicized and reflect badly on reptiles and our hobby.

Whenever you forget my above words of wisdom (lol), just look at this photogallery from venomousreptiles.org :

http://www.venomousreptiles.org/libraries/Snakebite Photos/1

Keeping venomous is a huge step in someone's reptile hobby- consider your saefty and the people around you. Clearly label the cage, ensure it's locked, and just use common sense. Never set your hand (or allow other people/children/etc) to touch the screen top (guessing you're keeping it in a screen topped tank) because MANY people have been bitten through the screen... I KNOW people who have... be safe.

lol- I'll stop preaching. Thats an awesome find and one of my favorite species.

Here's some "blue phase" speckled rattlers breeding for me last season!
 

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StrangeCargo said:
Congrats- speckled rattlers (wc ones) can sometimes be extremely hard to get feeding (usually wc adults). Rescuing a baby is a real treat.

I've been keeping hots for ~20 years now. DO NOT LET YOUR GUARD DOWN no matter how chill the little rattle-bug seems. Be extremely responsible when keeping him, a bite would be publicized and reflect badly on reptiles and our hobby.

Whenever you forget my above words of wisdom (lol), just look at this photogallery from venomousreptiles.org :

http://www.venomousreptiles.org/libraries/Snakebite Photos/1

Keeping venomous is a huge step in someone's reptile hobby- consider your saefty and the people around you. Clearly label the cage, ensure it's locked, and just use common sense. Never set your hand (or allow other people/children/etc) to touch the screen top (guessing you're keeping it in a screen topped tank) because MANY people have been bitten through the screen... I KNOW people who have... be safe.

lol- I'll stop preaching. Thats an awesome find and one of my favorite species.

Here's some "blue phase" speckled rattlers breeding for me last season!
Click to expand...

No I appreciate the preaching! I have been a snake nut my whole life since a kid (37 now), but I dont take this as a right of manhood type thing at all. I do NOT want to add a pic of me to that thread and will not be letting any guard down while he is in my care. Thankfully he is mellow and seems very content while I move him around on the hook. My crazy yearling woma is more of a bite threat than this little guy is! I cant even get near it without taking a feed response bite haha! But yeah the little speckled is not in a screen top container right now so that risk is not there thankfully! He is contained and secure and cannot even reach the top of the container he is in to even attempt an escape. And its fall-over proof as well just in case we have an earthquake lol!

Wow gorgeous pics there of your speckled's!!

Seriously I appreciate your feedback. I am not a know it all snake guy with an attitude. I love this hobby and despise it when people ruin it for us by making us look bad with their poor judgments and risks. Thank you sir for your care!
 
Wow, I have a lot of respect to those that keep Hots. Those are beautiful snakes. It is crazy that something so beautiful is so deadly. But that is Mother Nature, I guess.

I just looked at all the bites on that link Strange Cargo posted. Wow. My aunt and cousin were both bit by copperheads in Texas, just walking from the house to the car at night.

My great mother told us a story when we were little that her sister Rose was bit by a rattlesnake while working in a cotton field in Texas. Her entire leg turned black and she lost most of her calf muscle and thigh but survived it. She even continued working after she was bit. This was in the early 1920 or 30s.
 
Lovin2act said:
No I appreciate the preaching! I have been a snake nut my whole life since a kid (37 now), but I dont take this as a right of manhood type thing at all. I do NOT want to add a pic of me to that thread and will not be letting any guard down while he is in my care. Thankfully he is mellow and seems very content while I move him around on the hook. My crazy yearling woma is more of a bite threat than this little guy is! I cant even get near it without taking a feed response bite haha! But yeah the little speckled is not in a screen top container right now so that risk is not there thankfully! He is contained and secure and cannot even reach the top of the container he is in to even attempt an escape. And its fall-over proof as well just in case we have an earthquake lol!

Wow gorgeous pics there of your speckled's!!

Seriously I appreciate your feedback. I am not a know it all snake guy with an attitude. I love this hobby and despise it when people ruin it for us by making us look bad with their poor judgments and risks. Thank you sir for your care!
Click to expand...

PLEASE to it in a locking unit not a screen take fish tank or container. I have been working with HOT for over 30 years now. So when you mean secure that means locking doors.
 
Lovin2act said:
No I appreciate the preaching! I have been a snake nut my whole life since a kid (37 now), but I dont take this as a right of manhood type thing at all. I do NOT want to add a pic of me to that thread and will not be letting any guard down while he is in my care. Thankfully he is mellow and seems very content while I move him around on the hook. My crazy yearling woma is more of a bite threat than this little guy is! I cant even get near it without taking a feed response bite haha! But yeah the little speckled is not in a screen top container right now so that risk is not there thankfully! He is contained and secure and cannot even reach the top of the container he is in to even attempt an escape. And its fall-over proof as well just in case we have an earthquake lol!

Wow gorgeous pics there of your speckled's!!

Seriously I appreciate your feedback. I am not a know it all snake guy with an attitude. I love this hobby and despise it when people ruin it for us by making us look bad with their poor judgments and risks. Thank you sir for your care!
Click to expand...

PLEASE put it in a locking unit not a screen take fish tank or container. I have been working with HOT for over 30 years now. So when you mean secure that means locking doors.
 
No fish tanks here, not to worry :)

I could kick the cage down the street several times over and that thing is not opening without my specific intervention.
 
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