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Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake

From the Social Snakes blog:

(Link to Video)

Yesterday morning Lula (our dog) and I headed back from tracking our rattlesnakes on a trail through the mesquite forest. Lula was only a step or two ahead, so I couldn't see the trail right in front of me. Mid-step, I saw a western diamond-backed rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) stretched out across the trail where my foot was coming down. I immediately jumped back but Lula hadn't missed a step as she walked right over the snake. The snake reacted to my jump by assuming the defensive posture seen above and rattling.

Many believe that rattlesnakes spend their days waiting for a chance to 'attack' us, our children, and our pets. This rattlesnake had the perfect opportunity to attack us, but never attempted to bite. After a minute or two of rattling, it went back about its business:

Why? From a snake's perspective, we are the predator, the threat, and they are scared of us. A snake's first line of defense is to hope you don't see it (crypsis or camouflage), then attempt to escape (cowards) and/or display (for example rattling, bluffers). If given no other choice, they strike (warriors). And this is supported by numerous studies (for example: Gibbons & Dorcas 2002, Amarello et al. 2008), not just the anecdote presented here. Additionally,

“50 to 70% of reptile bites managed by the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center were provoked by the person who was bitten--that is, someone was trying to kill, capture or harass the animal.” (Arizona Poison & Drug Information Center)

So perhaps we have something to learn from the snake: it is in everyone’s interest to leave each other alone.

Further reading:

Amarello, M., K. Bonine, and D. Lazcano. 2008. Factors influencing the antipredator behavior of Mexican lance-headed rattlesnakes (Crotalus polystictus) toward humans. Pp. 229-234 in W.K. Hayes, K.R.Beaman, M.D. Cardwell, and S.P. Bush (eds.), The Biology of Rattlesnakes. Loma Linda University Press, Loma Linda, CA.

Arizona Poison & Drug Information Center. Rattlesnakes (information on venomous snake bites in the USA).

Gibbons, J.W. and M.E. Dorcas. 2002. Defensive behavior of cottonmouths toward humans. Copeia 2002: 195-198.
 
Great blog, Nanci! Bookmarked. If anyone is interested in (dare I say) Crotalus behavior, there's a neat time-lapse video of one sitting by a fence, approached by squirrel too large to eat, then another con-specific.

All I could think while watching that video was a western hognose would have tried to eat that squirrel!
 
I loved that video. Did the squirrel kick dirt all over the snake? There are a bunch of older videos about snake/squirrel interactions.
 
some populations of ground squirrels have developed defenses against "crotalus". Some chew sheds and put the smell on themselves which seems to be passed on to future generations. Also the same populations have learned to harass the snakes until they leave. Not all populations of the species of squirrels have learned this though.
 
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Not to stir up an old pot, but thought you guys would be proud of me today. We were at a park with some friends. There was a lake near the playground. It didn't take long for my son to lead his sister and two friends into a wooded area near the lake to look for critters. One of the moms expressed concern that they would stumble upon a rattlesnake or fire ants. I nicely said that rattlesnakes were very shy and it was highly unlikely that one would take up residence so close to a playground, and that even if there was one in the area, I was sure it would stay clear of our four rowdy kids.....now, fire ants! Yes, always a big concern in Florida!!!!
 
We had a homeschool group event at a state park, and the only herp we saw all day was a water moccasin (I think-I didn't exactly inspect closely). I figure maybe it was the only snake not scared away by our kids? Anyway, I'm pretty proud of the group-everyone hung back and let the snake slither across the path, unmolested, except for a few photos being snapped :).
 
gsdbecca said:
Not to stir up an old pot, but thought you guys would be proud of me today. We were at a park with some friends. There was a lake near the playground. It didn't take long for my son to lead his sister and two friends into a wooded area near the lake to look for critters. One of the moms expressed concern that they would stumble upon a rattlesnake or fire ants. I nicely said that rattlesnakes were very shy and it was highly unlikely that one would take up residence so close to a playground, and that even if there was one in the area, I was sure it would stay clear of our four rowdy kids.....now, fire ants! Yes, always a big concern in Florida!!!!
Click to expand...

I'm way more worried about fire ants than I am about rattlesnakes.
 
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