BajaNomad

In My Driveway Tonight

Ken Bondy - 3-29-2007 at 09:18 PM

Beautiful little animal. After I harassed and blinded him for awhile I used a broom handle to push him off in the bushes. He was about 18" long.









vgabndo - 3-29-2007 at 09:29 PM

Isn't 'e GOOOOOOOOORgeous. A little hot on the quiet end, but absolutely beautiful. Good on ya for lettin' it live. I haven't had to kill one for years. That makes me happy.:lol:

OK, Ken, you're creepin' me out!

Mexray - 3-29-2007 at 11:10 PM

...I don't know if I'd be to anxious to do any weeding around your casa! Of course, having your 'new best friend' close by might help to keep the Fuller Brush man away!

Now that you're messing around with dangerous critters, I wouldn't be planning to go 'swimming with giant Stingrays' any time soon!:spingrin:

Packoderm - 3-29-2007 at 11:15 PM

I love the photography on that one.

BajaTrooper - 3-30-2007 at 05:59 AM

Ken, Thanks for sharing those beautiful shots!

Osprey - 3-30-2007 at 08:15 AM

Ken, don't know where you live but the Western Diamondback (coontail) is very temperature tolerant -- first one out of the ground in the spring, last one to go under in the winter. That's just my personal observation -- maybe there are lots of reasons; prey, specialization, etc. but I've seen them when I was rabbit hunting while I was wearing lots of layers to keep warm. I like snakes so If I encounter them on a paved road, sunning, I usually stop, pick them up, move them away from harm. They need the sun so they rarely thank me.

Natalie Ann - 3-30-2007 at 08:23 AM

What a beautiful snake that is! I've never seen one except in a vivarium, so this is a special treat for me. Thanks for harassing it with your camera strobe in order that we all might have a good look.

Nena

Cardon - 3-30-2007 at 09:13 AM

Great shots of the snake. We had one visit our woodcarving show here in Salt Lake City two weeks ago-it won the blue ribbon.








Iflyfish - 3-30-2007 at 09:19 AM

Wow! Coool


^^^^^^^^:>

Iflyfishssssssssss

Ken Bondy - 3-30-2007 at 11:04 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Osprey
Ken, don't know where you live but the Western Diamondback (coontail) is very temperature tolerant -- first one out of the ground in the spring, last one to go under in the winter. That's just my personal observation -- maybe there are lots of reasons; prey, specialization, etc. but I've seen them when I was rabbit hunting while I was wearing lots of layers to keep warm. I like snakes so If I encounter them on a paved road, sunning, I usually stop, pick them up, move them away from harm. They need the sun so they rarely thank me.


Osprey I live in LA, southwest corner of the San Fernando Valley. I am not much on snake id, is that what he is, a western diamondback? I googled a few of them and the pattern looks different, the google diamonds are much more distinct than the one that was warming on my driveway. But maybe this is what they look like when they are young.

bajaandy - 3-30-2007 at 11:05 AM

Ken,

That fourth photo, close-up of the head, is just awesome! They're all awesome!

Where I live (North County, San Diego), we get a lot of the Red Diamondbacks. I wouldn't know the difference between the Western and the Red, but your photos are so clear and precise that I'm sure someone with better identification skills will know.

Interestingly, my father-in-law (a retired herpetologist) suggests killing any rattlesnakes that come anywhere near your home. His contention is that they are not endangered, breed readily, and are more of a pest than being worth any benefit (like eating mice, rats, etc.), and are dangerous to try to catch and "move" to a new area. With that theory in mind, I make no bones about dispatching any found right around the house. On the other hand, if I find them out on the dirt roads around my house or when on hikes, I leave them alone. I figure if they're that far away from the house, they're no danger to me, my family or my animals.

Natalie Ann - 3-30-2007 at 12:28 PM

Ken - I'm pretty sure your snake is a Sidewinder. Three identifiers... the 'horns' over the eyes, the first rattle on its tail is a different color than the other rattles, and the shape of the pattern on its back. Question: When it traveled, did it literally travel sideways?

Nena

Ken Bondy - 3-30-2007 at 12:33 PM

Nena
Come to think of it, he did move sideways. He pretty much stayed in place when he was being photographed (something about being blind). When he did move he was being gently urged by a broom handle (which he was diligently attacking) but the movement did seem like a sidewinder. Thanks, ++Ken++

Bajalero - 3-30-2007 at 01:14 PM

Nice pixs of southern pacific ratllesnake Ken. Caught two in my yard this week. One about 12" and the second (under my door mat) about 18" .

The red ones found in socal are weastern red diamond backs.

lero

Ken Bondy - 3-30-2007 at 01:41 PM

Bajalero I think you nailed him, so to speak. He is a dead ringer for the "Los Angeles County Juvenile" on this page:

http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/pages/c.o.helleri.html

Hook - 3-30-2007 at 01:51 PM

Looks like a Pacific to me, too. Much darker, more pronounced markings than the Western Diamondback.

Let 'em live.............but maybe move em a little farther away from the abode. :yes:

Barry A. - 3-30-2007 at 03:47 PM

I agree-----move them out of the danger (to people and pets) zone, but be really careful as they bruize really easily--------in other words try and be "gentle". :yes:

(this from a guy that has been "hit" 3 times by rattlers, all in deep grass)

Bob H - 3-30-2007 at 07:16 PM

As usual, fantastic photography from Ken Bondy! What's difficult for me is to determine the size of this snake. When I first looked at the photos I thought this was a much bigger snake. But Ken's comments protray this as a baby rattler. I'm still amazed how you get them to look at you in your photos of their eyes Ken (see shot #3). Just like your underwater photography. You capture great emotions of these creatures. It's almost as they want to communicate with you in some way.
Bob H

[Edited on 3-31-2007 by Bob H]

David K - 3-30-2007 at 07:50 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bob H
As usual, fantastic photography from Ken Bondy! What's difficult for me is to determine the size of this snake. When I first looked at the photos I thought this was a much bigger snake. But Ken's comments protray this as a baby rattler. I'm still amazed how you get them to look at you in your photos of their eyes Ken (see shot #3). Just like your underwater photography. You capture great emotions of these creatures. It's almost as they want to communicate with you in some way.
Bob H

[Edited on 3-31-2007 by Bob H]


That is really well said Bob... I couldn't agree more that Ken Bondy is a world class nature photographer!

David K - 3-30-2007 at 09:02 PM

"World class"... yes!

Ken Bondy - 3-30-2007 at 09:33 PM

You guys are too kind. I learned a technique for photographing wild animals a long time ago that seems to be effective for me. When I find a subject, either underwater or topside, I get into position as close as I can without spooking it (or getting bit in the case of rattlesnakes). Then I do absolutely NOTHING for as long as I can stand it, 2-3 minutes minimum. I avoid eye contact and I DO NOT point the camera at the animal. Many animals consider initial eye contact as aggressive; and to prey animals the lens or port looks too much like an open mouth. After this "calming" period has passed, I slowly bring the camera into position and proceed with taking the pictures. This technique often seems to actually arouse curiosity in many animals. After the calming period, when I more or less establish that I am not a threat, I can often have my way with the critter, including eye contact, tight face shots, strobes firing, all the obtrusive things that happen in close-up animal photography.

My wife and I saw the snake in our driveway, off to one side, as we were pulling into the garage. It was pretty dark and I knew I would need a modeling light so the camera autofocus would function. I raced into the house and set up my Nikon D70 with a 105mm lens and the Nikon closeup outfit, 2 small wireless strobes mounted on a ring at the front of the lens. I decided to use a small underwater modeling light with a gentle, even beam and no hotspots. When everything was set up I went back outside and, lo and behold, the snake was still there. I approached very slowly and kneeled on one knee about 3 feet from him, put the camera aside, turned on the modeling light and braced it on the ground pointing right at him. I avoided eye contact as much as possible, with a rattlesnake I thought it best to know what he was doing so I kept him at the limit of my peripheral vision. We sat there, motionless, for about 3 minutes, then I slowly moved the camera into position and started taking pictures. He never attempted to get away and never made any aggressive moves while I fired about 20 frames of him. He let me take several head on face shots. I am not sure that the technique I describe made all the difference but I think it does and I am very happy with the images.

Barry A. - 3-30-2007 at 10:11 PM

Lencho-------

No treatment for bites as in each case I had on hightop boots, and the snakes bite was deflected and ineffective. In each case I knew the snake was there about a mili-second before it hit me-----but no more than that. There was no chance of avoiding being hit, but I did jump each time involuntarily, almost without knowing what was really going on. Needless to say, it shook me up pretty good each time. These were all small Pacific Reds, but each time I was VERY MUCH aware that they "hit" me. In my job, I really could not avoid walking in the grass, so I am just lucky that they never really got a good "bite" above my boots. All 3 of these events were in the Laguna/Cuyamaca Mts. of San Diego County. I very much came to think that I was pushing my luck.

Fun, fun!!!!:?:

David K - 3-31-2007 at 09:53 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by lencho
Quote:
Originally posted by Barry A.
... just lucky that they never really got a good "bite" above my boots. All 3 of these events were in the Laguna/Cuyamaca Mts. of San Diego County. I very much came to think that I was pushing my luck.


Yeah, that would give me pause. You thought about snake chaps?

--Larry


Like the ones these guys wore (in this photo by Choral Pepper)?



Lorenzo and Higinio Villavicencio of El Barril were encountered
as the Gardner party were making a road south of Bahia de los Angeles in 1966.

Barry A. - 3-31-2007 at 10:05 AM

Yep, that would do it. :yes:

Oso - 3-31-2007 at 10:24 AM

Here's the ticket. Very popular with Florida hunters. Eastern Diamondbacks get much bigger.

http://www.snakeguardz.com/

Osprey - 3-31-2007 at 10:31 AM

Once in San Dionysio canyon a friend and I saw a huge rattler. We were both wearing tennis shoes and my pal, being afraid of reptiles, vowed never to go out in the desert again without boots or protection of some kind. Back in Santiago we went to the zoo -- in the reptile enclosure there was a lethal looking rattler sunning atop a chest-high cholla -- I guess full-body flack suit is called for around these parts.

The heck with high-top boots...

Mexray - 4-1-2007 at 10:57 AM

...how about some nice Snake-Skin cowboy boots!

Now that's a Rattler I could get close too, down there covering my tootsies!;)

Oso - 4-1-2007 at 12:25 PM

Like this one? I recently saw it labeled as Fritch, Texas but originally saw it some time ago listed as Turkey Creek, near Burgaw, NC.

[Edited on 4-1-2007 by Oso]

bigassrattler (Small).jpg - 34kB

Oso - 4-1-2007 at 05:23 PM

Stiking distance is generally believed to equal body lenth but I beliieve that particular specimen is dead.

que?

k1w1 - 4-1-2007 at 05:26 PM

I thought with rattlers it was 4 x body length?? (am NO expert) and do you think it died with a kink in it's neck? (looks like muscle action functioning to me!!) yikes

Minnow - 4-1-2007 at 05:52 PM

Oso, that looks to be eatin size.

cool

gringorio - 4-1-2007 at 05:56 PM

cool - awsome shots Ken!

Phil S - 4-1-2007 at 06:59 PM

Thanks for the pic's. As much as I HATE (snake phobia-can't help it) snakes, the pic's were interesting. I'll probably have a dream tonight about the last pic. Ughhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o

Rattlers

Barry A. - 4-1-2007 at 07:43 PM

I have always understood that striking distance is about 2/3 their length----------this is especially critical if you have one by the tail and are holding it out at arms length. (like we used to do all the time) :lol:

However, they can climb up their own body and get your arm when you are holding them (I have heard)------but they seldom do that.

That monster above I would not get within 10 feet of, let alone hold it!!!!