DavidE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3814
Registered: 12-1-2003
Location: Baja California México
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Mood: 'At home we demand facts and get them. In Mexico one subsists on rumor and never demands anything.' Charles Flandrau,
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How good are your eyes?
This isn't a joke...
Western Diamondback rattlesnake in the shade
Time to be careful out there.
A Lot To See And A Lot To Do
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bajadogs
Super Nomad
Posts: 1064
Registered: 8-28-2006
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My eyes are pretty good and I'm always looking out for these guys. I've seen quite a few lately here in North County San Diego. 
[Edited on 8-2-2013 by bajadogs]
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DavidE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3814
Registered: 12-1-2003
Location: Baja California México
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Mood: 'At home we demand facts and get them. In Mexico one subsists on rumor and never demands anything.' Charles Flandrau,
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These guys are a REAL danger to everyone as compared to scorpion stings for a very few. I stepped on a rattler in the Sierra and it rewarded me with a
swift bite...
Right within an inch of the top of the high top boots I was wearing. Almost to the knee, as a snakebite preventer. I did not kill the snake and a had
no problems with constipation that day...
A Lot To See And A Lot To Do
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
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Mood: optimistic
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I have been hit by rattlers 3 times, all on the "job", all in San Diego County backcountry. All 3 hit my high boots, and I never saw any of them
conciously, but I did jump really high during one attack, and did not even know why I jumped until a few seconds later. As I remember now, all three
of them were in high grass, but a very long time ago (30 yrs plus).
Yes, they are really dangerous, I agree, and they give me the creeps!
When a teenager, we would hunt them on the Palos Verdes penninsula near LA------they were everywhere back then (mid '50's). We were NUTS back then.
Barry
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DavidE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3814
Registered: 12-1-2003
Location: Baja California México
Member Is Offline
Mood: 'At home we demand facts and get them. In Mexico one subsists on rumor and never demands anything.' Charles Flandrau,
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The thing down here is the "getting from where you are to somewhere where something can be done about it". Hours and hours and hours sometime. I need
to brush up on the latest medical recommendations for this. A cascabel reportedly was killed in an arroyo 50 meters from my front door a couple of
years ago. I have to keep this in mind when working around those flower beds. Water, possibly rodents - what more could a rattler ask for?
A Lot To See And A Lot To Do
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BajaBlanca
Select Nomad
Posts: 13195
Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
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incredible how they camouflage so well ....
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Marc
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2802
Registered: 5-15-2010
Location: San Francisco & Palm Springs
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Mood: Waiting
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What is the recommended treatment nowadays for rattler bite when out in the bush?? I have a snake bite kit but I hear it's worthless.
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BooJumMan
Senior Nomad
Posts: 891
Registered: 8-11-2007
Location: San Diego
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Interesting, in the first photo I spotted the snake easily, the second photo, I had to look for a while! Crazy.
Living in SD my whole life (I'm only 30) I've only seen 1 while hiking, in WHATS LEFT of the "Back Country" (as its been sadly decimated recently).
However my dad has the same story as Barry says... They used to go hunt them when they were kids in the 50's around here in SD.... they were
apparently everywhere.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64757
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Always in April!
2003:
Mision Santa Maria...
Montevideo...
South of Las Flores...
2004, Arroyo Parral southwest of San Felipe:
look at the base of the boulder
2005, Arroyo Las Palmas, south of Tecate:
The Squarecircle and Baja Angel looking at the rattler.
Later that April, in Guadalupe Canyon, a red diamondback was by our tub... missed getting a photo of it.
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: optimistic
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| Quote: | Originally posted by BooJumMan
Interesting, in the first photo I spotted the snake easily, the second photo, I had to look for a while! Crazy.
Living in SD my whole life (I'm only 30) I've only seen 1 while hiking, in WHATS LEFT of the "Back Country" (as its been sadly decimated recently).
However my dad has the same story as Barry says... They used to go hunt them when they were kids in the 50's around here in SD.... they were
apparently everywhere. |
----the 3 that "hit me" were all in McCain Valley (eastern San Diego County), tho different parts of McCain Valley, and all hiding in the tall grass
that I was walking thru. I have seen dozens of them over the years prior to 1986 tho, thruout San Diego County hill country-----we used to live in
Descanso in the mid-'40's (Hulbert Grove) for several years and they were seemingly all over the place as I remember.
Barry
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DavidE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3814
Registered: 12-1-2003
Location: Baja California México
Member Is Offline
Mood: 'At home we demand facts and get them. In Mexico one subsists on rumor and never demands anything.' Charles Flandrau,
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I had a solar project way back in the hills from Tecate. A special forces staff sergeant and I was riding in his Jeep and he spotted a huge one. Had a
bamboo pole with a hook on it for snagging stuff in the bottom of a shallow hand-dug well on the property.
Five-feet ten inches in length. It's body was as big around as my wrist. Eleven buttons of its rattle.
"Hmm this is the biggest one I've seen around here in awhile" he said
How the indocumentos manage to clear monsters like this is beyond me. That snake was SCARY big!
A Lot To See And A Lot To Do
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bajadogs
Super Nomad
Posts: 1064
Registered: 8-28-2006
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I enjoy trail running and have jumped over 3 of them. Only one struck at me and luckily missed.
What to do? Take off any jewelry. Stay calm (right huh?). Identify the type of rattler so the anti-venom matches (take a pic if you can). Apparently
the experts are at Pomerado Hospital in Poway. If hiking around the hills of San Diego and you are miles down a trail call 911 if you can and request
back country assistance.
My daughter runs for high school cross country and recently jumped over a large rattler right here in Carlsbad. Keep your eyes peeled because if you
are in the middle of nowhere in Baja and get struck the odds would not be in your favor.
edit for clarity
[Edited on 8-3-2013 by bajadogs]
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Marc
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2802
Registered: 5-15-2010
Location: San Francisco & Palm Springs
Member Is Offline
Mood: Waiting
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajadogs
I enjoy trail running and have jumped over 3 of them. Only one struck at me and luckily missed.
What to do? Take off any jewelry. Stay calm (right huh?). Identify the type of rattler so the anti-venom matches (take a pic if you can). Apparently
the experts are at Pomerado Hospital in Poway. If hiking around the hills of San Diego and you are miles down a trail call 911 if you can and request
back country assistance.
My daughter runs for high school cross country and recently jumped over a large rattler right here in Carlsbad. Keep your eyes peeled because if you
are in the middle of nowhere in Baja and get struck the odds would not be in your favor.
edit for clarity
[Edited on 8-3-2013 by bajadogs] |
Running in Strawberry Canyon in the hills above UC Berkley they would curl up in the center of the trail like they owned it. I guess the did.
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: optimistic
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All my life I have heard of the "Porterville rattlers". I have never been to Porterville (in the western Sierra foothills) and never saw
one--------supposed to be the size that DavidE describes, only dark gray rather than copper-colored like the common 'western diamondback'.
Hopefully, I will die having never seen one.  
Thanks for the brief description as to what to do, Bdogs. Different folks react different ways, I understand, but they are no joke!!! and people DO
DIE every year from bites, and it is NOT pleasant even if you survive. Their poison putrifies the flesh, and is hard to flush out of the tissue, and
just keeps doing damage for hours and hours in some cases.
Barry
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DavidE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3814
Registered: 12-1-2003
Location: Baja California México
Member Is Offline
Mood: 'At home we demand facts and get them. In Mexico one subsists on rumor and never demands anything.' Charles Flandrau,
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Porterville and Tecate are a long way apart, but this was WAS gray with light splotches. Leon handled it like a pro. He squeezed behind it's neck and
when it opened its mouth the fangs looked like schooner sail sewing awls.
I remain intimidated...
A Lot To See And A Lot To Do
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: optimistic
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DavidE
Porterville and Tecate are a long way apart, but this was WAS gray with light splotches. Leon handled it like a pro. He squeezed behind it's neck and
when it opened its mouth the fangs looked like schooner sail sewing awls.
I remain intimidated... |
Interesting!!! I have only seen the copper-colored Western Diamondback's in extreme SoCal and Baja. Maybe the one you encountered was a
transplant!?!?!?!? (just what SD County needed) 
I will have to do some research as I may be wayyyy off base, here.
Barry
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: optimistic
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A link to rattlesnakes in SoCal. barry
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/news/issues/snake.html
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M
Nomad
Posts: 392
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: Laguna Niguel, CA.
Member Is Offline
Mood: looking for joy...
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Snakes
I remember well,my first snake kill. I was camping, God knows where and I was bored out of my mind. It was one of those days where you had nowhere to
be, no reason to move, just, catch dinner.
I awoke from a nap, rolled out of my 'Grunt' van, and was immediately halted by a snap of rattles. Hell, SOMEBODY was wide awake. I was about 30 miles
from anywhere and being bitten was NOT on my agenda, however, the only thing in my ice-chest was 2 packets of Taco Bell sauce and a couple gallons of
melted, dirty, hielo'.
Well, I circled the van and found the critter behind my left front tire. He wasn't budging, and I wasn't really anxious to press the issue. Then.
I went back into Grunt and pulled out my hot pink, 6lb. bait making pole. Flippy and firm enough, I could toss it out easily from it's cover.
And...I did.
He tried to wiggle away, but my machete separated his head from his slither, neatly.
I was a little grossed out from the smell and the clingy skin when I cleaned it, but roasted and wrapped around a steak sword with taco bell sauce, it
wasn't bad. A bit boney but, so are most things I've found in Baja.
Well, there's my 2 snips worth regarding slithering things,
Hugs,
M
Looking for new adventures now; Always...
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EnsenadaDr
Banned
Posts: 5027
Registered: 9-12-2011
Location: Baja California
Member Is Offline
Mood: Move on. It is just a chapter in the past, but don't close the book- just turn the page
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If you think Baja has problems with snakes, watch this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIJvIVqZyH8
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: optimistic
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| Quote: | Originally posted by M
I remember well,my first snake kill. I was camping, God knows where and I was bored out of my mind. It was one of those days where you had nowhere to
be, no reason to move, just, catch dinner.
I awoke from a nap, rolled out of my 'Grunt' van, and was immediately halted by a snap of rattles. Hell, SOMEBODY was wide awake. I was about 30 miles
from anywhere and being bitten was NOT on my agenda, however, the only thing in my ice-chest was 2 packets of Taco Bell sauce and a couple gallons of
melted, dirty, hielo'.
Well, I circled the van and found the critter behind my left front tire. He wasn't budging, and I wasn't really anxious to press the issue. Then.
I went back into Grunt and pulled out my hot pink, 6lb. bait making pole. Flippy and firm enough, I could toss it out easily from it's cover.
And...I did.
He tried to wiggle away, but my machete separated his head from his slither, neatly.
I was a little grossed out from the smell and the clingy skin when I cleaned it, but roasted and wrapped around a steak sword with taco bell sauce, it
wasn't bad. A bit boney but, so are most things I've found in Baja.
Well, there's my 2 snips worth regarding slithering things,
Hugs,
M |
Yep---------tastes like chicken, huh M? 
Barry
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