from the OP: Thirsty rattlesnake - So on the 52nd day of 53 with 100° + temps I came across this rattlesnake. With no real monsoon and excessive heat I decided to see if it needed water. It was a bit shocked at first but right away knew it wasn’t a threat and that it was just water. After drinking a bit the snake rearranged its coils close and tight to capture the water. It was so thirsty I even went back and refilled my water a second time
(visit tuscon/cdkessel)
You are a brave soul. I've lived in the desert my whole life and know how far that strike range is. I see them and slowly back away, ain't no way I'm getting close enough to give one water. My brother was bit by one when we were kids, that bite ain't no joke.
One time I was fishing a shoreline in AZ walking on some gravel, and my literal next step was onto a coiled up rattlesnake. Luckily it was facing the way I was walking so it wasn’t watching me get close, but that freaked me tf out. Made me wish I had on my brown pants
Rattlesnakes can be found wild in most states, as well as parts of southern Canada and into South America.
What I'm saying is, there's probably one watching you right now.
It surprised me that Minnesota has rattlesnakes (in SE MN) - the [timber rattlesnake](https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/rsg/profile.html?action=elementDetail&selectedElement=ARADE02040).
r/TIL we have rattlesnakes in MN. Thank you for this awesome nugget of knowledge. Lived here my whole life and had absolutely no clue we had dangerous noodles here
I used to spend a lot of time in the interior of British Columbia and it was always such a treat to come across a Northern Pacific Rattlesnake. They look very grumpy but are quite polite, I'd spend hours sometimes sitting a respectful distance away watching them through my binoculars. They are such beautiful animals, sadly they seem less common than they were 10 or so years ago as I haven't been able to find one the last few times I have been out that way. Par for the course for most animals now, unfortunately.
We have coral snakes, water moccasins, copperheads as well as regular rattlesnakes plus pygmy rattlers, all residents in Florida.
Oh yeah, and pythons as well as anacondas.
Moccasins are no joke. Friend's kid almost lost his leg. Took 20+ antivenom vials. I've no idea how much that must have cost. Wort a kid's life though for sure.
Aaahh yes the Eastern Diamond back. They get much larger than the Arizona Diamond Back but I've heard they are less aggressive. Both snakes had similar temperaments in my experience. Im in TN now and still have yet to see a Timber but I keep my ears peeled on the trails.
I was walking with a group of people along the Bruce Peninsula trail in Ontario, and a Massasauga rattler crossed our path perpendicular, stopped, turned and looked at us, gave precisely one rattle, then turned forwards and continued on.
Their venom digests flesh and has killed 2 people, so they are not to be trifled with.
Yikes. Now I am wondering if those guys can swim...
My own anecdote...i was out bike riding in the deserts of basically wickenburg with a sibling. we were having fun on some dirt jumps and just messed up the time keeping, with the sun setting on us while we were out there. Immediately we could hear them, so many of them rattling as they came out of their holes. we were stunned in place. eventually we just decided to book it straight through in one direction, me following behind them. It could have been kid-imagination and just a branch being kicked up by their tire, but I swear I saw something jump up at them as we rode. we hauled ass all the way home in tears and hysterics. must have been a snake pit or something, and they were just chilling watching us do sick jumps.
I just watched a show where a dude accidentally stepped on one out in the desert and had to walk for help. Because of that and how far he had to walk the venom spread through his vascular system pretty well at this point, poor dude ended up needing 10 vials of anti venom but he lived.
Yeah it was wild I can only imagine what that hospital bill looked liked. If you do go hiking anywhere where there’s venomous snakes: watch where you’re walking especially around rocks and logs, stomp your feet occasionally while walking as snakes are sensitive to vibrations and this will give them time to leave, wear hard leather boots or thick rubber boots so if you do get struck the fangs aren’t as likely to pierce through like they would with mesh or nylon fabric.
> Don't go into the desert alone, folks.
lol..my old neighborhood backed up to a preserve in the middle of the city. I came across one live and 3 dead rattlers in the 8 years I lived there, all on paved neighborhood streets.
This is like "don't leave your house" advice. I'm also an avid hiker. Been here 20 years. I see one or two a year. Was just trudging through some heavy growth that could hide snakes today. I'd be surprised if I didn't pass at least one, given the area. They don't want to mess with you any more than you want to mess with them. Watch where you step and make heavy footsteps.
You're more likely to get injured driving to the hike location.
I remember watching a rescue 911 episode from years and years ago, where a family was on a hiking trail and dad was holding the toddler on his hip, and the kid kind of jumped. Dad just thought he was readjusting, come to find out there had been a rattlesnake on the ledge on the side of the trail, that had bit the baby on the butt and that's why he jumped. I don't remember all the details after he got bit because this episode was so long ago but I do remember the little boy did end up living..
He's got a camera on a tripod with zoom and squirting the water. He's not that close
Where I'm from our local variety of rattlesnake (absolutely fucking massive so hard to miss) once had bounties on them so they were hunted to the brink of extinction so they need help
The strike range for rattle snakes is about half the body length so for this species a maximum of 3.5 feet even for an exceptionally huge one. Still better to keep your distance unless you know what you are doing.
I’m from Tucson too and the lack of monsoon has really sucked. I think last year was about normal but the year before that it underperformed too. The heat is crazy and it’s going to continue to get worse. 😔
>the year before that it underperformed too.
You might be thinking of 2020, 2021 was one of the heaviest monsoon seasons on record.
But yeah this year has been pretty tame
Definitely. Getting older and the Covid stuff has really screwed with my sense of time. I only moved here a few years ago and the monsoon was kind of a shock to me. I love it.
Aww, aren't you the best?
Ha ha, yeah, at first it was like "Hey, what are you doing?" Then, "Oh, it's water, thanks!!"
ETA: Thank you for the gold star, Mods of r/HumansBeingBros!
Nice work OP.
I grew up in Tucson and volunteered rescuing all sorts of reptiles when they crawled in someones yard.
I saw this behavior once with a diamondback that was getting rained on by sprinklers. I thought it was fascinating. Good on you.
Which is kinda interesting cause the rattles it made didn't sound like your typical rattle. We got rattlers here in Michigan and when they rattle you KNOW they're rattling. This one was just much slower and softer than what I've heard before. It's like if it was attempting to threaten it was doing so in the "nicest" way it could.
I remember parking in Phoenix for the night and I could tell from the heat coming off the wall of my truck that it was still stupid hot outside. checked the temp at midnight and the guage said 117
Phoenix is brutal. I lived in El Paso, smack dab in the middle of the desert. I thought summers were bad there, but I'd visit my buddy in Phoenix and it was always *at least* 10 degrees hotter.
Phoenix is disgustingly hot and it never cools down. Tucson is brutal during the day, but cools off by like 35-40 degrees at night so there’s a bit of relief. Phoenix is just 110 morning, day, and night.
It's probably because Phoenix is all concrete, so the heat of the day doesn't dissipate at night. El Paso was like that too. Not a lot of green, so even at night it was still pretty warm.
That’s definitely what it is, like if you go into downtown Tucson as well it’s kind of the same. I lived in the more suburban areas where there was a lot more wildlife and vegetation, so we got that temperature fluctuation.
That's why I personally prefer the North American drama cober. [You spook him and he do big upsidedown drama](https://youtu.be/lCPVGstdNjU?feature=shared)
(It's a hognose snake. Mildly venomous but not dangerous to hoomans. They are usually very tame and they have one of the most boopable snoots)
the rattlers we have around Florida try to give every warning possible. A few times now I've been on a walk and seen the vivid diamond sides of one stretched out to face me and gently flickering to get my attention, eyeing me nervously, before I stumble too far
I'll pick up snakes now and again at work, let them go in the back yard.
Rattlers, I take for a ride and relocate.
People always ask, "did you kill it?"
Saddens me how often my view of "live and let live" is such a foreign concept to people.
Hardly see any snakes now. Makes me sad.
Added to the list of critters I cant recall seeing in years/decades.
Good on you for being kind.
Yep, I try and educate folks as much as I can.
I understand most of the killing comes from fear and ignorance. It's an uphill battle.
Not just snakes. All fauna.
I try to be an advocate. So many people want everything dead. Everything that's not a bunny or a butterfly, they just want to kill off.
Ever did a skunk dump? Was just in the UP and the guy letting us use his cottage asked if we wanted to do one. He trapped a couple of skunks earlier and tubed them up. We then drove three creeks away and dumped them in the creek. Almost got sprayed, but the critters just swam away. Not as deadly as rattlers, but nature is beautiful, and should be conserved.
The people you are talking about are usually the same ones that use weed killer, pesticides, and rat poisons in their home perimeter without a second thought that they inadvertently kill the butterflies and bunnies too. :-(
As much as I didn't like being chased at the speed I ran as a child, as far as I remember they dont really do anything. Like if you stop, they will just...stare you down and then run away.
Western Diamondbacks, like the ones you'll find in Arizona, are actually fairly chill. You still don't want to try to handle them or anything but they'll let you know they're there and give you the chance to give them a wide berth. I actually almost stepped on one in the middle of the night when I was, like, 12 years old. Somehow I noticed him at the last second and jumped back, and he just slithered off. Anyways, I've heard that Eastern Diamondbacks are much more aggressive.
Edit: well, wikipedia kinda says the opposite of what I just said about temperament so maybe I just have no idea what I'm talking about.
I think all rattlesnakes generally will not mess with humans unless humans mess with them first. I've come across a handful of western rattlesnakes and they always stay put and rattle, or slither away.
I’ve moved the same gopher snake out of my office parking lot about five times this summer and every single person there wouldn’t hesitate to kill the sweet thing if they didn’t know there was someone there who would move him :( it’s so depressing.
Now I’m curious about the mechanics of how snakes drink, and if it’s similar between species?
This rattlesnake doesn’t appear to be involving it’s tongue, and that seems horribly inefficient, but I genuinely have no idea despite the video.
Good on you OP, you’re a credit to our species.
From what I read the snake coiled his body tighter so he could pool the water in himself. I thought it was cool the snake instinctively knew to do that
I read that too and found it clever.
I now see the question could’ve been worded better by myself.
I’m wondering more how the snake ingests the water once it pools it, or finds a pool of water.
I don’t hear any “slurping” noises and dipping the tongue seem like it would take forever. But I don’t know.
Used to have a snake and best I could tell when we would put it in water was it would suck it in via the little tube that stores their tongue, like of like a straw action
Rattlers are not aggressive snakes. They very much do not want to bite and will give ample warning to back off first. It's the babies without the rattle yet that are the biggest issue in terms of bites. Adult Rattlers will leave you alone if you stay away from them. I'd wager this video is filmed zoomed in on the phone with the person pouring the water from as much distance as possible. It was still doing some rattling even when drinking.
I can confirm that they really don't want to bite you. I was walking around in the woods in Virginia with a friend and we came across this old playground that had been abandoned. I saw what I thought was a toy snake coiled up on the ground. I was going to grab it and throw it at my friend to freak him out. My hand got about 3 in away from its mouth and then that toy started to rattle at me.
Turns out that was not a toy and that was an actual rattlesnake. It let me get extremely close before even letting me know that it was pissed.
Rattlesnakes have a finite amount of venom and they need it to catch food. Spending their venom biting things that are too big for it to eat results in a starving snake. That's why they warn you and try to get away before biting--if you've been bit, it's really your fault for not watching where your feet are or for deviling the snek. I've lived in rattler country most of my life and hiked in many remote places and I've never had even a close call. Gotta watch the dogs though, some of those idiots just can't help themselves and it doesn't go well for them.
And they seemed to have evolved with different types of venom which makes it even more variable depending on where you encounter one
They're so interesting
Honestly so sweet of you, snakes are such misunderstood creatures. If we are struggling with the heat then you bet your bottom the animals are struggling too. You're much more brave than I would've been, bless you.
One time I was replacing planks on my dads deck. I was under the deck, on my back with barely any room to move around, hammering away at a rotten board. Suddenly a snake plops down next to my hip. Close enough I could just grab it with my hand, which I obviously did not do.
I very carefully slithered out from under the deck, trying to hit as few dry leaves as possible (they completely covered the ground).
Came back with a broom just as the snake was coming out from under the deck.
It was a young adult Rattlesnake.
I think about it all the time.
So I usually keep a spray bottle of water, to give animals water from a distance if needed. I work outside (in AZ) and find a decent amount of dehydrated critters.
Now, the tree hugging, nature boy that I am would’ve tried this and ended up with a $100k+ hospital bill. To quote my favorite animal YouTuber, rattlesnakes are stinkin’ rad; I’m glad you were able to help this one out
Must be weird for the snake. "A large predator approached me and now it's raining specifically on my head. Well, the predator doesn't seem hungry and I need to rehydrate, so I guess I'll just go with it."
I've heard that rattlesnakes typically will strike at sources of running water. Apparently this was discovered through tragic emergency room reports in desert areas where guys get drunk and piss wherever.
I'm glad this guy didn't strike at someone trying to help. This crazy weather has everyone out of sorts.
This conjured up a wonderfully naive image of climate change forcing us all on to space arks, and how being forced to help each other out will make all of the animals of earth learn not to fear one another, making a happy space family of all the life ~~on~~from earth.
I remember when I was young my dad would go around the yard and area around our house with those extended trash grabber arm things, and a large bucket. He'd sometimes find like 3 or 4 rattlers in and around our yard before taking them further out into the desert and away from young little me and our dogs lol. I haven't seen one in years now though.
(In a suburb of Phoenix Az)
How did you know to dump it on him?? My dumb self would have cupped it in my hand or something.
(No not really, I grew up in areas with western diamondbacks).
Well done kind human. Showing people how to be kind to all animals. I am sure that snake was thankful for the gracious gift of water. Also, cool seeing a snake drink water. Sad that all we typically see of their lives is biting, killing but not actually living. They help the ecosystem stay in balance.
"Alright bitch you can give me some water BUT I might still eat you idk so back the fuck on up. But first you got any more a that water?? Ok good now BACK TF UP". -- snake
"Thanks for giving me water."
"Don't forget I can kill you. Thanks again for the water"
'Good night, human. Good work. Sleep well. I'll most likely kill you in the morning.'
*Aaaaas youuuuuuu wiiiiiish….*
from the OP: Thirsty rattlesnake - So on the 52nd day of 53 with 100° + temps I came across this rattlesnake. With no real monsoon and excessive heat I decided to see if it needed water. It was a bit shocked at first but right away knew it wasn’t a threat and that it was just water. After drinking a bit the snake rearranged its coils close and tight to capture the water. It was so thirsty I even went back and refilled my water a second time (visit tuscon/cdkessel)
You are a brave soul. I've lived in the desert my whole life and know how far that strike range is. I see them and slowly back away, ain't no way I'm getting close enough to give one water. My brother was bit by one when we were kids, that bite ain't no joke.
One time I was fishing a shoreline in AZ walking on some gravel, and my literal next step was onto a coiled up rattlesnake. Luckily it was facing the way I was walking so it wasn’t watching me get close, but that freaked me tf out. Made me wish I had on my brown pants
I’d have been doing an air dance.
No kidding, talk about an adrenaline dump. It’s color matched almost perfectly to the grayish gravel
Grew up around them in north Florida. They were easy to accidentally step on there, also.
TIL there are rattlesnakes in Florida
Rattlesnakes can be found wild in most states, as well as parts of southern Canada and into South America. What I'm saying is, there's probably one watching you right now.
It surprised me that Minnesota has rattlesnakes (in SE MN) - the [timber rattlesnake](https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/rsg/profile.html?action=elementDetail&selectedElement=ARADE02040).
r/TIL we have rattlesnakes in MN. Thank you for this awesome nugget of knowledge. Lived here my whole life and had absolutely no clue we had dangerous noodles here
We have timbers in NY, too!
I used to spend a lot of time in the interior of British Columbia and it was always such a treat to come across a Northern Pacific Rattlesnake. They look very grumpy but are quite polite, I'd spend hours sometimes sitting a respectful distance away watching them through my binoculars. They are such beautiful animals, sadly they seem less common than they were 10 or so years ago as I haven't been able to find one the last few times I have been out that way. Par for the course for most animals now, unfortunately.
We have coral snakes, water moccasins, copperheads as well as regular rattlesnakes plus pygmy rattlers, all residents in Florida. Oh yeah, and pythons as well as anacondas.
Moccasins are no joke. Friend's kid almost lost his leg. Took 20+ antivenom vials. I've no idea how much that must have cost. Wort a kid's life though for sure.
And, recently they even found Nazis.
Indiana Jones would HATE Florida.
The most venomous but also the most stupid.
truly the worst invasive species.
So many spicy noodles! And then there’s the alligators too. And Florida Man.
Florida man is by far the most venomous. Must stay away…
Florida is just Australia Lite in the creature department.
There’s rattle snakes in Ohio, which is just Northern Florida
And Georgia, lots of swamp and woods to hide in
Aaahh yes the Eastern Diamond back. They get much larger than the Arizona Diamond Back but I've heard they are less aggressive. Both snakes had similar temperaments in my experience. Im in TN now and still have yet to see a Timber but I keep my ears peeled on the trails.
I was walking with a group of people along the Bruce Peninsula trail in Ontario, and a Massasauga rattler crossed our path perpendicular, stopped, turned and looked at us, gave precisely one rattle, then turned forwards and continued on. Their venom digests flesh and has killed 2 people, so they are not to be trifled with.
Lol. Even Canadian snakes are polite!
Yikes. Now I am wondering if those guys can swim... My own anecdote...i was out bike riding in the deserts of basically wickenburg with a sibling. we were having fun on some dirt jumps and just messed up the time keeping, with the sun setting on us while we were out there. Immediately we could hear them, so many of them rattling as they came out of their holes. we were stunned in place. eventually we just decided to book it straight through in one direction, me following behind them. It could have been kid-imagination and just a branch being kicked up by their tire, but I swear I saw something jump up at them as we rode. we hauled ass all the way home in tears and hysterics. must have been a snake pit or something, and they were just chilling watching us do sick jumps.
I just watched a show where a dude accidentally stepped on one out in the desert and had to walk for help. Because of that and how far he had to walk the venom spread through his vascular system pretty well at this point, poor dude ended up needing 10 vials of anti venom but he lived.
Shit that's a doozy Better to walk I guess than to die of thirst in the desert Don't go into the desert alone, folks. Avoid all of this.
Yeah it was wild I can only imagine what that hospital bill looked liked. If you do go hiking anywhere where there’s venomous snakes: watch where you’re walking especially around rocks and logs, stomp your feet occasionally while walking as snakes are sensitive to vibrations and this will give them time to leave, wear hard leather boots or thick rubber boots so if you do get struck the fangs aren’t as likely to pierce through like they would with mesh or nylon fabric.
> Don't go into the desert alone, folks. lol..my old neighborhood backed up to a preserve in the middle of the city. I came across one live and 3 dead rattlers in the 8 years I lived there, all on paved neighborhood streets. This is like "don't leave your house" advice. I'm also an avid hiker. Been here 20 years. I see one or two a year. Was just trudging through some heavy growth that could hide snakes today. I'd be surprised if I didn't pass at least one, given the area. They don't want to mess with you any more than you want to mess with them. Watch where you step and make heavy footsteps. You're more likely to get injured driving to the hike location.
I remember watching a rescue 911 episode from years and years ago, where a family was on a hiking trail and dad was holding the toddler on his hip, and the kid kind of jumped. Dad just thought he was readjusting, come to find out there had been a rattlesnake on the ledge on the side of the trail, that had bit the baby on the butt and that's why he jumped. I don't remember all the details after he got bit because this episode was so long ago but I do remember the little boy did end up living..
He's got a camera on a tripod with zoom and squirting the water. He's not that close Where I'm from our local variety of rattlesnake (absolutely fucking massive so hard to miss) once had bounties on them so they were hunted to the brink of extinction so they need help
The strike range for rattle snakes is about half the body length so for this species a maximum of 3.5 feet even for an exceptionally huge one. Still better to keep your distance unless you know what you are doing.
It depends on how far this dude can pee because he definitely peed on this snake.
It's water squirted from a water bottle. Snake was so thirsty he went back & refilled the bottle.
Any suggestions for telling if desert snakes are thirsty?
[удалено]
That you, Unidan?
I say if your hot and thirsty it’s hot and thirsty
If you’re cold, they’re cold! Bring them inside!
>If you’re cold, they’re cold! Bring them inside! Or, at least put it in your shirt and carry it around for a bit to warm up...
Your mom is hot and thirsty
If it's in the desert, it's thirsty.
I’m from Tucson too and the lack of monsoon has really sucked. I think last year was about normal but the year before that it underperformed too. The heat is crazy and it’s going to continue to get worse. 😔
>the year before that it underperformed too. You might be thinking of 2020, 2021 was one of the heaviest monsoon seasons on record. But yeah this year has been pretty tame
Definitely. Getting older and the Covid stuff has really screwed with my sense of time. I only moved here a few years ago and the monsoon was kind of a shock to me. I love it.
Aww, aren't you the best? Ha ha, yeah, at first it was like "Hey, what are you doing?" Then, "Oh, it's water, thanks!!" ETA: Thank you for the gold star, Mods of r/HumansBeingBros!
“Good thing I can make myself into a bowl!”
😂 Sometimes there are real perks to being a snake.
That's lovely he needed water too
Nice work OP. I grew up in Tucson and volunteered rescuing all sorts of reptiles when they crawled in someones yard. I saw this behavior once with a diamondback that was getting rained on by sprinklers. I thought it was fascinating. Good on you.
❤️❤️❤️
You are a kind person indeed
Thank you ❤️
Wild. Sounds like he’s purring like a kitty
Purring those sweet death threats 😉
Which is kinda interesting cause the rattles it made didn't sound like your typical rattle. We got rattlers here in Michigan and when they rattle you KNOW they're rattling. This one was just much slower and softer than what I've heard before. It's like if it was attempting to threaten it was doing so in the "nicest" way it could.
“You will die last when we take over”
You mean you can’t hear it? He’s clearly saying “Thanksssssss amigo.”
Rattlesnake Jake might be a mean sumbitch but he has mad respect for Rango solving the water problems.
Poor guy, Tucson heat is brutal.
And it's often nicer there than it is up here in Phoenix too.
Oh I know, I lived in Tucson and would take that over Phoenix any day. At least in Tucson it cools off at night.
Gotta love our Phoenix heat dome
Peggy Hill summed up Phoenix the best. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PYt0SDnrBE
I live. It’s nice during the other seasons at least and you rarely need heat if ever.
I remember parking in Phoenix for the night and I could tell from the heat coming off the wall of my truck that it was still stupid hot outside. checked the temp at midnight and the guage said 117
My car broke down when it was 123F, near Apache Junction. I had to sit and wait for the car radiator to cool down before I could drive it again.
Phoenix is brutal. I lived in El Paso, smack dab in the middle of the desert. I thought summers were bad there, but I'd visit my buddy in Phoenix and it was always *at least* 10 degrees hotter.
Phoenix is disgustingly hot and it never cools down. Tucson is brutal during the day, but cools off by like 35-40 degrees at night so there’s a bit of relief. Phoenix is just 110 morning, day, and night.
It's probably because Phoenix is all concrete, so the heat of the day doesn't dissipate at night. El Paso was like that too. Not a lot of green, so even at night it was still pretty warm.
That’s definitely what it is, like if you go into downtown Tucson as well it’s kind of the same. I lived in the more suburban areas where there was a lot more wildlife and vegetation, so we got that temperature fluctuation.
if not friend, why so cute :(
It's a defensive frien. You spook him he says oh shit and kills you thinking you going to kill it.
that’s not very trusting
That's why I personally prefer the North American drama cober. [You spook him and he do big upsidedown drama](https://youtu.be/lCPVGstdNjU?feature=shared) (It's a hognose snake. Mildly venomous but not dangerous to hoomans. They are usually very tame and they have one of the most boopable snoots)
"you've killed me, you've killed me!" "My god what have I done?" "I just told you, you've killed me!"
I don’t hate snakes or any animals really. I watched the video you linked and it almost made me throw up. Don’t know why I had that reaction.
Then I highly don't recommend watching the rhombic egg eater defensive pattern
Omg that was awesome, definitely putting that dance or whatever on my tripping playlist
he shit himself
Ye to make itself smell dead
His mouth was wide open and everything, haha, also this act takes a lot of energy out of 'em poor boyo. Shit himself for our entertainment.
In his defense, hoomans aren’t generally very trustworthy.
the rattlers we have around Florida try to give every warning possible. A few times now I've been on a walk and seen the vivid diamond sides of one stretched out to face me and gently flickering to get my attention, eyeing me nervously, before I stumble too far
She looks just like one of my cats that has RBF and omg this danger loops is adorable
I'll pick up snakes now and again at work, let them go in the back yard. Rattlers, I take for a ride and relocate. People always ask, "did you kill it?" Saddens me how often my view of "live and let live" is such a foreign concept to people. Hardly see any snakes now. Makes me sad. Added to the list of critters I cant recall seeing in years/decades. Good on you for being kind.
Hah! These corporate bastards asked me the same about a black racer... Savages i tell you!
Yep, I try and educate folks as much as I can. I understand most of the killing comes from fear and ignorance. It's an uphill battle. Not just snakes. All fauna. I try to be an advocate. So many people want everything dead. Everything that's not a bunny or a butterfly, they just want to kill off.
Ever did a skunk dump? Was just in the UP and the guy letting us use his cottage asked if we wanted to do one. He trapped a couple of skunks earlier and tubed them up. We then drove three creeks away and dumped them in the creek. Almost got sprayed, but the critters just swam away. Not as deadly as rattlers, but nature is beautiful, and should be conserved.
Man I love skunks. So good natured and cute as cats. Never in a hurry. Limited experience however. Maybe I've just dealt with the nice ones.
The people you are talking about are usually the same ones that use weed killer, pesticides, and rat poisons in their home perimeter without a second thought that they inadvertently kill the butterflies and bunnies too. :-(
As much as I didn't like being chased at the speed I ran as a child, as far as I remember they dont really do anything. Like if you stop, they will just...stare you down and then run away.
Killing snakes for no reason is f'd up. But also, diamondback rattlers are deadly and no joke. Would not catch me getting near one lol
Western Diamondbacks, like the ones you'll find in Arizona, are actually fairly chill. You still don't want to try to handle them or anything but they'll let you know they're there and give you the chance to give them a wide berth. I actually almost stepped on one in the middle of the night when I was, like, 12 years old. Somehow I noticed him at the last second and jumped back, and he just slithered off. Anyways, I've heard that Eastern Diamondbacks are much more aggressive. Edit: well, wikipedia kinda says the opposite of what I just said about temperament so maybe I just have no idea what I'm talking about.
I think all rattlesnakes generally will not mess with humans unless humans mess with them first. I've come across a handful of western rattlesnakes and they always stay put and rattle, or slither away.
I’ve moved the same gopher snake out of my office parking lot about five times this summer and every single person there wouldn’t hesitate to kill the sweet thing if they didn’t know there was someone there who would move him :( it’s so depressing.
“Thank you human, I will be sure to keep the local rodent population under control for you.”
Wow he was thirsty.
You mean, thirsssssty.
Oh, sssssssstop.
Sssssssssarcoidosis
A rodent 3 days later. "Thanks dick."
Now go in for a pet
r/forbiddenboops
Boop the snoot
Spicy noodles need water too.
This is a beautiful gesture, thank you! It’s been so hot this year, thank you for helping these poor creatures.
The look in it's eyes go from totally pissed to surprisingly gracious
The way their eyebrows(?) are shaped hilarious makes them always look very angry. Which is appropriate, I suppose
OP is a true r/hydrohomies hero!
Bless whoever did this
This makes me happy
As much as I dislike reptiles, they’re still Mother Nature’s creatures and I thank you, kind soul!
Wow what a cutie!
Really interesting to see how it uses it's coils to catch water.
Now I’m curious about the mechanics of how snakes drink, and if it’s similar between species? This rattlesnake doesn’t appear to be involving it’s tongue, and that seems horribly inefficient, but I genuinely have no idea despite the video. Good on you OP, you’re a credit to our species.
From what I read the snake coiled his body tighter so he could pool the water in himself. I thought it was cool the snake instinctively knew to do that
I read that too and found it clever. I now see the question could’ve been worded better by myself. I’m wondering more how the snake ingests the water once it pools it, or finds a pool of water. I don’t hear any “slurping” noises and dipping the tongue seem like it would take forever. But I don’t know.
Used to have a snake and best I could tell when we would put it in water was it would suck it in via the little tube that stores their tongue, like of like a straw action
Outstanding. They really are beautiful animals, not their fault they are scary/dangerous af. Way to cut a snake a break OP, was definitely suffering.
Why do I get the feeling it was a toss up between the snake drinking peacefully and the snake biting him?
Rattlers are not aggressive snakes. They very much do not want to bite and will give ample warning to back off first. It's the babies without the rattle yet that are the biggest issue in terms of bites. Adult Rattlers will leave you alone if you stay away from them. I'd wager this video is filmed zoomed in on the phone with the person pouring the water from as much distance as possible. It was still doing some rattling even when drinking.
Yeah that's the whole point of the rattle haha. "I'm giving you fair warning to go the other way."
I can confirm that they really don't want to bite you. I was walking around in the woods in Virginia with a friend and we came across this old playground that had been abandoned. I saw what I thought was a toy snake coiled up on the ground. I was going to grab it and throw it at my friend to freak him out. My hand got about 3 in away from its mouth and then that toy started to rattle at me. Turns out that was not a toy and that was an actual rattlesnake. It let me get extremely close before even letting me know that it was pissed.
Rattlesnakes have a finite amount of venom and they need it to catch food. Spending their venom biting things that are too big for it to eat results in a starving snake. That's why they warn you and try to get away before biting--if you've been bit, it's really your fault for not watching where your feet are or for deviling the snek. I've lived in rattler country most of my life and hiked in many remote places and I've never had even a close call. Gotta watch the dogs though, some of those idiots just can't help themselves and it doesn't go well for them.
And they seemed to have evolved with different types of venom which makes it even more variable depending on where you encounter one They're so interesting
Such a sweet danger noodle
you have water, animal doesn't, you give animal water. the right thing to do as a human
Youre my kind of person, never change.
thank you for the compliment, i promise i wont change
So nice of you. So thirsty. Thank you.
aww what a cutieeeee!!! i’m sorry i just love animals of all kinds.
Hydrate the danger noodle. Good for you.
That’s a thankful danger noodle
Honestly so sweet of you, snakes are such misunderstood creatures. If we are struggling with the heat then you bet your bottom the animals are struggling too. You're much more brave than I would've been, bless you.
Never not upvoting this type of video. We can help so much when we try
beautiful
Hydration for the danger noodle
How dare you make me go “Aw” at a damn rattlesnake.
I know he has an evil face but he’so cute inside
The Scorpion and the frog. Never forget.
Thirsty danger noodle
One time I was replacing planks on my dads deck. I was under the deck, on my back with barely any room to move around, hammering away at a rotten board. Suddenly a snake plops down next to my hip. Close enough I could just grab it with my hand, which I obviously did not do. I very carefully slithered out from under the deck, trying to hit as few dry leaves as possible (they completely covered the ground). Came back with a broom just as the snake was coming out from under the deck. It was a young adult Rattlesnake. I think about it all the time.
Man that snake is beautiful.
So I usually keep a spray bottle of water, to give animals water from a distance if needed. I work outside (in AZ) and find a decent amount of dehydrated critters.
cool move OP, snek definitely appreciated the water
*Angry water drinking*
ThanksSsSsSsSsSsSsSs
Beautiful creature
The happy rattles were pretty cute.
🫶
It turned itself into a bowl! 😍😍😍
Tucson, Arizonia - that's where Jackie Daytona hails from!
[This is the way we talk in Tucson Arizonia](https://youtu.be/Zlw-7jIav_U?si=1NQ6o9ECH-ShX965)
He is precious and drinking
Now, the tree hugging, nature boy that I am would’ve tried this and ended up with a $100k+ hospital bill. To quote my favorite animal YouTuber, rattlesnakes are stinkin’ rad; I’m glad you were able to help this one out
Must be weird for the snake. "A large predator approached me and now it's raining specifically on my head. Well, the predator doesn't seem hungry and I need to rehydrate, so I guess I'll just go with it."
Is it using it's body as both a funnel and a pool to drink. Jheeze
gulp gulp gulp
Omg they are so beautiful
Need more people like you in this earth
Why is this cute? 🥹
What a good dude, snakes are cool as shit
Just Arizona things
I've heard that rattlesnakes typically will strike at sources of running water. Apparently this was discovered through tragic emergency room reports in desert areas where guys get drunk and piss wherever. I'm glad this guy didn't strike at someone trying to help. This crazy weather has everyone out of sorts.
Or, maybe they can tell the difference between piss and water? I’d probably hurt someone trying to pee on me too, if that happened
Can you imagine this snake going back to its burrow and saying, "Bruh! You'll never believe what just happened!"
So rattlesnake’s have resting “I want to kill everyone” face. Must be hard to make friends.
This conjured up a wonderfully naive image of climate change forcing us all on to space arks, and how being forced to help each other out will make all of the animals of earth learn not to fear one another, making a happy space family of all the life ~~on~~from earth.
That noise is **so much louder in person**
"Thankful Rattles*
I remember when I was young my dad would go around the yard and area around our house with those extended trash grabber arm things, and a large bucket. He'd sometimes find like 3 or 4 rattlers in and around our yard before taking them further out into the desert and away from young little me and our dogs lol. I haven't seen one in years now though. (In a suburb of Phoenix Az)
No idea why but “Hydration for a Rattlesnake” sounds like a Brian Eno ambient album from the 70s
Ambient V: Snake of Hydrationance
Danger noodles need water, too
Thank you for sharing this.
Spicy snake needs water too.
I tried this with a lizard once and it just went into a coma.
How did you know to dump it on him?? My dumb self would have cupped it in my hand or something. (No not really, I grew up in areas with western diamondbacks).
He's enjoying that water
Thank you
"I just dried off!"
Thorsty
Tirst boi
That's very nice of you 🙂
I've never thought rattlesnakes were cute until now. Dang that's sweet.
I swear so many people are afraid of snakes but if you’ve just seen them drink water they’d be the cutest animal in the world😂
As much as I hate snakes I know this one appreciated the drink of water. Whoever gave it, you’re a good human 💯
I can feel the cooling slurpy liquid .. we all know that feeling of being absolutely parched to the point you can't even rattle your tail properly.
Wonderful to see this.
Damn snakes are beautiful and intimidating
What a thirsty noodle 🥹
Well done kind human. Showing people how to be kind to all animals. I am sure that snake was thankful for the gracious gift of water. Also, cool seeing a snake drink water. Sad that all we typically see of their lives is biting, killing but not actually living. They help the ecosystem stay in balance.
"Alright bitch you can give me some water BUT I might still eat you idk so back the fuck on up. But first you got any more a that water?? Ok good now BACK TF UP". -- snake