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| Messages 1 - 9 of total 9 in this topic |
EP
Trad climber
Way Out There
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Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 31, 2016 - 09:10pm PT
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Heard one this afternoon on the Catrike ride. It was curled up in fading grass on the road side. Baby brother dead in the road.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Mar 31, 2016 - 09:48pm PT
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Been looking but no joy yet.
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tuolumne_tradster
Trad climber
Leading Edge of North American Plate
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Aug 14, 2016 - 07:33pm PT
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Ran across this rattler today while hiking on Mt Tamalpais. One of the hiking guides says you might encounter a mt lion but not a rattler. I've never seen one that has such a distinct green tone. It shook its rattler but didn't hardly make any rattle noise.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Aug 15, 2016 - 09:12pm PT
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hey there say... oh my...
:O
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Aug 16, 2016 - 04:21pm PT
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Fortunately in California west of the Sierra Crest, the rattlers are not particularly aggressive.
Also they get very slow when it's very hot or chilly. Remember they're cold blooded.
There are several similar species. The Western Timber Rattlesnake is one of the most common.
They often take on the coloring of their surroundings, so a greenish one on Mt Tam wouldn't be exceptional.
I've run into two rattlers while climbing in the Valley, up close and personal like.
They were happy enough to slither back into their cracks and I climbed carefully past. A favorite place to stay cool. I've seen several more on mountain hikes.
In the Santa Cruz Mtns they're all around but are almost never any trouble. I ran over a dead one on Black Road just this afternoon. Didn't see it soon enough to stop and push it out of the road.
Had to kill a rattler in my neighbor's front yard a year ago. He was all freaked out but before I could get there he had leaned out his window and smashed it's head with a shovel but it was still very much alive.....and very aggressive. So I was left with finishing off the poor thing. I don't like seeing creatures suffer. Not even rattlers.
They do a very good job of keeping the rodent population under control.
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doughnutnational
Gym climber
its nice here in the spring
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Aug 16, 2016 - 07:33pm PT
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The Western Timber Rattlesnake is one of the most common. Is this another name for the western diamondback?
I saw this guy yesterday but was too busy trying to grab my dog to get a good picture:
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BruceHildenbrand
Social climber
Mountain View/Boulder
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Aug 17, 2016 - 02:20pm PT
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This was guarding the approach to the Monastery, Estes Park Valley, Colorado.
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Fossil climber
Trad climber
Atlin, B. C.
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Aug 17, 2016 - 04:03pm PT
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Tradster - almost certainly Crotalus oreganus which is the most common buzz tail in Northern CA. They have several common names - Pacific rattler, western rattler, north Pacific rattler etc. That's the problem with common names..There are three subspecies in a wide range of colours. I've never seen the greenish shade, but they do tend to blend with their surroundings. I've seen some in previously burned chaparral near Sespe Hot Springs which were almost black and could be mistaken for the charred branches there. Anyway, the pattern is right for C. oreganus. The pattern is the easiest way to distinguish them rather than colour.
They are ordinarily less aggressive and their venom is not as toxic as some others.
There are about six species of rattler in CA, most of which live in the southern part of the state. The western diamondback (Crotalus atrox) is a whole different beast -big, aggressive, and highly toxic. They and the Mojave rattler are responsible for most of the serious bites. Fortunately they usually occur only in SE CA and adjoining SW states.
Most rattlers occur up to about 8000' in this area. I've never seen one in Tuolumne Meadows, but there are lots in Pate Valley and some quite high in Tenaya Canyon. But with climate change - who knows? They may move higher.
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tuolumne_tradster
Trad climber
Leading Edge of North American Plate
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Thanks for the feedback Fossil Climber.
Came across this one hiking on Mt Diablo a couple of years ago. Sorry of the poor quality photo. Took it with a cell phone from a distance..didn't want to get too close :-) Western Diamondback?
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