1 Topic by rattlesnakeman

  • rattlesnakeman
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  • Registered: 2006-01-20
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Topic: March 24, 2007--Western Diamondbacks

We only found two today.  Spent most of the morning hunting a new ridge.  The weather was supposed to be sunny and in the 80's, it turned out to be mostly cloudy, windy and low 70's.  The first snake was found in a new area and was approximately 2' long.  He was in the open just as the picture shows.  His color is darker than the snakes we have found on the best ridge.  Will be anxious to find more on this new ridge to see if their color matches his.  The second snake was found approximately 3:00 PM at my favorite ridge.  I took a long shot of how we found him.  He was mostly out in the open.  It's late tonight, but I have a question for you snake experts.  Will share with you tommorow.  Good night.

Alcohol Tobacco & Firearms should be a convenience store, not a government agency.

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2 Reply by Van

  • Van
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Re: March 24, 2007--Western Diamondbacks

Man thats awesome!

Van

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3 Reply by rattlesnakeman

  • rattlesnakeman
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Re: March 24, 2007--Western Diamondbacks

Here's my question; do you think rattlesnakes sleep?  I have been hunting rattlesnakes for 42 years and have come upon some that never seem to notice that your even around until you touch them.  Most rattlesnakes I have found in the wild were watching me long before I saw them.  They will follow you with their head and/or their tounge will be going a hundred miles an hour, usually they stick it out and back over their head.  The two snakes we found yesterday, my hunting friend/neighbor Larry and I,(by the way, the new ridge we hunted is now called "Larry's Ridge" because he found the first new snake) seemed to be in a deep trance or sleep.  When we found them and photographed them, there was no sign on their part that we were there.  No following with the head, they did not stick out their tounge once.  I know snakes do not have eye lids and can't close their eyes, but after close inspection, I believe sometimes they do sleep.  After photographing them and walking close and all around the two we found yesterday, and spending at least five minutes next to them with no movement of any kind, I gently poked them both twice before they ever moved or stuck their tounges out.  Once we got their attention, the tounge went into high gear in and out and back over the head.  What do you think?  Am I crazy or do you think the same?  KC

Alcohol Tobacco & Firearms should be a convenience store, not a government agency.

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4 Reply by bobbyneal

  • bobbyneal
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Re: March 24, 2007--Western Diamondbacks

Yes, snakes do sleep.

The Flying Spaghetti Monster is TRUTH

5 Reply by Ryan

  • Ryan
  • Ryan
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  • Registered: 2006-07-15
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Re: March 24, 2007--Western Diamondbacks

rattlesnakeman wrote:

Here's my question; do you think rattlesnakes sleep?  I have been hunting rattlesnakes for 42 years and have come upon some that never seem to notice that your even around until you touch them.  Most rattlesnakes I have found in the wild were watching me long before I saw them.  They will follow you with their head and/or their tounge will be going a hundred miles an hour, usually they stick it out and back over their head.  The two snakes we found yesterday, my hunting friend/neighbor Larry and I,(by the way, the new ridge we hunted is now called "Larry's Ridge" because he found the first new snake) seemed to be in a deep trance or sleep.  When we found them and photographed them, there was no sign on their part that we were there.  No following with the head, they did not stick out their tounge once.  I know snakes do not have eye lids and can't close their eyes, but after close inspection, I believe sometimes they do sleep.  After photographing them and walking close and all around the two we found yesterday, and spending at least five minutes next to them with no movement of any kind, I gently poked them both twice before they ever moved or stuck their tounges out.  Once we got their attention, the tounge went into high gear in and out and back over the head.  What do you think?  Am I crazy or do you think the same?  KC

Of course snakes sleep, rattlers are no exception.  Just because there are no eyelids doesnt prevent them from doing so, because as you undoubtly know that don't even have to blink, so sleeping wont bother them.

You seriously didn't know that? Or were you joking?

-Ryan

Mark 10:27

"Sympathy is no substitute for action." -  David Livingstone

6 Reply by Van

  • Van
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Re: March 24, 2007--Western Diamondbacks

Snakes probably sleep, but its difficult to quantify such behavior since they are unable to close their eyes and behave as other animals do.  I'm sure they go through daily "inactive" periods, but thats about as close as you can come to calling it true sleep.

But, just because the animal is rock still doesn't mean it is asleep.  While radiotracking timbers in the ozarks and black rats in NC, I've noticed that when I first come across most animals, they remain rock still.  No rattling, no tongue flicking, no movement at all.  If you remain still, or move a short distance away but maintain line of sight with the animal, they will sometimes (not always or even frequently) begin to move away.  I think their ambush foraging strategy demands that they remain completely still and rely on their camouflage to avoid predators and catch potential prey.  If you disturb them in some way so that they know their camouflage is foiled, they will then move to alternative defensive modes (escape, rattle, strike, etc.).  After you leave, they then have to find a new spot to settle in and camouflage themselves to wait for prey or avoid predators.  Timbers seem to be much more inclined to do this than atrox, though I have seen atrox in Arizona rely on similar behavior.  Also, whenever I've encountered timbers that were not foraging, but were on the move, they frequently show much more behavior- trying to get away, rattling, etc. before I actually try to catch them.

Van

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