Crotalus viridis (rattlesnakes) - Montana Yikes!

[VMI77]

Haven't seen this posted. Prairie Rattlers en masse! The videographer must be wearing some very good protective gear.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DaGsnFv_00

He says this in the comments:

as long as you watch where you step they won't strike, they'd rather just get away into their hole. 

No snake guards, lol, just jeans. They don't want confrontation, they'd rather just get away, as long as you watch where you step and give them space you'll be fine. Bring a stick and tap bushes before you walk by them.

[puma guy]

Today I found out a group of rattlesnakes is called a rhumba or rumba. Don't ask me why!

[JSThane]

There are only four species of poisonous snakes in Texas and the continental US.

Just because I am being that pedantic. http://www.texaspoison.com/snakes.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Selina Kyle]

This video creeps me out....I love animals but snakes still frighten me!!!

[puma guy]

There are only four species of poisonous snakes in Texas and the continental US.

Just because I am being that pedantic. http://www.texaspoison.com/snakes.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

As far as I know there are four species of poisonous snakes in North America with many sub-species. Rattlesnakes, Cottonmouth, Copperhead and Coral. There are numerous sub-species of Rattlesnakes (too many to mention) and several sub-species of Copperheads and Cottonmouths. The Coral snake has three sub-species one of which is the Texas Coral snake and there is a sub-species of Copperhead called the Trans-Pecos.

[JSThane]

The various rattlers are themselves often different species, with many more sub-species. For example, Crotalus viridis, the Prarie/Western/Hopi/etc. rattlesnake has numerous subspecies scattered across the US, while Crotalus horridus, the Timber Rattlesnake, is a separate species.

[puma guy]

I hunted snakes for years around the Central Texas area.. Sweetwater, Brownwood snake shows. In the 80's I was bullet proof... (so I thought) We hunted with an old man that had been bitten so many times, his left arm was basically dead.. Warren would go into a den head first and start throwing snakes out for us to catch and put in burlap bags. He had fashioned a burlap bag on a ring of panel wire so it formed basically a butterfly net that he could twist and flip the snakes back into the hoop for carrying. One day, he was in a hurry and just slung it over his shoulder and headed to the next den. The bag swung back against his rear and a rattler extracted 1 final act of revenge. I think he spent a couple of days in the hospital, then a couple of weeks sleeping on his stomach..

the rhyme about the colors, I get it tangled.. just like the morning red, evening gray one for rain..

It's easier for me to just remember
"Red touches Black, venom lack"

[puma guy]

The various rattlers are themselves often different species, with many more sub-species. For example, Crotalus viridis, the Prarie/Western/Hopi/etc. rattlesnake has numerous subspecies scattered across the US, while Crotalus horridus, the Timber Rattlesnake, is a separate species.

All rattlesnakes are species of the genus Crotalus. Collectively termed species since the term is the same word, singular or plural, so maybe we're arguing semantics.

[JSThane]

The various rattlers are themselves often different species, with many more sub-species. For example, Crotalus viridis, the Prarie/Western/Hopi/etc. rattlesnake has numerous subspecies scattered across the US, while Crotalus horridus, the Timber Rattlesnake, is a separate species.

All rattlesnakes are species of the genus Crotalus. Collectively termed species since the term is the same word, singular or plural, so maybe we're arguing semantics.

I'll go with that, because you've got a cool logo for an avatar.

[cb1000rider]

"Red touches Black, venom lack"

I think I read that coral snake anti-venom is no longer made...
I've never actually seen one in Texas, but that's the one that you really don't want to run into.

[puma guy]

The various rattlers are themselves often different species, with many more sub-species. For example, Crotalus viridis, the Prarie/Western/Hopi/etc. rattlesnake has numerous subspecies scattered across the US, while Crotalus horridus, the Timber Rattlesnake, is a separate species.

All rattlesnakes are species of the genus Crotalus. Collectively termed species since the term is the same word, singular or plural, so maybe we're arguing semantics.

I'll go with that, because you've got a cool logo for an avatar.

Thanks

[puma guy]

"Red touches Black, venom lack"

I think I read that coral snake anti-venom is no longer made...
I've never actually seen one in Texas, but that's the one that you really don't want to run into.

I've only seen one. Not in Texas, though. When I was a kid we took a trip to Ontario, Canada and the cabin we stayed in had wood burning stove. We were just moving stuff in when we saw a coral little snake crawl out of the wood box. My parents had a friend that killed them all the time and would send them pictures of them. The were longer than any of the pictures I've seen of coral snakes. He'd hang them on the clothes line for the pictures and some of them looked 3 feet long, maybe longer.
I didn't know the antivenin was unavailable. Probably not profitable enough. Coral snakes have short fangs and have to "chew" to deliver their venom. Most people probably pull the snake off before they get much delivered. Their venom is a neuro-toxin; pretty nasty stuff.

[Abraham]

Every year but this one (so far...) I've had at least 2 and sometimes more coral snakes in my yard.

This year though I've had a bumper crop of cotton mouths: 4 - These within the past month.

One was almost stepped on by my wife and I had another curled up within three feet of me while I was checking my fence line. I was on snake alert and had I not been there's an excellent chance I wouldn't have noticed it and potentially could have stepped on it.