Revisiting the Rattlesnake

dragoncjo

Piney
Aug 12, 2005
1,524
238
42
camden county
I think 100 timbers may be an exaggeration by that piney.....there may only be a 500 timbers in the pines, a 100 would be nearly impossible to do. How long ago was this?
 

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,602
8,180
I believe he is talking about Rattlesnake Ace Pitman.

Guy
 

dragoncjo

Piney
Aug 12, 2005
1,524
238
42
camden county
Oh I should have picked that up:rofl: what a idiot I am.......yeah back then there probably was that many timbers in the pines......not no more.....thanks Ace.
 

jburd641

Explorer
Jan 16, 2008
410
22
Port Charlotte, Fl.
A friend of mine told me that a few years back, maybe five, he did work on a construction site that was shut down due to "pygme rattlesnakes".
I won't mention the town where this happened but I'm curious if anyone here has ever seen one of these very rare snakes? Any pics if you have?
 

oji

Piney
Jan 25, 2008
2,096
462
63
Browns Mills
A friend of mine told me that a few years back, maybe five, he did work on a construction site that was shut down due to "pygme rattlesnakes".
I won't mention the town where this happened but I'm curious if anyone here has ever seen one of these very rare snakes? Any pics if you have?

If the site was on [Removed] then they were Timber Rattlesnakes. I believe that there was a lot of them located there and a den may have been destroyed.
 

jerimichelle

New Member
Sep 20, 2008
13
0
Wow, cool pictures! Thanks for sharing. I used to keep various snakes back in the 80s, and to me that fellow looks like one happy, well-fed rattler. Off hand would not have guessed there were rattlers down there in the pines, but then again, they're quite common up here in the ridges of CT, MA and NY State. Seem lots of em on the trails. Never much of a bother, really. Alertness and a good pair of boots will do ya fine.
:bear:
 

dragoncjo

Piney
Aug 12, 2005
1,524
238
42
camden county
Jburd no pygmy in NJ, just down south. We do have timbes here and that site you mentioned is nearly extirpated. There could be other dens there but the one that was surrounded by development had seven timbers killed from it during construction, five by construction workers and two by car. They had telemtry studies going on for a while but the last female that had a transmitter was run over a by a car a few years back. That place should have never been built. I talked to a Dr. in his 80's who lives just behind the development on a old cranberry bog. In the 60's he took two timbers from that exact location to Roger Conant to ID and examine. That state knew there was timbers and pines there they just completely sh_t the bed on that one. It is ashame, (people in general) may dislike rattlesnakes but the bottom line is the help protect beautiful tracks of forest.......and if you've ever been to that spot it should be a park.....not a stupid ass mcmansion complex. Its up in the air whether or not that site will ever recover....fortunately the woods behind the den is still there.
 

jburd641

Explorer
Jan 16, 2008
410
22
Port Charlotte, Fl.
Jburd no pygmy in NJ, just down south. We do have timbes here and that site you mentioned is nearly extirpated. There could be other dens there but the one that was surrounded by development had seven timbers killed from it during construction, five by construction workers and two by car. They had telemtry studies going on for a while but the last female that had a transmitter was run over a by a car a few years back. That place should have never been built. I talked to a Dr. in his 80's who lives just behind the development on a old cranberry bog. In the 60's he took two timbers from that exact location to Roger Conant to ID and examine. That state knew there was timbers and pines there they just completely sh_t the bed on that one. It is ashame, (people in general) may dislike rattlesnakes but the bottom line is the help protect beautiful tracks of forest.......and if you've ever been to that spot it should be a park.....not a stupid ass mcmansion complex. Its up in the air whether or not that site will ever recover....fortunately the woods behind the den is still there.

I agree it's a shame they just had to build those McMansions. Another bite out of an endangered (locally) species habitat. Of course, with those houses right there that just leads to the homeowners killing snakes to "protect" their property. A vicious cycle that the snakes cannot escape.
 

tugwake

Scout
Sep 15, 2008
62
0
On another note....

I got bit on the right cheek (not on my face) by a pygmy rattlesnake years ago in Florida without warning. Well, if it did warn me I didn't hear it because their rattle sounds almost like a bumblebee. Anyway, the swelling and pain was terrible....immediately, getting worse the next two days. I received anti-venom at the hospital for it. Just a few days later I was bitten on the toe by a water moccasin but it didn't do anything but swell a little. Probably because of the anti-venom which, incidentally, does not feel good either.

Funny thing was, I wasn't concerned about a scar, I was worried by butt would stick that way (swollen on one side).

Now you all know why I was so concerned about snakes when I moved up here!
 

jburd641

Explorer
Jan 16, 2008
410
22
Port Charlotte, Fl.
I got bit on the right cheek (not on my face) by a pygmy rattlesnake years ago in Florida without warning. Well, if it did warn me I didn't hear it because their rattle sounds almost like a bumblebee. Anyway, the swelling and pain was terrible....immediately, getting worse the next two days. I received anti-venom at the hospital for it. Just a few days later I was bitten on the toe by a water moccasin but it didn't do anything but swell a little. Probably because of the anti-venom which, incidentally, does not feel good either.

Funny thing was, I wasn't concerned about a scar, I was worried by butt would stick that way (swollen on one side).

Now you all know why I was so concerned about snakes when I moved up here!

Sheesh Star, did these bites happen close to home or out in the woods?
Glad you had no lasting effects.
 

tugwake

Scout
Sep 15, 2008
62
0
Sheesh Star, did these bites happen close to home or out in the woods?
Glad you had no lasting effects.

Right AT home! I moved from South Florida to North Florida and had a few acres in the woods. I was mowing the lawn on a small riding mower when I got bit near some palmettos. The water moccasin was in my kitchen. I'd left the door open that day. When it gets hot, they will come inside if you aren't careful!

You have to try the swamp cabbage when you go to Florida. It's delicious! I'm jealous.

Oh and other than the fork in my tongue, I'm ok. :)
 

jburd641

Explorer
Jan 16, 2008
410
22
Port Charlotte, Fl.
You have to try the swamp cabbage when you go to Florida. It's delicious! I'm jealous.

Oh and other than the fork in my tongue, I'm ok. :)

Swamp cabbage? Is that something I have to go hunting for or can I find it in my grocers freezer?

Do you have a lisp from the forked tongue? :)
 

tugwake

Scout
Sep 15, 2008
62
0
Swamp cabbage? Is that something I have to go hunting for or can I find it in my grocers freezer?

Do you have a lisp from the forked tongue? :)

You'll probably find it down there in restaurants or on the reservations. It's the core of the cabbage palm, chopped up and cooked with a little pork. I could eat it until I exploded. It is delicious!

Oh, and no lisp. I had one when I was little and took some sthpeech lessons. :D
 
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