Has anyone ever found a wild Timber Rattlesnake in the Pine Barrens? Just interested in hearing stories!
The Timber aka "Pine" Rattlesnake
- Thread starter NJSnakeMan
- Start date
NJSnakeMan said:
Check the old posts; I recall several mentions, including my own, of finding C. horridus in the pines. One episode I don't think I've related was that of how I found my first (and only) rattler hibernaculum in the pines. On a warm May day I was hiking along a small crick and in detouring around the north side of a slough I traversed a slight south-facing slope on which there were several adjacent deadfall trees - oaks as I recall. I sat on a sturdy exposed root to have my lunch (one ham-and-cheese on rye and one P&B on styrofoam bread for dessert. I know that's what I had because it's what I ALWAYS had, and always DO have for lunch on a day-hike!) As I was about to press on I noticed that there was a fresh-shed rattler skin among the roots near my boot, and another among some small exposed roots at ground level by the next deadfall, and yet another among the twigs of a fallen bough a few more yards away. After a few moments cogitation I figured I was close to - or within the surface limits of - a rattler den. A little close looking proved I was. Several light-phase and one melanistic - none very big - about two-footers all. Came back the next day and caught, marked, and released four. Other than at that den my encounters with rattlers in the pines were random events. My general impression of pine barrens timber rattlers was that they were pretty placid and slow-to-anger; always seemed to follow the discretion-is-the-better-part-of-valor rule. This was in contradistinction to the "attitude" of timbers I later encountered at some of the granite talus dens in Pennsylvania.
Dave
NJSnakeMan said:
Forgot to mention... you asked about finding "wild" rattlers; I was never aware of having found a domesticated one...
Dave
Sounds similiar to Carl Kauffeld's rattlesnake encounter! Have you read that book? I just got it and read it for 2 1/2 HRs straight. It makes me want to get over in the Pines and herp right now.
Dave, I remember hearing that rattlers like south facing slopes to den in. For the record I have seen two rattlesnakes in the pines to date. A small one right next to Batona campground on Carranza rd. And a very large one deep in the woods south of Hampton furnance. Both were yellow phase.
Jeff
Jeff
NJSnakeMan said:
My only recollection of Kauffeld recounting a rattler episode from the pines in one of his books was when he took a girlfriend back into the Mt. Misery den to see a rattler there. He also mentioned the same incident in one of the talks he gave at the S.I Zoo. in '54 or '55. On one of my boyhood visits (pilgrimages) to the SI Zoo Kauffeld and Bill Sommerfeld (Summerfield? He later became curator and then, I think, Director sometime after Kauffeld's death) got to reminiscing about rattlers in the pines and it was they who first pointed out to me the similarity of the timbers in the pines to the "Canebrake rattlers" of the southeast. Kauffeld was a real rattler aficianado and at one time had at least one representative of each of over 30 species of rattlers at the SI Zoo. Years later (in the late 90s) when I was helping on an archeological dig in ValVerde County in west Texas I ran into an old rancher who recalled Kauffeld hunting rattlers on his ranch (where we were digging). Claimed that he (Kauffeld) had caught a green rattler right at the dry cave we were excavating. The next morning when we returned to the cave for another day's digging, there was a little green rattler coiled right in the path to the entrance. Eerie.
Yeah when he brought the girl back to see the rattler was the last time he's found a rattlesnake at mt.misery. The first time seeing a rattlesnake for him- he was out collecting moss and ran across a rattlesnake on the trail. After bagging it, he found 3 more withing a 15 foot radius. From what i remember he's found about 7 rattlesnakes at Mt.Misery total, and only one other- i think near chatsworth. Why do i remember so clearly? Because i just purchased the book and am reading it now. IT's AWESOME. Makes me want to get out and explore the pines now.
Oh yeah- his den site was buldozed. The last rattlesnake was actually a dead one, found near the den site with it's tail (and maybe head) cut off. It was the last time he's ever returned to Mt.Misery, it was too sad for him to see. But his friend claims to have found 2 baby rattlesnakes in his woodpile, so i guess it's still worth checking out!
they are venomous, whether or not how venomous they are- dosen't matter. every venomous snake should be treated equally. away from that..
timber rattlesnakes are very docile ( the ones found in NJ ) To get bitten, you would of have to been really screwing with the snake.
I don't know if this is true or not, but a guy i know that works at Rutgers Cran/Blueberry research center told me that if you even get bitten by the timber rattlesnake in NJ you automatically get fined 500 bills, because you just of had to been messing with the snake. But besides that, don't worry about stepping on one. The chances are slim to nothing, us who actually look for them have a hard enough time in finding one!!!
-Brandon
timber rattlesnakes are very docile ( the ones found in NJ ) To get bitten, you would of have to been really screwing with the snake.
I don't know if this is true or not, but a guy i know that works at Rutgers Cran/Blueberry research center told me that if you even get bitten by the timber rattlesnake in NJ you automatically get fined 500 bills, because you just of had to been messing with the snake. But besides that, don't worry about stepping on one. The chances are slim to nothing, us who actually look for them have a hard enough time in finding one!!!
-Brandon
Timbers
In 22 years of herping the pines, I have only found 1 Timber- Gravid female in Ocean County. Not expecting it, she was quite a suprise! This was 5 years ago and since then, I have revisited the site and have not seen her again. Now, I am careful where I place my hands!
In 22 years of herping the pines, I have only found 1 Timber- Gravid female in Ocean County. Not expecting it, she was quite a suprise! This was 5 years ago and since then, I have revisited the site and have not seen her again. Now, I am careful where I place my hands!
Krloucks said:
Krloucks,
I just looked over your gallery and noticed what I believe to be a familiar bridge in one of them. Do you recognize it Jeff and Bob?
http://images.kodakgallery.com/serv...tos1227/1/60/49/26/65/1/165264960106_0_BG.jpg
Guy
When I clicked on this it said "forbidden", when I went to the image gallery, the photos were a bit too small to see clearly, so I don't know what bridge you are referring to. Although, the fact that you asked Bob and I specifically gives me a good idea. Was it a bridge we saw the very first time we got together?
Jeff
Jeff
woodjin said:
I wonder why ou can't see it? I just clicked on the link and went right to it again.
Anyway, yes I believe it is that bridge where the house is right up the hill and I was walking around in the water and picked up an item off the bottom.
Use this link and click on the far right little photo.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/krloucks/lebanon
Guy
TeeGate said:
Hmmm, only if you were looking upstream. It was a lot wider I thought where you were walking. Also, if you were looking upstream the broken part of the decking would be on the left, no?
Lebanon and the old bridge
You guys are getting closer! It is a beautiful spot. I can't call the park Brendon Byrne, sorry, it has always been and always will be "Lebanon" to me. Only an hour drive for me, I spend several several afternoons a summer hiking through the park. Though not my usual herp spot, I have found the following in and around the area- Hognose (melanistic), N. Pine, Racer(of course) N. Water, E.garter, Ribbon, Worm snakes, painted, redbellied, spotted, musk and box turtles and the three lizard species. Several different frog species.
BTW, the pine was crossing the road in front of Pakim pond!
K
You guys are getting closer! It is a beautiful spot. I can't call the park Brendon Byrne, sorry, it has always been and always will be "Lebanon" to me. Only an hour drive for me, I spend several several afternoons a summer hiking through the park. Though not my usual herp spot, I have found the following in and around the area- Hognose (melanistic), N. Pine, Racer(of course) N. Water, E.garter, Ribbon, Worm snakes, painted, redbellied, spotted, musk and box turtles and the three lizard species. Several different frog species.
BTW, the pine was crossing the road in front of Pakim pond!
K