Timber Run Ins - 2016

[PocketWater]

Man, those things creep me the hell out. I honestly hope I never run into one. At least rattlesnakes have the courtesy to let you know when you are close to them. Copperheads just sneakily lay there.

 

[Swattie87]

Eh…most Timbers I’ve encountered have barely rattled, if at all. I’d say most of them were completely silent the whole time. Granted I’m not picking them up or purposely agitating them, but still. The yellow one above in the thread was the first one for me that gave a good consistent rattle.

 

[salmonoid]

Agreed - I would definitely not throw caution to the wind in rattler country, expecting them to buzz you if they are present. Maybe 1 in 3 that I've encountered has rattled at me, so if 2 in 3 that I see but don't rattle are observed by me, it probably means I've walked by many more that I was oblivious to their presence. But does not mean I'm going to go reaching my hand for the rock ledge above me that I can't see, or blindly step over a log, or poke my hand or finger under a rock.

 

[724flyfishing]

pa-removes-timber-rattlesnake-endangered-species-candidate-list

Sad news. I hope this doesn't open the door for more exploitation of our natural resources.

 

[Swattie87]

The final line of that article..."The hornyhead chub was also removed from the Endangered Species list."

Lookout Squatch.

 

[jrj]

Since it looks like we have a few copperheads, here is one from the Little Schuylkill. He was not interested in giving up lunch.

 

[Shaner]

JRJ that's a "northern water snake" NOT a "copperhead"

 

[724flyfishing]

jrj wrote:
Since it looks like we have a few copperheads, here is one from the Little Schuylkill. He was not interested in giving up lunch.

That's a Northern Watersnake. They can be aggressive and leave a nasty bite but harmless. Copperheads are not fish eaters or very aquatic. They may be often found near water but rarely in it for any period of time.

 

[pcray1231]

Yep, jrj's is not a copperhead.

 

[jrj]

Thank you for the lesson. Learn something new everyday. I have seen 2-3 of these this season.

 

[pcray1231]

Not that copperheads can't be in water.

But, if it was in the water, 99% chance they are all water snakes.

Water snakes are much more common, much more likely to be seen, and much more likely to be in water.

If you do see a copperhead swimming in deeper water, it will generally float. The whole body basically above water from head to tail. Whereas a water snake will be mostly submerged, with just the head and neck area above water, and sometimes fully under.

Here's some pictures for comparison...

http://www.lifeandscience.org/nature-watch-blog/posts/copperhead-vs-northern-water-snake

Water snakes have a nasty disposition. Perhaps the nastiest of snakes I've come across. But they are not venomous.

 

[salvelinus]

I saw a yellow phase rattler on a forest road this week. He was probably over 40 inches and as big around as my forearm. I couldn't drive around him so I had to find a very long stick to shoo him off the road. He never made a sound.

 

[Dave_W]

JRJ,
Neat pic. That watersnake has captured a "stonecat" (marginated madtom). Bass love stonecats too. We had a fun thread on stonecats last summer.

 

[SteveG]

Well, with delisting, will come more fracking and development. Arway should be ashamed of his comments. What a . I can't wait until fish and boat is completely upside down in a few years.

 

[edhank]

I was all pumped up about going out looking for rattlers this Saturday, but after reading through this thread and looking at the pics, I am getting cold feet. I am freaked out, but I know I need to get rid of this irrational fear of snakes.

 

[RyanR]

jrj wrote:
Since it looks like we have a few copperheads, here is one from the Little Schuylkill. He was not interested in giving up lunch.

That IS NOT a Copperhead it is the common Northern Water snake, a nonpoisonous but aggressive snake!

Probably 99% of the time this is the snake routinely mistaken as a copperhead by river and lake users in PA.

 

[PSUturf91]

This past weekend my fiancé and I went out to Benezette to see the elk. On our way home last night my GPS took me down some pretty gnarly back roads.

On one of the roads we came across a (what I assume to be) timber rattler that had been run over. Being from the north eastern portion of New York state I have never seen a rattlesnake of any kind so I stopped to get a closer look. To me it looked to be a pretty good sized snake (30-35 inches), however its rattle only appeared to have one "rattle segment".

Is this a young rattler? Do they lose segments of their rattle? Just curious here, so anyone with more knowledge about rattlesnakes please chime in!

Here is a picture of the snake...

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPqvSbpkCy1IV7stN5Z0gPcNwP1kCnSk6HWe2brivrC6snvrmyetj1JPnPU7xET5Q?key=TEFuVmotdm1xRDdiVllRX3N6OUJnbVczLVNILUV3

 

[Dave_W]

PSUturf,
Yes, that is a timber rattlesnake.

The lack of rattles does not indicate age as these snakes add rattles when they shed their skin rather than in age increases by year. Rattles can break off and, in this case, may have been obliterated when the snake met it's unfortunate end.