Here are some photos and observations from the first rattler.
As noted on Swattie's original post about our expedition, there was a large spider to the left of the snake. While we watched, the big spider tried to take down a little spider. I found the co-location of the bigger predators somewhat ironic.
For perspective, this is the location of the snake when I originally encountered him (I was about twenty yards upstream from Swattie and my next three steps would have positioned me to cast into the riffle at the head of the little pool). Perspective is upstream.
After a few minutes, the snake slithered around the left corner of the rock and went under it, into the stream. This is from a position slightly upstream. If I was walking back downstream, I wouldn't think twice of walking on the bedrock, between the bank and the rock (over where the little cluster of tadpoles are located).
This was what the scene looked like after the snake moved. If you know it is there, you can almost discern the head of the snake at the little sliver of light reflected in the middle of the rock.
I don't think I would ever have spotted the snake while in this position, which of course led to an onstream discussion about how many other rattlers we may have walked past.
After a bit (maybe he was tired of being wet), he inched out a bit more. I'm still pretty sure I would never have spotted him in this position.
And recoiled (fascinating to watch this process, by the way).
Swattie wanted to fish upstream (to the "next pool"), so we did that, which somehow turned into us not returning to the spot until 1.5 hours later. You know how those "next pool" issues are; there is always just one more upstream. We had to return to retrieve a Gatorade bottle we left at the snake and were hoping to find my brother, who had split just 50 yards downstream to fish up a small hollow. We found the Gatorade bottle, and eventually found the brother back at the campsite. The herp was still under his rock, pretty much unmoved. After a bit, he made a slight adjustment of his posture. He shook his tail exactly once during the whole time we observed him and I don't think it was a warning shake, just incidental movement.
Then, he started to stretch out, with the neck in the classic strike mode.
And slithered off into the grass and saplings beside the stream.
I also have about three minutes of footage I took from a video camera, about nine inches from the snake. The snake never flinched; pretty boring footage on one hand, but neat to pan over the snake from that close. I find the process of digitizing and editing video very onerous, so this may never be available for public consumption.
Timber rattlers I've encountered in life:
maybe 12
1 gold phase, 11 black phase
sizes: 12" to 6'
three of them rattled
One that rattled I was extremely grateful that he did. It was after dark, at my parents' cabin. My wife went over to our car to get out a gallon of water. She described a sound like rustling in the leaves, so I went over, thinking maybe there was a raccoon there. When I heard the sound, I froze, as there is no mistaking the sound of a rattlesnake, once you have heard it. There was a black phase rattler, stretched out from the side of the car, phased uphill into the leaves.
