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| -Signs, Portents, and the Weather- |
| Snakes Not on a Plane |
| 2014-08-26 |
| CARLSBAD -- The Mojave rattler, one of the most lethal rattlesnakes in the Southwest, has been gradually moving into new territory in Southeastern New Mexico. The snake is a type of pit viper that has recently migrated from California and Arizona and appears physically similar to the area's native Western diamondback rattlesnake and black-tail rattlesnake. Mistaking the Mojave rattler for the other rattlesnakes could mean the difference between life and death according to some experts. I don't want to get bitten by either one. Mojave rattlesnakes are smaller than Western diamondbacks, have a distinctively outlined diamond pattern on their back, and display prominent light and dark diagonal stripes on the sides of their head according to the Game and Fish Department. |
| Posted by:Deacon Blues |
| #8 Depending upon the coloring and width of the stripes on the tail and being close enough to know what is about to bite you is like tailgating a POS car ( any K car, vega, pinto, gremlin) and betting the brake lights are functional. |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2014-08-26 20:26 |
| #7 RE: snake handling religious services According to Minton these cults don't seem to have much longevity when they enter the range of the Eastern Diamondback rattlesnake for some reason. |
| Posted by: Snavise Cholurt4299 2014-08-26 19:23 |
| #6 I've heard of diamond backs in this area but they were probably timber rattlers as the diamond backs are a little further south. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2014-08-26 16:36 |
| #5 Timber rattlers are common also. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2014-08-26 16:31 |
| #4 We don't have Mojaves but we have Eastern diamond backs and copperheads in East Tennessee. Bites are relatively infrequent but people do get bitten-- mostly by copperheads. Of course, in the snake handling religious services, people get bitten by rattlers fairly frequently. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2014-08-26 16:20 |
| #3 The easiest way to distinguish the three snake species is by looking at their |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2014-08-26 16:12 |
| #2 another group fleeing California.... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2014-08-26 13:29 |
| #1 This snake's venom has been changing over the last few decades. |
| Posted by: Iblis 2014-08-26 11:25 |