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ZoPteryx — Third Time Lucky
#crotalus #herp #rattler #rattlesnake #reptile #snake #third #western #westernrattlesnake #herptile #thirdtime #thirdtimelucky
Published: 2015-08-16 06:35:58 +0000 UTC; Views: 691; Favourites: 19; Downloads: 2
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Description
I'm usually pretty sharp-eyed when it comes to spotting critters, but sometimes I get distracted... In this case, distraction came in form of a calling Cooper's Hawk, which I was trying to get a photo of as I paced back and forth trying to get an angle on the shot. After getting some photos, I turned around and immediately spotted this inconspicuous South Pacific Rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus helleri) just a few feet behind me! I must have walked right past it twice!!! True to the nature of other suburbanite rattlers I've encountered, he only began to get agitated after I was gawking over him for several minutes, at which point he rattled furiously and made a hasty retreat into a hole in the rocks. It's possible though that he was just as blind to me as I was to him, his cloudy eyes suggest that he was getting ready to shed soon.Photo taken in Orange County, CA.
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Comments: 17
you must have some serious nerves in order to get close to a venemous snake like dat. cool pic
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Lol, yeah, I guess so!
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This rattler looks a lot like an Eastern Diamondback. Even has the black line through the eye. I bet it is a lot smaller though. Nice shot. Glad you did not step on it. They don't always rattle a warning.
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Yep, quite a bit smaller. This guy was only about three feet long; the biggest one of this species I've seen was probably close to five feet.
And thanks!
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It is nice to read the circumstances you got the beauty. Of course, you're narrowly saved.
Anyway it is a beautiful picture.
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Thanks! Yes, I feel quite lucky.
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This is barely related, but my dad told me a story of a man who saw a rattlesnake, & his 1st thought was to take a selfie with the snake. He's now either dead or missing an arm; I forgot which 1. Someone give that man a Darwin Award!
I also doubt he'd be blind to you due to your (relatively) massive heat signature.
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Of all the dumb things to do...
And yeah, I'm sure he was aware of me the whole time, either via heat or vibrations. I guess he just decided to play it cool and hope I didn't notice.
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