Rattlesnake Antics

“Was that a snake?“  I asked while gazing out the passenger door window.  

“Maybe.  Or is it a car part, like a radiator hose?” replied Scott as he slowed to make a u-turn.  “Geez,” he began while easing up to the object lying in the graveled shoulder, “that’s a BIG rattlesnake!”

I hopped out.

Coming around the front of the car, the big snake was stretched out basking in the sun, motionless.  He wasn’t overly long, but super thick with his silent set of rattles longer than my index finger.  His depth made it easy to see him from the side, but looking down at him was a different story.

 
His color pattern was ideal camouflage while taking a siesta in the gravel.  A flicking forked tongue sensed our presence, so he slithered into the nearby grass and weeds.  I followed, he coiled.  His rattle exceeded 12 buttons as they began making their namesake noise.

Watching a rattlesnake’s tail in action is entrancing. The rate of the observed movement doesn’t match the constant buzz.  Their tail rhythmically vibrates in waves faster than what the eye can witness. 

As the rattling slowed or stopped, I kicked gravel at him to get the rattles moving again.  Another car stopped and Mark stood safely near the centerline of the roadway, craning his neck to see what was abuzz.

Knowing Mark’s fear of snakes had his heart racing, I could not help myself.  Yes, my childish inner self that refuses to grow up recognized a treasured opportunity.  As Mark was uneasy and exclaiming, “Oh Jesus,” I feigned the snake striking, and, of course, I had to embellish it a little bit with exaggerated movements jumping away from the snake.

Mark’s reaction was a terror-induced type of yelping sound with, I believe, him sharding his pants.

I filmed the nonsense, which caught Mark's distant fretting.  But, it also captured my loud, embarrassingly robust laughter at Mark's expense. (I know.  Real funny until someone gets hurt and I should act like an adult, but I simply couldn’t help it…)

Despite Mark's safety zone of 50 feet, rattlesnakes reportedly can only strike 1/3 to 1/2 of their body length, so I've been told. I hope whoever tosses that figure around knows what he is talking about!