Rattlesnake Anyone?

[x635 4,066]

Thankfully, the glue traps I had set up to capture spiders from getting into the garage and house caught this 1 year old-ish rattlesnake the other day.......although he was glued down and not going anywhere, he was still alive and pissed! I had him sitting there for several days thinking it was just a harmless variety of snake....until my neighbor who is very familiar with snakes pointed out the features of a rattlesnake.....I had him in the garbage can all ready to be picked up with the trash (in a fashion he could not bite anyone) but my neighbor took possesion of him temporarily as his wife has the same rules as mine.

[gss131 212]

Tell us again how nice it is in Texas, lol

[x129K 1,393]

Tell us again how nice it is in Texas, lol

Hahaha! Hahahahaha! You read my mind 'Loo!

I'll be DAMNED to live anywhere that I need RAT TRAPS to stop spiders! Effffff that!

[helicopper 1,050]

Try a mongoose.

[MoFire390 118]

Thats one pissed off snake!!!...i have a suggestion move back to westchester ull never find those ugly buggers here...or atleast where there are alot of people

[SECTMB 612]

Although we've been lucky the last couple of years, when we had the one after another hurricanes a few years ago I was installing my hurricane panels and as I was fitting the shutter into the top track of the window, 7 feet above the patio deck, I saw what I thought was a gekko tail, so wiggled it to get the little guy to move out of the way. Well at the other end of the window header the head of a snake comes my way. Not a 3" gekko, a 3' snake. I have no idea how he made it vertically up the siding to perch on the window header. Until then I had no idea they could 'climb' walls.

[voltage1256 42]

I wanna go with Eastern Diamond Back rattler? Beautiful too bad it came to an end like that, I think they are classified as endangered, could be totally wrong

[ckroll 101]

Absolutely disgraceful. There is no excuse to leave an animal to suffer, throw it out alive and then use it for entertainment. You should be ashamed.

[JetPhoto 626]

One heck of a glue trap! You should send that company a photo of this.

[gamewell45 258]

I remember reading and seeing a picture a couple of years ago where they caught a 6ft timber rattler up in Unionvale. It killed a couple of sheep and a dog before they got it; Sure was one formidible looking snake.

[MJP399 4]

That sure is a big surprise to come upon.

Edited December 10, 2011 by MJP399

[tommyguy 104]

In the Army when I was at Ft. Sill we were setting up for war games at a well-protected location out on the west range. Where the mess sergeants were setting up their kitchen tent they found, caught and killed a rattler. Close to six feet when hung up but they said that was s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d. Probably more like five feet and change.

The cooks ate it.

[x635 4,066]

Absolutely disgraceful. There is no excuse to leave an animal to suffer, throw it out alive and then use it for entertainment. You should be ashamed.

Really? What if my 16 month old daughter was in the garage and the snake got to her or my wife? As much as I love animals, including my dog which could have easily been killed, I love my family and dog more. This is a REALLY dangerous animal.

And further FYI, juvenille rattesnakes are the most agressive. They use their venom not matter what, where adult rattlesnakes conserve theirs more and may even "dry bite". This particular variety I spoke with a LEO who is a snake expert and he told me I did the right thing as this was an especially vicous breed. It's also important that the public know what these types of snakes look like. (You never know who up north is keeping them as pets)

If it wasn't on the sticky pad, IF I could capture it safely, I would put it back into the wild far away. But that was not an option. As mentioned, I love my family, and I don't want to possibly be severly injured or die handling this snake.

[FFEMT150 214]

Really? What if my 16 month old daughter was in the garage and the snake got to her or my wife? As much as I love animals, including my dog which could have easily been killed, I love my family and dog more. This is a REALLY dangerous animal.

And further FYI, juvenille rattesnakes are the most agressive. They use their venom not matter what, where adult rattlesnakes conserve theirs more and may even "dry bite". This particular variety I spoke with a LEO who is a snake expert and he told me I did the right thing as this was an especially vicous breed. It's also important that the public know what these types of snakes look like. (You never know who up north is keeping them as pets)

If it wasn't on the sticky pad, IF I could capture it safely, I would put it back into the wild far away. But that was not an option. As mentioned, I love my family, and I don't want to possibly be severly injured or die handling this snake.

With ya on that one Seth. That had to be quite an "oh crap" moment! Enjoy the west!!!!! I'll be here in Putnam where the worst I have to worrie about is my wife!

[joetnymedic 43]

i'm with seth on this one as this could have had a whole different outcome

[NHFD21255 141]

Seth looks like a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, Crotalus atrox, VERY nasty indeed. Not endangered at all, these are the ones they go out and get for the round ups.

Gamewell45 , if that Timber was 6' that would be a NYS record

[Task Force 7 65]

Seth, you did the right thing! I was glad to hear you found it, and that it was already stuck on that trap.

[tommyguy 104]

I kind of agree with Christie. But putting a live rattlesnake in the trash to be picked up -- glued down or not glued down -- I don't know about that. I can see an unhappy ending there!

[gamewell45 258]

Gamewell45 , if that Timber was 6' that would be a NYS record

I'll see if i can find the article and post it here.

[ckroll 101]

Really? What if my 16 month old daughter was in the garage and the snake got to her or my wife? As much as I love animals, including my dog which could have easily been killed, I love my family and dog more. This is a REALLY dangerous animal.

And further FYI, juvenille rattesnakes are the most agressive. They use their venom not matter what, where adult rattlesnakes conserve theirs more and may even "dry bite". This particular variety I spoke with a LEO who is a snake expert and he told me I did the right thing as this was an especially vicous breed. It's also important that the public know what these types of snakes look like. (You never know who up north is keeping them as pets)

If it wasn't on the sticky pad, IF I could capture it safely, I would put it back into the wild far away. But that was not an option. As mentioned, I love my family, and I don't want to possibly be severly injured or die handling this snake.

Yes, really. " I had him sitting there for several days thinking it was just a harmless variety of snake...." That is leaving an animal to suffer. It does not protect your family. I do not question that a rattlesnake does not belong in a house and one caught in a trap like that needs to be euthanized.

That said, it is a sentient being who was near death and terrified. You could have dispatched it with a shovel, ended its misery and made your family and your trash safer. To claim it was necessary to watch it suffer to protect your family is foolish.

[ckroll 101]

"Texas averages two to three snake bite deaths each year, according to information from Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.

By comparison, an average of five to seven people die each year from insect bites and approximately eight die each year from lightning strikes, according to TPWD."

Bicycle deaths in Texas? 53. Firearm deaths in Texas in 2002? 11 per 100,000.

Snakes aren't the problem.

[helicopper 1,050]

It's a reptile not an animal. Does it have a nervous system capable of "suffering"?

Sorry, but a venomous snake is not your average nuisance pest in/around the home. It is readily capable of causing death or injury so despite what the statistics show I don't think you should leave it roaming around your house or yard.

[calhobs 110]

It's a reptile not an animal. Does it have a nervous system capable of "suffering"?

Sorry, but a venomous snake is not your average nuisance pest in/around the home. It is readily capable of causing death or injury so despite what the statistics show I don't think you should leave it roaming around your house or yard.

I get it now, so leaving it stuck to a rat trap for a few days is really a good idea, my opinion is and we all have one, should of killed it once you caught it. What happens if it got away.

[ckroll 101]

It's a reptile not an animal. Does it have a nervous system capable of "suffering"?

Sorry, but a venomous snake is not your average nuisance pest in/around the home. It is readily capable of causing death or injury so despite what the statistics show I don't think you should leave it roaming around your house or yard.

Reading comprehension is apparently not a strong suit here at EMT bravo. Nor is biology. Reptiles are animals. Like all chordates, they have a central nervous system. They lack a neocortex which in primates is responsible for our ability to reason. Reptiles are related to birds. For the longest time birds were assumed to lack intelligence because their brain architecture differed from ours. Some parrots have reasoning skills that exceed that of great apes, so current wisdom is that while we do not understand how their brains are ordered, they are nonetheless intelligent.

How intelligent are reptiles? It's hard to say. They do poorly on standardized tests as it is hard for them to hold pencils. It is believed that they lack the capability for emotion. If so, they neither love, nor hate, nor do they act out of malice. "Mean as a snake." is entirely inaccurate as snakes do not have the capacity to be mean.

As for reading comprehension.... I am not suggesting a poisonous snake should be left in the home. If it has to be killed, it should be humane and quick. The objection here is that an animal was left for days to die slowly and pictures of the abuse were posted.

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

It's a reptile not an animal. Does it have a nervous system capable of "suffering"?

Yes it does have a CNS just like any other vertebrate. And since when is a reptile not an animal?

I do agree however that regardless of whether or not you thought it was dangerous you should have dispatched it accordingly, or at least call an Animal Control Officer. Its not worth risking your life or your families having a live rattlesnake near your house regardless of whether it is trapped or not.

Edited December 11, 2011 by SRS131EMTFF

[INIT915 1,119]

I get it now, so leaving it stuck to a rat trap for a few days is really a good idea, my opinion is and we all have one, should of killed it once you caught it. What happens if it got away.

Not even just getting away. Imagine being the sanitation worker on that job. What a surprise and what a potential for disaster.

[helicopper 1,050]

If we're going to criticize reading comprehension we should make sure we're not living in a glass house. My comment was not that a reptile doesn't have a nervous system, it was a question about whether or not it was capable of "suffering"? Does it feel pain?

[ckroll 101]

If we're going to criticize reading comprehension we should make sure we're not living in a glass house. My comment was not that a reptile doesn't have a nervous system, it was a question about whether or not it was capable of "suffering"? Does it feel pain?

We're not. Red shingle.

Excellent question about pain, though. It's a huge philosophical question. What we call pain is our mind telling us that something is wrong. Snakes get burns, so there is a physiological reaction. My python got irritable before shedding, clearly enjoying a soak in a warm tub and back rub to loosen up the old skin, so I would go with yes, they have the sense of touch and they feel both irritation and relief, so I believe they do feel pain.

Suffering is a broader concept that goes beyond pain. Anticipation of death is perhaps the greatest suffering. It's why we torture. Given how snakes react to being cornered and captured, I also believe they don't want to die. So, yes, I think several days stuck to a glue trap is torture and therefore causes suffering.

[20Truck 7]

"Texas averages two to three snake bite deaths each year, according to information from Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.

By comparison, an average of five to seven people die each year from insect bites and approximately eight die each year from lightning strikes, according to TPWD."

Bicycle deaths in Texas? 53. Firearm deaths in Texas in 2002? 11 per 100,000.

Snakes aren't the problem.

…Spoken like someone who doesn’t have a clue about Rattlesnakes.

I can’t believe your serious about this. Snakes can be a huge problem out here. Rattlesnakes are dangerous, especially the juveniles.

Have you ever even seen a Rattlesnake bite? …or the subsequent damage it causes? I’ve seen several working in the EMS system here, most require a hospital stay, some require surgery, and almost all create panic in the victim.

I think Seth was smart to avoid the thing. Just leave it alone. Why chance it? Thankfully, the snake ended up on a glue pad and not coiled up in some corner where his wife, kids, or pet could stumble upon it.

I couldn’t care less about how that snake felt. Alert PETA! I am glad no one got hurt.

[bfd34180 11]

that is one very pissed snake, now i have a question arent juviniles not only more aggressive but isnt the venom more potent aswell? also ive seen snakes heads continue to strike even after it being lopped off by a shovel, now me being my fathers son id have made tiny snake bits of it with my 12ga.