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How dangerous was this snake?
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by PorkyPig on September 5, 2005
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I found a rattlesnake on my porch yesterday. I have never seen one like it. It had white around it's mouth, and it's body was green. It was only about 3 1/2 feet long. My first instinct was to kill it, but after a minute, I realized that wasn't cool. I gathered it up in a bucket and took it way way far away into the national forest and let it go. We live in the Sierra Nevada foothills in Northern California at 4100 feet elevation. I have a picture of it if anyone is interested. If anyone can tell me what kind of rattlesnake it Is, I would be thankful. Should I have killed it? I have dogs and a child.
PorkyPig
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RE: How dangerous was this snake?
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by LarryDFishel on September 5, 2005
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Someone else can give you a better answer on identification.
Personally, I think you did the right thing with the possible exception of how far you went. Snakes, like most animals seem to learn the area they grow up in and the farther away you relocate them the slimmer their chances of survival. Either way, I think it's better than killing them on the spot, and I'm very happy to see that even people who clearly don't dig snakes are starting to think about alternatives. On their behalf, thank you.
The other thing I would mention though is that you might have had a lot of explaining to do if you'd been stopped in a National Forest with a wild animal in a bucket... I don't know your area, so I can't say if there was a better place.
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RE: How dangerous was this snake?
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by Phobos on September 5, 2005
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It was almost certainly a Northern Pacific rattlesnake, Crotalus viridis oreganus.
http://www.venomousreptiles.org/pages/ltoreganus.jpg
If your worried about a dog getting bit Red Rock Biologics has a vaccine for dogs available throught your DVM. It's not very expensive and will save a lot of wear & tear on your dog. They attended the Biology of Rattlesnakes seminar I attended this year.
As for human bites, it could administer a serious bite but this species is not well know for causing fatalites but prompt medical treatment is always required. Always let the ER physician in conjunction with a Poison Control Center determine how the bite should be treated.
All said and done to put it all in perspective, you and your family out for a drive to town for some shopping are much more at risk for injury than from having Rattlesnakes as neighboors. Remember, they were their first.
Yes, I would like to see your picture to make sure.
cerastes@earthlink.net
Good Luck.
Al Coritz
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RE: How dangerous was this snake?
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by PorkyPig on September 5, 2005
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Hi Al,
Thanks for your speedy response. I've sent a photo.........not the best as I was a little nervous and forgot to adjust my camera for a closeup to your e-mail address.
I will talk with my vet regardng the immunization for the dogs. I'm an EMT, but our hospital and the vet hospital are almost an hour drive. My son is 16 and has been told to be careful when he is out and about in the woods.
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RE: How dangerous was this snake?
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by PorkyPig on September 5, 2005
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Hi Larry,
I only took the snake about a half mile from our home. Hope it was far enough so it wouldn't come back, but not too far for it to survive. Our place is the closest residence to where I set the snake, so I don't have to worry that I set it too close to a neighbor's place.
Our place boarders the national forrest. We don't have forrest rangers, so it's up to us to keep it wild, clean and free. We also have neighbor bears, rabbits, mountain lions, coyotes, and squirrels.
We have lived here for over three years and this is the first snake we have seen. I didn't know they liked this elevation. (4100ft)
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RE: How dangerous was this snake?
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by Phobos on September 6, 2005
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Shannon:
The summer range of some species can be up to 20 KM. Just be vigilent about where you put you hand & feet and you should be able to co-exsist no problem.
Here is a link to a Rattlesnake bite treatment protocol by Dr. Sean Bush. One of the countries leading authorities on the treatment of Rattlesnake bite.
http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic540.htm#section~medication
Good Luck,
Al
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