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Eastern Diamondbacks
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by CottonmouthKyle on June 1, 2004
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I've searched and searched in areas in which EDBs have been found but have had no luck. I've road dirt roads, searched the woods in the area, and walked fields. I know for a fact that they are there but how do I find them? Can anyone give me any tips on finding them?
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RE: Eastern Diamondbacks
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by Chris_Harper on June 2, 2004
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Here's what you REALLY need to do: 1. Find every book on Eastern diamondback biology and natural history that you can find, then read them. 2. The only book that I know of that specifically details road cruising techniques is Kemniter's "Snake Hunting the Carolina Tin Fields", available at Amazon.com. 3. Find a copy of "Snake Venom Poisoning" by Findlay Russell, because most people who are bitten by EDB's aren't expecting what they get when they are bitten. 4. Go to the file library on this site and download the care sheet that I wrote on EDB's.
After reading all of this material, you should be fairly well equipped to find EDB's. Then finally, field experience will complete your knowledge base.
Why did I tell you all of this? If you have to ask, then you simply don't know enough about your quarry. I remember 2 individuals coming up to me at a nature center one day, telling me that they wanted to get into venomous keeping. It was a bit obvious to me that they just liked the "shock value" of venomous snakes, so I tried to discourage them. Three months later, one of them was bitten by an EDB and spent 16 days in ICU. He had no medical insurance and the bill was $95,000.
~Chris Harper, webmaster
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RE: Eastern Diamondbacks
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by GREGLONGHURST on June 2, 2004
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Chris is right on the money. Stepping up from any of the southeastern venomous snakes to either the canebrake or the diamondback is an absolutely huge step. Copperheads and cottonmouths deliver bites that, with prompt, proper medical treatment are very survivable. The two large rattlesnakes both have the capability of delivering a bite that is not survivable despite treatment. This is not usually the case, but the potential is there. This is due, in the case of adamanteus to the possibility of massive injection of venom because of the snake's size. In horridus, the venom cocktail itself is often pretty darn lethal.
http://treasurecoastwebdesign.com/snakes ~~Greg~~
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RE: Eastern Diamondbacks
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by Phobos on June 2, 2004
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Kyle:
I echo and agree with what Chris said but want to add little bit to it....
I hope you are taking someone with you on your herping expeditions. If your not, you need to re-think what you are doing. For safety's sake, always best to have a "buddy" along no matter where you are going or what you are doing. Have your "buddy" read Chris's selection when your done reading it. This will bring them up to speed, so you both can then make an "action" plan & checklist in case of a field accident: Broken leg/arm, Bee/wasp stings, Snakebite...etc.... Alway plan for the worst. Why a checklist? It prevents even a highly trained person from forgeting a crucial step in a moment of crisis. Ask any armed services person how valuable they are.
Prepare a field emergency kit to enable your action plan to be implemented effectively.
Good Luck and Happy Herping!
Al
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RE: Eastern Diamondbacks
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by CottonmouthKyle on June 2, 2004
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We keep EDBs but they were all given to us. We used to find them when we were younger but now they no where to be found. We have a canebreak, EDB, pigmy rattler, cottonmouths, and soon a copperhead so we have some experience. Does anyone know any road cruising road that is good for EDBs?
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RE: Eastern Diamondbacks
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by Buzztail1 on June 2, 2004
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I think Chris was right on the money.
But ...
To answer the question at hand:
I hunted EDBs for two years before I found one in the wild. It entailed learning more about their life habits and applying that to when I went hunting.
I have no recollection (a phrase I learned from Bill Clinton) of ever finding an EDB on any road.
Every one that The Boss and I have found over the past few years has been in daylight while out walking along the edges of woods and fields.
Study up and Good Luck.
Chances are that you will never find a more impressive in the wild snake than an adult EDB.
Karl
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RE: Eastern Diamondbacks
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by foxhunter on June 3, 2004
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LIsten Kyle: take all this advice...I moved to the South east some ten years ago..And having grown up catching horridus and akistrodon contortrix in the N.E ..My holy grail was Adamanteus...I researched and of course Kaufield being my hero ..read everything he had to say about Edb's .it still took me several years to line up and start being successful in S.C ....Road hunting has never been a successful method for catching Edb's in my experience...March to mid april..Best time period.
I-95 east best areas...Beaufort...Edisto..private land- huntclubs in the Ace Basin area....Stump hunting...Access the right habitat and youll find them...Im sure they are not as plentiful as in kaufields day..but they are ther!...They truly are the most magnificent of the crotalus species..and outside of Lachesis..they are my absolute passion!..Im fortunate enough to have developed some good areas and land access...Id advise trying Real estate agents.. land managers or go right to Hunt club offices..believe me most are eager to have you remove them...just look respectable..and be polite..you should have some really great collecting spots lined up in no time..
good luck...
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RE: Eastern Diamondbacks
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by Sal on June 3, 2004
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I guess I just got REALLY lucky last week in Apalachicola. The Eastern Diamondback I found was not on the road, but probably about 60 yards off the road near a creek. It was about 5:30pm when I found the snake. I did not appear to be moving, but was streched out when I found it. I did not do anything to it aside from take pictures. It was a very sobering thought that a simple extension of my hand could have changed my life for ever. I don't know how others feel, but seeing my first EDB in the wild was an awe-inspiring moment for me. I've seen many in zoos before, but this one was something different.
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RE: Eastern Diamondbacks
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by cottonmouth on June 3, 2004
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If you want to find them with out much effort, head to little St Simons Island. We have been twice this spring and found plenty. Just don't try and bring
any back because the Game Dept will possibly walk a
dog about the ferry. I don't know if there are any
laws about that Island, being that it is privatly
owned, but who needs the hassle.
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