Maximum Altitude of Snakes - Experts Forum at VenomousReptiles.org

RE: Maximum Altitude of Snakes	Reply
by Phobos on August 27, 2004	Mail this to a friend!
Interesting.. I've found quite a few Viridis at lower altitudes but hiking in the mountains never saw any. Al

RE: Maximum Altitude of Snakes	Reply
by paleoherp on August 27, 2004	Mail this to a friend!
hi for info about rattlesnakaes in colorado go onto this http://coloherp.org/geo/species/specrvi.php. this will also tell you about the altitude of the western rattlesnake , i also read the venomous reptiles of western hemisphere its a great book.

RE: Maximum Altitude of Snakes	Reply
by AquaHerp on August 27, 2004	Mail this to a friend!
The 1982 revised/abridged edition of Klauber's Rattlesnake's reads (Chapter 6, page 110) "The altitude attained by rattlesnakes is of considerable interest to sportsman and campers, for they feel reassured when they are at an elevation at which they no longer need to be on the watch for rattlers. While not common at high altitudes, rattlesnakes do reach heights above those where they are popularly presumed to exsist. The only general rule is to be on the lookout for rattlers in the warm season on any mountain in the United States up to 9,000 feet, except in California where the range is extended to 11,000 feet. In Mexico, one small subspecies attains an elevation of at least 14,500 feet." Elevation range is about as questionable as historical ranges in many circumstances. And in many cases, they are interchangable. However these are becoming more narrowed down and well defined as more and more grad sudents pour into the feild to make a name for themselves and our data becomes progressivly sharper. At least in some respects. As for the triseriatus, I hope to see these little dudes for myself this coming season. Provided the snake Gods should smile upon me of course.

RE: Maximum Altitude of Snakes	Reply
by Phobos on August 27, 2004	Mail this to a friend!
Wow!! I stand corrected. I guess I need to re-read Klaubers works. It's been a while but I have no idea why 7,000 stuck in my head. My God shine brightly on you and your noble quest. Thanks, Al

RE: Maximum Altitude of Snakes	Reply
by FSB on November 8, 2011	Mail this to a friend!
No worries - I'm actually pleased this thread strayed away from the original question - lots of very interesting info here, and it does follow the topic stated by the title. Sorry to reawaken a dead thread from so long ago, but I was searching the archives for something and came across this.

RE: Maximum Altitude of Snakes	Reply
by Rizzle on July 8, 2013	Mail this to a friend!
For your information, vacationing in Larimer county between glacier view and red feather lakes at 7900 ft elevation and came upon an aggressive rattlesnake about 4 ft long. Be aware! 7.8.13

RE: Maximum Altitude of Snakes	Reply
by wamartin67 on July 9, 2013	Mail this to a friend!
Actually the maximum altitude is around 30,000 feet for many species. Am I the only one who saw Snakes On A Plane?? Jeeze people. :)

RE: Maximum Altitude of Snakes	Reply
by jep on August 21, 2013	Mail this to a friend!
I live in northern New Mexico at about 7,300'. I consider this the (northern NM) dividing line for where there are and aren't rattle snakes. (I define northern NM to be the latitude of Santa Fe and above. ) If you drop into the canyons lower than 7,300' rattlers are common. The closer you get to water, Rio Chama, Rio Grande, the more common they are. I think they're Western Diamond backs on the Chama but they're quite common up by the Christ in the Desert Monastery. If you go up from 7,300' they're unheard of in my experience. As climate changes I guess they're expanding upwards a bit? In any case I'd appreciate hearingfrom anyone whose experience contradicts mine. The document below would almost imply that there are no rattlers on the Chama, which is at around 6,400' or so at the Rio Chama campground (on forest road 151) in Rio Arriba county. http://wildlife.state.nm.us/education/wildlife_notes/documents/NoteRsnakeSm.pdf

Previous Page 2 of 2

Next Topic: whats the biggist ???
Previous Topic: neonate copperhead feeding

Email Subscription
You are not subscribed to this topic.

Check our help page for help using , or send questions, comments, or suggestions to the Manager.