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oversize snakes
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by tippy on August 2, 2010
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i would like to know if a captive snake of old age can reach prodigous proportions. years ago at a mall grand opening, at a animal exhibiton, there was a rattlesnake, that was close to the size of a python, it was grayish white in color and the patterns on its body were hardly visable because of the body being so stretched out in size. i would estimate the length to be 8 or 9 feet. i believe it was either a mohave or sonoran rattlesnake but my memory is vague
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by pictigaster1 on August 2, 2010
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There is no such animal as a sonora rattler and those sizes seem a bit large the eastern and western diamondback reach over7 and some may approach 8.Where the mexican westcoast rattler is what I bet it was they get python fat and over 7 foot.They also happen tp live in the southern sonoran desert.
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by LarryDFishel on August 5, 2010
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I've never heard of a Sonoran Rattlesnake either. The only rattlesnake in the Sonora area would be the Prairie Rattlesnake as far as I know. Neither the Prairie nor the Mojave are particularly large rattlesnakes (in captivity or the wild).
Possibly something like a odd patterned Western Diamondback, or a Mexican as suggested.
Either way, don't take this the wrong way, but it was NOT 8-9 feet. There have only ever been a handful of 7 foot rattlesnakes known in captivity, mostly Eastern Diamondbacks and I've never heard of one over 7 1/2 feet.
We used to have a 6 foot Mexican that many visitors thought was more like 8.
Even those of us who have been keeping them a long time have trouble estimating the size of an unfamiliar snake coiled up in a cage, and their owners often exaggerate their size (or don't know).
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by LarryDFishel on August 5, 2010
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Oops, I was thinking Sonora, California. Sonora, Mexico might suggest a Mexican Rattlesnake (basiliscus).
I meant to ask, it might help if we knew WHERE you saw this.
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by CharlieO on August 5, 2010
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Interestingly, I've found a few links mentioning sonoran rattlesnakes. One was a book listing the sonoran as atrox (which could explain a lot). Another was a link to this pic http://picasaweb.google.com/cimarronbayranch/Sanctuary#5067544147136145282
Maybe you guys can provide the true species for this one?
Charlie
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by tippy on August 5, 2010
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This snake was seen in sacramento about 25 years ago. I know that people tend to exagerate about the size of snakes, but quite frankly my initial thought was this snake was about 10 ft, but i downsized it considering this possibility. The head on this thing was massive, even bigger than a gaboon viper.Although i'm not a snake collector, i've always had a great interest in snakes and have gone to many zoos. I've never seen a viper even close to approaching this one Thanks for your replies
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by Cro on August 6, 2010
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Charlie, the snake in the photo labeled as a Sonoran Rattlesnake does not appear to be a rattlesnake.
It looks more like it could be a Lyre Snake of some sort.
Tippy, if there had been a western diamondback rattlesnake (likely what you saw, based on your description, and the large size) anywhere near 8, 9, or 10 feet being carted around to mall openings, even 25 years ago, photos of it would exist, and it would be well known to herpetologists.
It is possible that a large bodied 7 foot long rattlesnake was exhibited like that, as a few examples of western diamondback rattlesnakes that large are known, but, it is even more likely that the snake was smaller than that.
Most people seeing a 6 foot long rattlesnake in a cage are going to say it was 10 feet long until it is stretched out on the ground and a tape measure it put on it. Even herpetologists with years of experience with rattlesnakes tend to over estimate the size of snakes in cages.
Best Regards
John Z
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by BobH on August 6, 2010
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I will add that it is common in very old captive rattlesnakes (> 20 yrs) for the kidneys to begin to fail and they retain water and swell considerably with edema. They can live for at least a couple of more years if fed sparingly. This could lead to big rattlesnake looking much bigger.
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RE: oversize snakes
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by BobH on August 7, 2010
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Sloane-yes I have a male that is 24 years old. He is starting to show the symptoms that I mentioned above. I had an earlier one that made it to an estimated age of 25 years (it was an adult when I first got it)that had edema everytime that I fed it. During the last couple of years, I was only feeding it 4-5 times a year.
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