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Great Basin
Rattlesnake July 15, 2003 -- Salt Lake City, Utah
Thanks to D.J., Pflugerville, Texas, for this photo. Look at the very center of the photo, above and, if you have a sharp eye, you'll see the snake hiding in the shadows. It appears to be a Great Basin rattlesnake, of the genus Crotalus, as it's dorsal markings are characteristic of that species. It is also the only venomous reptile found in most of the Great Basin desert. This snake has a yellowish tan background color with dark oval spinal blotches. It grows to 36 inches in length, Below is an enlargement of the portion of the photo showing this snake.
The Great Basin Desert is the largest desert in the United States, with an area of approximately 190,000 square miles. It extends from eastern California. includes most of Nevada, the western third of Utah, and southeastern Idaho. This is the home of the Great Basin rattlesnake, a protected species that -- if the warning signs are heeded -- poses little to no risk to the watchful hiker. Safe and sane hiker behavior in rattlesnake country dictates that you (1) wear high-topped, thick leather boots [you may accidentally step on a snake that has not had time to warn you of its presence], (2) don't place your hands and feet where you can't see [be aware of your surroundings and don't step over a rock onto a surface you have not visually inspected first], (3) listen intently for the sound of rattlesnakes [learn the sounds by, for example, reviewing wave files found at the following website: http://www.partnersinrhyme.com/soundfx/animals/Snakes.shtml] NOTE: familiarizing yourself with the sounds made by various rattlesnakes may seem like overkill to some, who presume such sounds ought to be easy to identify; take it from me, they aren't. Listen to all the wave files for rattlesnakes on the above site and you will catch my drift. I once mistook the rattling of a particularly noisy diamondback rattlesnake for the hissing of a lynx. Had I not backed off in time that snake might have done me in. With more experience, I would have stepped back much sooner. I was lucky that day... Learn from my mistakes, please. (3) when you hear those sounds, give the rattlesnake room to escape [remember that rattlesnakes can strike up to half their length, so keep at least five feet away], and don't try to catch or corral a rattlesnake [in the Great Basin Desert rattlesnakes are protected and you can be fined for molesting them]. If you are bitten by a rattlesnake, you join the ranks of the very few, as rattlesnake bites are rare. Take heart in the knowledge that the risk of death is also low, as less than 1% of all rattlesnake bites are fatal. Some things NOT TO DO if you are bitten: (1) Don't panic, (2) don't cut the fang marks, (3) don't use a tourniquet, and (4) don't drink alcohol or caffeinated beverages. DO (1) stay calm and (2) get to a medical facility. * TERMITE ENCOUNTERS * SNAKE ENCOUNTERS * SNAKE BITE FIRST AID * SNAKE EXCLUSION * SPIDER ENCOUNTERS FOR 2008 * SPIDER ENCOUNTERS FOR 2007 * SPIDER BITE FIRST AID * SPIDER EXTERMINATION * PUSS CATERPILLAR ENCOUNTERS * PUSS CATERPILLAR FIRST AID * PUSS CATERPILLAR EXTERMINATION * Assembled & Edited by Jerry Cates. Questions? Corrections? Comments? BUG ME RIGHT NOW! ---- Ph: 512-331-1111 ---- E-Mail ---- Privacy ----BugsInTheNews * --0a0s-- |
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