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I ate dinner with a wild rattlesnake

smallbike

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3 Year Member
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201
Location
Oakland, CA
Went camping in AZ a few weeks ago, got my trusty ‘89 Toyota Tercel stuck in some sand, and ended up setting up camp right there by the dirt road and dealing with it in the morning. Met an adorable kit fox, came face to face with a small scorpion while trying (unsuccessfully) to dig sand from under the wheels, and then broke out the camp stove for a can of chili.... and there was a rattlesnake chilling hard, about 4-5 feet away. Didn’t seem too bothered, actually quite calm and almost curious. I saw a dead kangaroo rat nearby and figured I’d scared it off it’s kill, so I picked it up by the tail and tossed it toward the friendly snek, ate my chili, and went to bed. The rat was gone in the morning and I jacked the car up, wedged firewood under the wheels, and success! Then I went to find a campground more suitable for the ol’ Tercel, where a few days later I happened upon a family of nine bighorn sheep!

Anyways, hope you enjoy this video of my dinner buddy :)
 

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ilovebrachys

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UK
Must have been an amazing experience to come that close to a rattlesnake :D just goes to show.. You stay out of there way and they will do the same in return - I think they get a bad rep that's not needed, your camping experience sounds like a whole lotta fun though :)
 

smallbike

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3 Year Member
Messages
201
Location
Oakland, CA
Must have been an amazing experience to come that close to a rattlesnake :D just goes to show.. You stay out of there way and they will do the same in return - I think they get a bad rep that's not needed, your camping experience sounds like a whole lotta fun though :)
It was great! And yes, I've met a number of snakes in the wild, never felt threatened except for the time a northern watersnake swam directly at me (lol) looking quite like a copperhead. This was my first rattlesnake encounter! I'm very glad I didn't step on it in the dark and we were able to just hang out together for a bit.
 

ABYZL

Member
Messages
28
Location
UK
I've a real soft spot for rattlesnakes, they're quite chill and friendly. The fact that they let us know where they are and give plenty of audible warning before they bite says a lot for their nature. A young one slithered into my hands once and let me lift it gently and a load of them helped me get to the campsite on a moonless night by announcing themselves if I got near the edge of the path (this was also in AZ). Sounds like you had awesome company that night :)
 

smallbike

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3 Year Member
Messages
201
Location
Oakland, CA
I've a real soft spot for rattlesnakes, they're quite chill and friendly. The fact that they let us know where they are and give plenty of audible warning before they bite says a lot for their nature. A young one slithered into my hands once and let me lift it gently and a load of them helped me get to the campsite on a moonless night by announcing themselves if I got near the edge of the path (this was also in AZ). Sounds like you had awesome company that night :)
That’s so cool!!
 
I've a real soft spot for rattlesnakes, they're quite chill and friendly. The fact that they let us know where they are and give plenty of audible warning before they bite says a lot for their nature. A young one slithered into my hands once and let me lift it gently and a load of them helped me get to the campsite on a moonless night by announcing themselves if I got near the edge of the path (this was also in AZ). Sounds like you had awesome company that night :)
A young one slithered into my hands once and let me lift it gently and a load of them helped me get to the campsite on a moonless night by announcing themselves if I got near the edge of the path .

That's a serious close call.LOL! :)
Tell us more about that camping experience.
 

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