Rattlesnake photography

[NatureKopelli]

I am interested in taking photos of rattlesnakes someday. I was wondering what would be a safe distance? Has anyone ever been bit while photographing a rattlesnake? Would using some kind of shield or blind to photograph through make it less likely the rattlesnake would know I was there? I should probably have more fear of doing this than I do, but hopefully, that fear will happen once I really see a live one in the wild and keep me safe. Any tips would be helpful.

[Trishness]

Dam, hes just a baby! Cute little thing, but wont want to find him in my backyard (If I had one).

It's the little ones that you have to watch out for. I read somewhere their venom is more concentrated than that of an adult.

[JimmyLyding]

I was under the impression that juvenile rattlers are more dangerous because they don't know how to limit the amount of venom they inject. I'd love to know, and perhaps some of our resident herpers can chime in.
I'm actually more worried about rattlers here in California than I ever was in Arizona because many of the trails here are single-tracks running through tall grass. However, I haven't seen a single buzzworm in the 14 months I've lived here.

[paulhubbard]

I haven't seen a single buzzworm in the 14 months I've lived here.

I've been hiking around AZ pretty much all my life, and I've seen more rattlers in urban areas that I have in the wilds. But I'm sure they see me....

[azbackpackr]

Yes, I have heard that juveniles don't know how to limit their venom.

A lot of the people who get bitten deserve it: they were messing with the snake. (Mostly young guys, of course!)

[CannondaleKid]

Yes, I have heard that juveniles don't know how to limit their venom.

See my April 16th post in this thread...

the older/larger the rattler the less likely it will inject venom in defense. They save their venom for prey, and as I mentioned before, when it sees your large heat signature, it KNOWS you aren't its prey, and knows it can't swallow you whole, so it just wants you to go away.

So in general, speaking about the juveniles, they have yet to learn the habit to hoard venom for their true prey.

[azbackpackr]

The juvenile humans who mess with them have not learned yet, either.

Whenever you hear someone say, "Hold my beer and watch this!" you know an accident is about to happen!

[Thoreau]

I wouldn't call those 'accidents' so much as 'future opportunities for comedy and Darwinism'

=)

[haggster]

I was under the impression that juvenile rattlers are more dangerous because they don't know how to limit the amount of venom they inject. I'd love to know, and perhaps some of our resident herpers can chime in.

In a previous rattlesnake thread (viewtopic.php?f=44&t=6355&p=74041&hilit ... ake#p74041), Canyonram posted a pdf study that said larger rattlesnakes do inject more venom than younger rattlesnakes and the younger ones are capable of metering their venom. Interesting article.

[writelots]

I wouldn't call those 'accidents' so much as 'future opportunities for comedy and Darwinism' =)

Or at the very least 'examples that justice does wander among us'

[outdoor_lover]

Here's a Video for you all....This is not mine, but it's pretty cool to watch....The Rattlesnake lost....

[Alston_Neal]

How freekin bad can one be?
Barfing up a rattlesnake and then goin....gee you aint dead time for some serious whoop @ss....

[The_Eagle]

[outdoor_lover]

@Alston Neal
@coanbru
Kinda what I thought...Holy Cow!!! Pretty cool they got it on Video....

[Alston_Neal]

Was that a red racer?
If so, anybody want to lay odds on him versus the honey badger?

[The_Eagle]

@Alston Neal
Honey Badger Don't Care.

[outdoor_lover]

@Alston Neal
Yes, a Red Racer vs a small Diamondback along the Salt River....
@coanbru

[Alston_Neal]

@coanbru
Honey badger is a wuss, seriously how bad can a boy badger be when his first name is Honey?
Show me a vid of one barfing up a live rattlesnake and "THEN" kill it.
I rest my case.

[Al_HikesAZ]

I watched two roadrunners attack and kill a buzzworm, but this is also really special. I sure am glad I don't have to work that hard for an Egg McMuffin - or for points on Pixel Trivia.

[beterarcher]

The Rattlesnake lost....

That's painfully obvious from the moment you push play

[outdoor_lover]

@beterarcher
Not really! He put up a helluva fight when the Racer puked him back up.....