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[OM] (OT) (Was ALERT! Now, Snake I.D.)

Subject: [OM] (OT) (Was ALERT! Now, Snake I.D.)
From: Doggre@xxxxxxx
Date: Sat, 14 Jul 2001 10:07:51 EDT
I guess you're right about the Western Diamondback being in the SW, Chuck.  
We do have the Western Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis) in WA.  Apparently the 
Prairie Rattlesnake (Croatalus viridus viridus) is a subspecies of the 
Western.  I couldn't find any info. on its being in WA state, but it wouldn't 
surprise me to learn it exists east of the Columbia River.  We saw many 
rattlesnakes out in the Columbia basin while hunting & fishing & exploring 
all over out there (looking for arrowheads when the ducks weren't flying, 
etc.).  I know the Prairie rattler does live in eastern Idaho, not that far 
away...  

Another subspecies of the Western here is the Northern Pacific Rattlesnake 
(Crotalus viridis oreganus).

None of this means anything when you run into one.  You just want to be 
somewhere else, unless you're a herpetologist.

Ross (Dad's co-worker & one of many hunting partners) was not known to tell 
tall tales.  I supposed a rattler could have managed to make it into a big 
Ponderosa limb from a nearby rocky ledge or something.  We have MOUNTAINS out 
here, with trees growing RIGHT next to rocky outcroppings, sometimes growing 
out of them.  It's very dry and VERY steep and rocky in some of the areas we 
hunted for mule deer.  I too, doubt that it actually CLIMBED a tree.  I've 
been in hiking and hunting places where I had rocky outcroppings towering 
over my head, and just KNEW there could be rattlers nearby.  Always hated 
hiking near rocks.

Most surprising thing I found doing a little web search is that they can live 
to about 27 years old.  That makes for a very large snake.

Rich

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