I just dont get it, where are they

RandyRhoads · 09-30-12, 09:31 PM

I've been doing a ton of traveling and hiking around California (Oh yeah Arizona too...) the last few months. I covered what seems like every habitat. More mountains than anything, but everywhere I go I enquire about snakes, specifically rattlesnakes. I always get an answer similar to "they're everywhere, a big problem for us". I also ask if they're out now and when the last one was seen. Most of the time they repy with just a few days ago. Yet I still have yet to come across one. I thought for sure after my deer hunting trip covering many, many miles in the rocky outcroppings of the mountains last week, I would have got buzzed at least once, but nothing.

I'm so baffled, where I live during spring and fall they are a daily occurence on the road. How come every time I go to other places there's not a single snake in sight? Do I need to be flipping rocks or digging in fallen trees?

infernalis · 09-30-12, 09:34 PM

After a while you train to walk looking down, take a hook with you and flip everything in sight.

alessia55 · 09-30-12, 09:34 PM

You might have to flip things over to find them. They will want to be hiding- not usually in plain sight. So flip over rocks that may have burrows underneath them, fallen tree branches, etc.

infernalis · 09-30-12, 09:38 PM

99% of my field herping photos are from flipping things over with only about 1% being chance encounters out in the open.

RandyRhoads · 09-30-12, 09:38 PM

Thank you both, i'll start turning things over as gently as I can when I hike. I guess I just assumed they would be out on rocks sunning themselves early morning/late afternoons like they do here.

infernalis · 09-30-12, 09:41 PM

When you have the luxury of scoping the terrain, you can figure where the prime basking areas are, but when you are visiting somewhere new, it's a bit tougher.

Basking spots surrounded by cover are best, snakes like to flee quickly, so look for areas with lots of surrounding cover, but little open spaces.

RandyRhoads · 09-30-12, 09:44 PM

I must say, no deer or snakes and the view was still worth it.

RandyRhoads · 09-30-12, 09:46 PM

Ok, how do these look for basking spots, a little too open? There were some more like you described but nothing was out and about there.

infernalis · 09-30-12, 09:50 PM

too open.

Rattlers prefer cracks in the rocks don't they?

Roadtrash · 10-01-12, 08:12 AM

This could be a good place but just go around the areas that are close to edges. Like infernalis said they like to be close to cover so they can hide quickly.

Kingsnakechris · 10-01-12, 08:19 AM

Which part of az are you looking in? I rarely see them up in the pines out here but down in the desert where I live I could throw a rock and almost find one every time. Especially if you can find the open desert next to a new housing development, lots of wood piles, brush piles etc. They are amazing burrowers as well. Probe everything with your snake hook and be very careful flipping things over as sometimes they wont rattle at all and you wont know their there untill your headed to the ER.

**Pareeeee** · 10-01-12, 08:22 AM

I haven't gone rattler herping before, but when I go looking for snakes or other critters I usually end up finding them under rocks, fallen trees & logs, etc. The only snakes I ever actually see "out in the open" where I live are Northern Water Snakes.

Also, since rattlers are what you're going for, be sure to have a snake hook. I would also use something to lift the rocks other than your hands...

Like Wayne said, train yourself to look down while walking. You find so much stuff that way! That's how I have always hiked, lol. The definition of a hike, to me, is looking for critters.

Kettennatter · 10-01-12, 08:53 AM

I used to boar hunt in CA, and I always wore boots because of possible run-ins with snakes. You will definitely have to turn things over, unless you're into garters. For those you can simply fly into SFO, take the next exit south (92, I think) and walk along the parks by the canals. You'll see them.

RandyRhoads · 10-01-12, 09:56 AM

Wayne, Roadtrash - The picture doesn't show it very well but there are many cracks and spaces between rocks.

Chris - This was California, I was in Mohave county in AZ, remember our conversation a few months ago...?

Paree - I normally have a snake hook with me, if not I try to find a suitable one. If I can't i'm not flipping anything or trying to pick one up. I'm pretty surprised to hear about garters and other water snakes being the only ones seen in the open. I see tons of gopher and kings out in the open here.

Kettennatter - When I boar hunt I wear boots and snake gaiters, then really regret it when I get back pouring sweat into my boots and never saw anything. I think i've had my fill of garters, racers, gophers, whipsnakes, and kings.

Have you heard of the rattlesnakes in boar areas not rattling. Some biologist at either DFAG or BLM told me they were adapting for survival by not rattling so they wouldn't give themselves away to the boar and get eaten.

Kingsnakechris · 10-01-12, 10:20 AM

yeah, I figured maybe you came back and still didnt find any. I hope you find some soon!