[PhxChem]

Out today on the Maricopa Trail just east of New River Rd. Minding my own business, I must have been in zone-out mode not paying attention to the trail. All of a sudden I look down in front of my wheel just in time to miss the rattler sprawled out completely across the trail. Snake coiled up in its defensive stance, but didn't rattle at all. It didn't seem like the sanke was really giving 100%. I was a bit let down. Maybe it's a little early in the season and the snake was a bit out of it. I guess it got bored, or was sleepy, and decided to slink away under a cholla bush, wating for a really warm day.

I mean, if you're going to scare me, at least give me the full show....rattle and all.....

 

[raisingarizona]

We ran into a black tailed in Sedona on HL Saturday. Also right across the trail. Pretty young, I had to grab my dog and my buddy moved the snake away with a stick.

 

[berzerker]

Carefull, some don't rattle at all. Some kind of genetic defect. I guess it's time to remind people to snake-train your dogs. :thumbsup:

 

[Cato]

Nearly ran over a big dead one riding down Cave Creek Rd. on Sunday...quite yucky looking.

 

[rockerc]

Had one by my pool last night. Time to take a little more care again... I like the snakes, they are OK by me!

 

['size]

can someone notify me when all the 'oh no, snakes!' posts are over with for the summer?
i'll be in my bunk, hiding from the outside world.

 

[bweide]

In areas like Texas and Oklahoma, where large rattlesnake roundups have been happening for over 50 years, all of the snakes that quickly rattle were caught long ago. So the non-rattling snakes bred with other non-rattliing snakes, creating a sub-species of rattlesnakes that don't rattle. Now humans in those areas are more likely to get bit by rattlesnakes. What goes around comes around.

 

[Cenobite39]

In areas like Texas and Oklahoma, where large rattlesnake roundups have been happening for over 50 years, all of the snakes that quickly rattle were caught long ago. So the non-rattling snakes bred with other non-rattliing snakes, creating a sub-species of rattlesnakes that don't rattle. Now humans in those areas are more likely to get bit by rattlesnakes. What goes around comes around.

I'm not sure where you are getting your info from but I have seen no data to support such a claim.

A snakes #1 defense from predators is camouflage. A rattlesnake doesn't want to rattle right off the bat because he may have just given himself up to a predator who might never have even known he was there. Temperature has a big effect on a snakes movements also, to include rattling.
Some snakes just may not rattle. Some snakes are calmer than others, just like any other animal.
The only rattlesnake that DOES NOT EVER rattle is the one that has broken his rattle off and is waiting for it to grow back. I have seen a few animals in the field who have sustained damage to their tails and are unable to grow a rattle but they are few and far between.

For 'sizes sake, I won't post any pictures !

 

[u2metoo]

Hey Cenobiter,

Ive heard that if we get 3 days over 80 degrees then the snakes might start coming out.

Does this sound like reasonable rule of thumb?

 

[hatedg]

buddy of mine riding in N. Phx saw one as his foot came over his head and he was coiled up...talk about friking crazy..he said he screamed like a girl...I would have passed out

Snakes dont want to be messed with. I leave them alone and they leave me alone..if I see one my hair stands up everywhere ...they really scare me but I do respect them.

Tim

 

[Cycle64]

[quote='size]can someone notify me when all the 'oh no, snakes!' posts are over with for the summer?
i'll be in my bunk, hiding from the outside world.[/quote]

Whimp.

 

[Cenobite39]

Hey Cenobiter,

Ive heard that if we get 3 days over 80 degrees then the snakes might start coming out.

Does this sound like reasonable rule of thumb?

A buddy of mine found 13 western diamondbacks on Saturday but they were all in the vicinity of a densite. The warmer it gets, the further they will travel and the higher the chance of spotting them crossing the trails.

 

['size]

Whimp.

tell me about it.

i assume since you're on flats now you'll be getting some of these resoled with 5.10 rubber?

 

[Cycle64]

[quote='size]tell me about it.

i assume since you're on flats now you'll be getting some of these resoled with 5.10 rubber?

[/quote]

That would also solve my shin issue. I got hit again this morning pushing the bike out the front door. New Magic Shine came today. Heck with NR wanting $200.00 for a new battery.

 

[mwcet8k]

Saw one today riding Pemberton on the fire road section. He saw me right when I saw him and rattled quite a bit, although it was a quiet rattle compared to others I've heard.

I think MTB'ers are more likely to cross paths with them because we typically cause a relatively small amount of ground vibration, compared to hikers and horses. On a trail like Pemberton, that's even more of an issue since a lot of it is silky smooth. My gf rides horses all the time and has never once seen a rattler, probably because they can feel her horse coming from a long way off and get the heck out of dodge. My closest encounters have always been on smooth stretches of trail when the snake couldn't feel me approaching.

 

[raisingarizona]

Hey Cenobiter,

Ive heard that if we get 3 days over 80 degrees then the snakes might start coming out.

Does this sound like reasonable rule of thumb?

It hasn't even come close to 80 in Sedona and some are moving about. They are very slow and the one we moved didn't rattle either. Cute lil bugger.

 

[tplace]

Saw one today riding Pemberton on the fire road section. He saw me right when I saw him and rattled quite a bit, although it was a quiet rattle compared to others I've heard.

I think MTB'ers are more likely to cross paths with them because we typically cause a relatively small amount of ground vibration, compared to hikers and horses. On a trail like Pemberton, that's even more of an issue since a lot of it is silky smooth. My gf rides horses all the time and has never once seen a rattler, probably because they can feel her horse coming from a long way off and get the heck out of dodge. My closest encounters have always been on smooth stretches of trail when the snake couldn't feel me approaching.

Oh great!!! I was just out there today, but didn't see anything... Sounds like I need to start keeping the eyes peeled for the next 7 months.

 

[Fletch 1]

I was at Deems at lunch today, no snakes but the desert is alive again with all the warm weather. I saw many lizards and little critters running around. Time to be careful as others have said. I'm not afraid of them but I can relate to what others have said when they surprise me, last summer I stopped for a minute and I don't know what made me turn around but there was a large one laying about a foot behind me. All in all I had a pretty impressive vertical leap! I am respectful of them as well, I figure I'm technically in their home not vice versa. Normally if you don't surprise them they just want to get away. Be careful out there!

 

[PhxChem]

[QUOTE='size]can someone notify me when all the 'oh no, snakes!' posts are over with for the summer?
i'll be in my bunk, hiding from the outside world.[/QUOTE]

Just for that, I'm going to start a "Boy it sure is hot out there" thread tomorrow.....

 

[PrincipalRider]

Saw one today riding Pemberton on the fire road section. He saw me right when I saw him and rattled quite a bit, although it was a quiet rattle compared to others I've heard.

I think MTB'ers are more likely to cross paths with them because we typically cause a relatively small amount of ground vibration, compared to hikers and horses. On a trail like Pemberton, that's even more of an issue since a lot of it is silky smooth. My gf rides horses all the time and has never once seen a rattler, probably because they can feel her horse coming from a long way off and get the heck out of dodge. My closest encounters have always been on smooth stretches of trail when the snake couldn't feel me approaching.

Another reason to pump and jump the sh** out the trail.