BIG Rattlesnake

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...big_timber.jpg
This Timber Rattler was killed in Burgaw, NC, about 20 miles from Wilmington and 45 miles from my house. We grow everything bigger in Fat Boy country!!! Reported as 9ft, 90lbs. I question the 90lbs.

This is wrong on so many levels...

That not a timber rattlesnake, It is a diamondback. IF it is from the east it would be an eastern diamondback (Crotalus adamanteus) but in my honest opinion it looks like a western (Crotalus atrox). Adamnteus are usually much darker.

No doubt, it is a huge rattler but it is not 9 ft. The snake is 3-4 ft closer to the camera than the man holding it depending on what kind of tong he is using. And it is definitely not 90 lb! try holding anything that heavy 3 ft out from your body. The momentum would be huge...

I keep rattlesnakes and my atrox that is just shy of 6 ft. He is very well fed (I feed him a 3 lb rabbit a week) and weighs just about 15 lb. I would say that he is heavier than they are in the wild.


Lastly; The "the only good snake is a dead snake" mentality is pissing me off. The more ignorant people I get to know the more I like rattlesnakes.

Peace out

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TomSundin

This is wrong on so many levels...

That not a timber rattlesnake, It is a diamondback. IF it is from the east it would be an eastern diamondback (Crotalus adamanteus) but in my honest opinion it looks like a western (Crotalus atrox). Adamnteus are usually much darker.

No doubt, it is a huge rattler but it is not 9 ft. The snake is 3-4 ft closer to the camera than the man holding it depending on what kind of tong he is using. And it is definitely not 90 lb! try holding anything that heavy 3 ft out from your body. The momentum would be huge...

I keep rattlesnakes and my atrox that is just shy of 6 ft. He is very well fed (I feed him a 3 lb rabbit a week) and weighs just about 15 lb. I would say that he is heavier than they are in the wild.


Lastly; The "the only good snake is a dead snake" mentality is pissing me off. The more ignorant people I get to know the more I like rattlesnakes.

Peace out

---

WOW! Didn't mean to piss you off, I didn't take the pic, just sharing a pic from our local media that I found interesting. Not really into hot snakes so just trusted it was a timber by the media coverage. you know how they can screw things up. I share your feeling about the "only good snake" mentality. I love herps and never endorse killing any reptiles. Just thought it was a pretty big snake and wanted to share the pic.

I didn't mean to come of rude. I am not "pissed off" at you...

This entire situation about people killing snakes and the ignorant media pisses me off.

Glad I didn't post the article that went with the photo. It actually said in the article that if you see a snake like this to make sure you kill it before it kills you!! You are right about some people being ignorant.

You know someone showed me that article several months ago. I wish I'd have kept it because they did list it as a Diamond Back but I don't remember the other details. I'm sure it was embellished because I was pretty amazed by it.

Huh...The article was sent to me by a friend through an email. Was listed as an article from the Star News recently. Probally just an email circulating and edited to make it look like a current article. If it is an old pic and not current then it fooled me. I am going to the papers website to see if I can find it. Still my first time seeing the pic and still looks like a pretty big snake.

Must be an early "trick or treat" on the ol' Fat Boy. Looked at the paper's website and found nothing. Just an email circulating edited to look like current local news. Sorry for any confussion.

Fat Boy, it's still worthy of posting! :oops: That is one big "Bleeping" snake and I wouldn't want to accidentally stumble across it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TomSundin

This is wrong on so many levels...

That not a timber rattlesnake, It is a diamondback. IF it is from the east it would be an eastern diamondback (Crotalus adamanteus) but in my honest opinion it looks like a western (Crotalus atrox). Adamnteus are usually much darker.

No doubt, it is a huge rattler but it is not 9 ft. The snake is 3-4 ft closer to the camera than the man holding it depending on what kind of tong he is using. And it is definitely not 90 lb! try holding anything that heavy 3 ft out from your body. The momentum would be huge...

I keep rattlesnakes and my atrox that is just shy of 6 ft. He is very well fed (I feed him a 3 lb rabbit a week) and weighs just about 15 lb. I would say that he is heavier than they are in the wild.


Lastly; The "the only good snake is a dead snake" mentality is pissing me off. The more ignorant people I get to know the more I like rattlesnakes.

Peace out

---

I agree with everything in your post here, however, I believe the word you're looking for is "Leverage" not momentum. It is clear what you were trying to say though.


PS. Pic is gone.

I can't see the pic. But I'd guess it's the same picture that's been circulating the net for quite a while(there's about 3 I think..) that have various stories about the size/type/location of said snake.
snopes says...
http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/txsnake.asp
http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/georgiasnake.asp
http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/claysnake.asp
... plus many other hoax stories. These are generally called "undetermined" because they can't run them down to a original posting person, but all tell you that the snake is not that big, and is usually not even the correct species for the area. It's just like holding a medium bass towards the camera when you get the picture taken, so it looks like you caught a giant fish.
No biggie.

Yep...the first one was it. Fooled me because it was edited just like news articles from our local paper.