SILVER CITY SUN-NEWS (New Mexico) 05 October 09 'Snake Man' charms dangerous vipers (Bill Armendariz)

Deming: He calls himself the Snake Man and he is warning hunters and adventurers; "Snake season is in full swing."

Joe Flores knows all too well the dangers of frequenting the desert Southwest in early fall.

"They are everywhere," said Flores of the deadly New Mexico rattlesnake. "They are drawn to body heat this time of year and the early-morning hours and evening hours are the most dangerous."

Flores, a 48-year-old Tresco worker who helps individuals with disabilities, has been hunting rattlesnakes all of his adult life. He has been bitten twice by the desert viper and each time came close to death.

"It's the worst pain you could imagine," Flores said. "I was in a coma for two days."

Flores battled the snake's venom on his own each time, opting not to take the expensive antivenom available in hospitals.

The deserts of New Mexico, West Texas and Arizona are rattlesnake country. Eleven species, ranging in many sizes, live are prevalent in this area.

The pit vipers are named for their heat-sensitive depressions on either side of their head behind their nostril. Loreal pits allow the snake to "see" potential prey in total darkness by picking up body heat. These senses are so acute that a rattler can detect the body heat of a mouse up to a foot away.

Rattlesnakes are the most common of poisonous snakes. The presence of a rattle, a series of horny rings formed of keratin that scrape against each other in pulses to cause a rattling sound, is what distinguishes them from other snakes.

Flores uses his "Snake Charmer" - a .410 shotgun - to hunt the reptiles and makes sure each blast is a head shot.

He's turned his hunting into a lucrative side business, selling snake skins and turning the scaly strips into lampshades, belts, jewelry and dash mats.

"It's good eating, too," Flores said. "Tastes better than chicken and it's good for you. My grandmother used to tell me it was good for arthritis sufferers."

Flores said he averages about seven snakes on weekends this time of year. He follows their slithering trails after a rain and can usually track them within minutes of picking up the trail.

"Don't do what I do," he said. "People need to be careful where they step when hunting or camping. Stay away from tall grass and freshly made cowpies.

"If you get bitten, don't panic ... It's the worst thing you can do. Seek medical attention as quick as you can, but don't run."

http://www.scsun-news.com/silver_city-news/ci_13486292#
'Snake Man' charms dangerous vipers

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