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It may look like a Pigmy Rattlesnake but it obviously has been talking tactics with some of the local Cottonmouths. It just sat there mouth open showing it white mouth.

Caught & released tonight, Nothern Florida

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Law of Logical Argument: Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.

Cool shot Al! Just out of curiousity, did you get this shot just as it was striking or was it mouth gaping at you? I've never seen mouth gaping with pygmys. I'm heading on my own little herping adventure in Oklahoma next week and perhaps I'll see a few pugnacious pygmys out and about.

>>It may look like a Pigmy Rattlesnake but it obviously has been talking tactics with some of the local Cottonmouths. It just sat there mouth open showing it white mouth.
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>>Caught & released tonight, Nothern Florida
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>>Law of Logical Argument: Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

Hi Rob:

It was just sitting there with it's mouth open as a threat posture. It did plenty of striking too but I have several mouth open pictures before I put him in the weeds and off the road.

Al

This is my skid that I made while stopping to catch him. Good thing it's a rental car....lol I'n standing where he was on the side of the road.

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Law of Logical Argument: Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.

You should submit that as a note to Herpetological Review... That would make a nice short natural history note. As far as I know that hasn't been mentioned in the literature and a threat display from a pigmy rattlesnake is kinda out there... worth writing up.

Al,
Some of the pigs that I found around Appalachicola used to act like that - the gaping thing.
The pigs that I found in Southeastern Georgia (from Camden County over to the Fargo area) tend to do the head bobbing thing instead. Very anole like when you are watching it.
Nice pics.
Strange behaviors for Crotes!
Karl

Hi Karl:

Thanks for the info on their strange behavior. The other one I found just did the "head bobbing". This one just sat there "gapping" at me.

Best,

Al

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Law of Logical Argument: Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.