Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Flipped this breeding pair yesterday. (I caught them in the act last week but had no camera.) There was a whipsnake under the same piece of tin but he bolted.

Interestingly, they not only held their ground but advanced toward me, especially the female, and refused to retreat under the adjacent rockpile until I started kicking dirt at them.

This un-natural behavior of the Pacific rattlesnake seems to be spreading across California. I removed two Southern Pacifics over the weekend from different customers houses (Beverly Hills, and Calabasas), and both were acting highly agitated. After releasing one, it lounged at me wanting to get me. It then stayed in a striking pose refusing to back down and leave.
I needed to run up to my car and grab my snake hook just to move the snake off into the bush's. To my surprise the snake was still in the release spot when I returned. It left when I put it in a bush.
I have worked with several of this snake species over the years and this is only the fourth time I've seen these snakes act so aggressivly.
Here is a pick of the one who lounged at me.

Stay Safe!
Jason Mc

LOL,
Sorry for all the typos in the previous post.
Jason Mc

Hey, Jason,
What's up? I've run into a couple of Southern Pacifics this year, and neither acted in an agitated manner. Hell, one just sat on the side of the hiking path as if awaiting a photographer. Stupid me, I didn't have a camera. I always thought they were a run first, fight if they had to snake.

BTW the hog I got from you is awesome. Getting big.

reako45

Ya man,
Them Southern Pacific’s tend to be real mellow as long as they aren’t harassed. Shortly after posting the above post, next day. Channel 11 news did a snippet on how theirs been an alarming amount of snake bites this year from the Southern Pacific rattlesnake. I tend to not pay much attention when the news makes snake remarks. Every year they talk about how bad the snake season is going to be. However the snakes do seem allot more agitated this season. Who knows, maybe they are tired of me messing with them. LOL!!!

Glad to hear your little guy is doing well. I plan to sell his parents after the female drops her clutch of eggs. I'm just going to focus on my Black Milks, and maybe the Arizona Kings.

Talk with ya soon:

Jason Mc

Nice post. I found my first Northern Pacific a couple years ago in the Santa Cruz area. I live in Cleveland and was on vacation. It was under a telephone pole raised a couple of inches off the ground. When I rolled the pole, the snake was a good 10 feet away and it started striking. I've never seen a rattler do this (strike when I was well out of biting range).

Tim

Below is me with a very calm Mojave that I found earlier in the month in the Las Vegas area.

Third Eye

Man I cant belive that Mojave let you get that close!
It is a nice looking snake. They are such a clean looking snake.
Congrats on the find.
Jason Mc