Timber (Dialup Warning)

[KLG]

Took off all day yesterday to spend time hunting Timber rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus). Managed to get a few pics throughout the day.

First herp on the trip (lower elevation):
http://newenglandreptile.com/redeft2.jpg

Trees look awfully small when you’re 800 feet up.
http://newenglandreptile.com/800ft.jpg

Crotalus horridus habitat
http://newenglandreptile.com/cliffhanger1.jpg
http://newenglandreptile.com/uptop1.jpg

I spy…we found 3 of these by 10:00 a.m.
http://newenglandreptile.com/rocktimber4.jpg

Why people go out of their way to kill timber rattlesnakes is beyond me.
http://newenglandreptile.com/deadon.jpg

Snake in the grass…
http://newenglandreptile.com/snakegrass2.jpg

A very placid male who posed beautifully for me…
http://newenglandreptile.com/sexymale5G.jpg
http://newenglandreptile.com/sexyhead.jpg

“Do you think she sees us?”
http://newenglandreptile.com/2timbers2.jpg

Tread Lightly
http://newenglandreptile.com/moneyshot2.jpg

Animals in this population are extremely dark in color, which assists in thermoregulation at higher elevations. They also camouflage extremely well – more than once on this trip we stood within a footstep of Timbers we didn’t even know were there.
http://newenglandreptile.com/horridus2.jpg

The largest Timber on this excursion turned out to be a female over 4’ long and very heavy-bodied. We nicknamed her “Diesel Girl.”
http://newenglandreptile.com/dieselgirl1.jpg

Here I am within 12” of her – like most of the other Timbers we found, she was very unintimidated by our presence.
http://newenglandreptile.com/timberhead3.jpg

Just for reference, I’m 5’4”
http://newenglandreptile.com/kdiesel1.jpg

6 hours of herping & 19 (!!!!!!) Timber rattlesnakes later, we called it a day. We found #20 on our descent from the den site.
http://newenglandreptile.com/number20.jpg

Enjoy!

K


"You were once wild here. Don't let them tame you!" - Isadora Duncan

[asphyxia]

Excellent shots, on what seemed to be a great day, may I suggest you enter "Diesel Girl's" head shot into the photo contest, you'll have my vote!

Regards
Brian

[Gregg M]

Those are some pretty dark timbers....... I went a couple of weeks ago and found a realy pretty blond phase....... Very yellow....... Our darkest ones are not even half as dark as those...... Awsome find KLG...... Where are you located....... I go timber hunting in NJ on some private land........

[Clownfishie]

Wow -- awesome pics! Looks like you had a great day, I'm jealous :) Nothing like that around here....

[Matt_K]

those are amazing pics!! Looks like you had a good day!!

[NewLineReptile]

WOW!!!! Great pic's thanks for shareing them you must of had a blast! :)

[ETET]

Very nice timbers you got there :)!

ETET

[ThEmAdHaTtEr]

Very sweet, 20 timbers! Thats amazing. Good Job and awesome pics. Thanks for sharing them! :D

[unBOAlievable]

I came in to work this morning, checked my e-mail and browsed my favorite forums here and wow!, I got to go on a trip hunting timbers. You have to love those dark timbers.

Thanks for taking us along!

[Matt]

man those are really dark! pretty though!
great shots

[MudBoy]

Great trip and beautiful work on the pix KLG.
God I remember when I was young enough to chase Taipans over the coastal sand dunes all day and here we are 20 years later and nothing stirs me more than finding a wild snake.
Keep it up and be careful, dont get caught up in the moment and forget what you have been told by the people that trained you.
The way things are we may be the last to see wild snakes and what a loss it will be.

Cheers.

Rick.

[sparkon16]

wow those are some fantastic pictures especially there is one with a close up of the face where the eyes are just entrancing!

Deuce