is that a mojave green? internet says their range includes all of AZ
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Today's Backyard Wildlife
- Thread starter DLJeffs
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from the internet , mojave green rattler
I hate snakes
Trev, if the snake in my picture had the clearly defined lines like the one you pictured, I wouldn't have even mentioned the color difference in my picture.
I re-read that. Shucks, sounds like a politician we all know. ............ Jerry (in Tucson)
i don't know but the lighter shade blk tail rings and location made me think of the mojave green i killed 20 plus yrs ago
many of the mojave green pictures on the internet look kinda close to yours
i am by no means an expert or even highly informed, but the one you pictured would have been my next hat band
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I agree if there were enough pieces left
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- #468
I think it's a western diamond back. Mohaves rarely get that big. But unless you can do some detail scale counts it's almost impossible to be 100% certain either way.
Calif Herps web site, western diamondback
Here's their comparison between these two rattlers:
western db vs northern mohave
Calif Herps web site, western diamondback
Here's their comparison between these two rattlers:
western db vs northern mohave
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I never would have slowed up enough to get a picture.
I will agree that it's a Western Diamondback. 95%of the rattlers I've seen around here the Westerns DB's. Way back in the 70's, I saw a Mohave Ratler, and it's body looked to be about 2 1/4-2 1/2" diameter. That's pretty fat for around here. That particular snake was pretty aggressive.
So far on my property since 1992, I've only found about 4 rattlers, all Diamondbacks, and captured them and went into the vacant desert near my house and released them. Every snake I ever seen was doing their best to get away from me, which is a good thing. .......... Jerry (in Tucson)
woodtickgreg
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I don't understand why people just want to shoot and kill snakes. Yeah I understand they are venomous but all they really want is to be left alone. I've seen plenty of rattlesnakes when I lived in California, never had to kill one. They do more good than harm with rodent controll. They are actually a magnificent creature, highly evolved.
Feral cats kill a lot of rodents, does not make them good.
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I feed the feral cats too. Never so much as had a mouse turd in my garage.
No rattlers or feral cats here. Plenty of mice. We do have black snakes but they are off duty this time of year. Peanut butter works well in the traps.
They figure feral cats kill 2+ billion American songbirds a year and account for a bunch of them going extinct. They are by no means safe in my yard. I like the birds.
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- #476
Feral cats aren't endemic and like Mike says, have really done havoc on birds and ground dwelling animals. They almost decimated the many species in Australia and New Zealand because they have so many that evolved to not fly. I'd get rid of feral cats too if I saw any. But most snakes are endemic and do more good than harm so I leave them be. Now the python deal in Florida is the opposite, those snakes are not endemic and have few natural predators to maintain the balance. So those snakes I would get rid of. Usually, when humans have tried to "improve" or "control" nature, it's gets worse rather than better.
if the rattle snakes wanted to be on another jobsite- I never cared. But when my guys told me they were finding snakes-every morning. The solution was obvious. I was responsible for the men's health and welfare on the job. No reason to add to the risk... and the cost. Our solution worked, no one ever got bit by snake on my job.
sorta same subject, I went to general contractors office to work on set of prints. When I finished he asked me to go out into shop. I did and he kicked a 50 gallon garbage can. The sound inside was unmistakable. Rattle snakes, he took lid off and we both looked inside. Half a dozen pissed off rattle snakes were in can. he put lid back on and I asked what the hell are you doing with them. He said loudly-Employee discipline. The guys in shop did not even lift their heads. I did not ever learn why snakes were in can.
I am 5th generation Montanan, they knew what to do with snakes..
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- #478
Not exactly my backyard, but pretty crazy that a wolverine was seen on the Columbia River banks near Portland....I mean, why would anyone or any wolverine want to go near Portland?
https://www.opb.org/article/2023/03/23/oregon-wolverine-sighting-near-portland-historic/
https://www.opb.org/article/2023/03/23/oregon-wolverine-sighting-near-portland-historic/
The wildlife biologist did say that he didn't think it would hang around Portland very long..... As Yogi used to say, "Smarter than the average bear!"
Drove through parts of NE Portland and down and back on 205, What a mess.
Only reason we got off freeway in NE portland was to meet someone to buy a slightly used Benjamin Marauder 22 cal. feral cat and Grey squirrel remedy... @Tom Smart