I was in the Mohave Desert at the Joshua Tree Forest,
http://www.hal-pc.org/~garden/vegas3.html in 2002 and the Mohave Green
Rattlesnake had not yet emerged from hibernation. Our guide told us that
once the snake emerges, it takes a while for the rattle to harden up
before you hear him. For that period of time, they can silent killers.
He also said they have been observed to get up to 7 mph. Good Grief.

I'm glad you will release it elsewhere.


"Mr. Chaos 007" wrote:
=

We caught our first yearling Rattler Monday after the rain. My helper
touched him while weeding before noticing him. He was viritually
invisible in the garden amoungst the litter and weeds. He was coiled up=

and did not strike or do anything aggresive. I have had much less
pleasant experiences with Copperheads as they seem far more aggresive
and willing to bite. We will release it to a less populated area. We
also have seen Rat Snakes and Garter snakes this spring.
=

We generally find or see about 10 poisonous snakes per year at our gard=
ens.
=

Dave
Gardens of the Ancients Herb Emporium and Nursery
www.gardensoftheancients.com
=

jOhN wrote:
Tonight I found a Great Plains Rat snake on my front porch. It looked=

like it was just coming out of hibernation and looking for a meal.

http://www.zo.utexas.edu/research/tx...he.emoryi.html

-- =

Celestial Habitats by J. Kolenovsky
2003 Honorable Mention Award, Keep Houston Beautiful
=F4=BF=F4 - http://www.celestialhabitats.com - business
=F4=BF=F4 - http://www.hal-pc.org/~garden/personal.html - personal