Couple dead Crotalus atrox (Diamondbacks)

Texas Blonde

Arachnoangel
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These snakes were killed by some of the roughnecks who work on one of my aunts drilling rigs. The snakes were found in the tool shed, and were killed because the men had no way to move them. I was hours away, and they needed in the shed right then. Unfortunately, it happens, but these men are pretty good about saving the snake if they can.







The hook used for a size reference measures 40". This snakes body wasnt laying flat on the ground, and a good portion of the neck was missing.


My aunt measured this snake right after they killed it, and it came in at a whopping 6'6". That is including the head, but Im not sure if they included the rattle or not. I couldnt get the body to lay flat, as it was pretty much a dried out husk by the time I got to it, but you still get an idea how large it was.
 
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rattler420

Arachnosquire
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shame they had to kill em :( i plead & beg everybody i know to call me instead of killing them (any snake for that matter). rattlers get more & more scarce around where i live every year. its got to where you cant even find eastern diamond backs around here any more.

anyhow, those are some pretty big westerns.
 

Ted

Arachnoprince
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i am skeptical about them ''having'' to kill the snakes.

I have never had to kill a snake in 39 years..with at least 20 years dealing with hot snakes.

looked like overkill..

but i wasnt there..so am speculating.
just not sure how it is ever necessary to kill a poor snake for any reason.

the way the bodies are severely damaged and the rattles gone, as well as them being displayed in a tree in a gruesome trophy pose, leads me to think they enjoyed this quite a bit.
 

sick4x4

Arachnoprince
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it happens sometimes , unfortunately they seem to be huge snakes..they would of been beautiful otherwise....
 

Ted

Arachnoprince
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it happens sometimes , unfortunately they seem to be huge snakes..they would of been beautiful otherwise....
our rattlesnakes are pretty in texas..but average at 3-4 feet.
a six foot specimen is considered super rare..as i understand, not a single six footer has been collected in any of the roundups in a decade.
this is likely due to them being overhunted..to the point that they even have to bring them in from surrounding counties for the roundup shows, because the numbers have dwindled remarkably.
of the close to a hundred i have collected, only two were at five feet.
still pretty big for a venomous snake.:)
 

sick4x4

Arachnoprince
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our rattlesnakes are pretty in texas..but average at 3-4 feet.
a six foot specimen is considered super rare..as i understand, not a single six footer has been collected in any of the roundups in a decade.
this is likely due to them being overhunted..to the point that they even have to bring them in from surrounding counties for the roundup shows, because the numbers have dwindled remarkably.
of the close to a hundred i have collected, only two were at five feet.
still pretty big for a venomous snake.:)
i have got to move......you want fruit calif's kool.. you want nature lol..
 

Ted

Arachnoprince
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i have got to move......you want fruit calif's kool.. you want nature lol..
fruit tastes better, lol.
Texas is a superior state for herps and inverts, i gotta say.
 

beetleman

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fruit tastes better, lol.
Texas is a superior state for herps and inverts, i gotta say.
those rattlers:( sad... anyway texas seems to the place:clap: i'm in fla. and there is alot also,but with the constant construction/tearing up and all who knows how long.
 

Tim Benzedrine

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Indeed, one of the biggest North American snakes I've ever seen was from Texas.
 

JLDomestics

Arachnoknight
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I don't get it Tim. You hoot and holler about people posting live feeding videos, and then you post bloody pictures of killed endangered species in a thread where people like rattlesnakes. Doesn't make any sense to me.
 

Ted

Arachnoprince
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I don't get it Tim. You hoot and holler about people posting live feeding videos, and then you post bloody pictures of killed endangered species in a thread where people like rattlesnakes. Doesn't make any sense to me.
i must've missed this..
link?
 

rattler420

Arachnosquire
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& unless tim has long blond hair, wears red lipstick & changed his name to texas blonde, he had nothing to do with them pics.
 

Tim Benzedrine

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Huh? I posted bloody pictures of dead rattlesnakes? When did I turn into a hot blonde from Texas?:confused: Methinks you should read more carefully.

And I wouldn't call my civil debate "hoot and hollerin'" Especially since you didn't read it all beause it was "Gay, long and boring"

Ted said:
i must've missed this..
link?
He's talking about the Necessary Bloodshed" thread, Ted.
 

Texas Blonde

Arachnoangel
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I have never had to kill a snake in 39 years..with at least 20 years dealing with hot snakes.

looked like overkill..

but i wasnt there..so am speculating.
just not sure how it is ever necessary to kill a poor snake for any reason.
These people have no experience with venomous snakes, and these snakes were in a small tool shed that they needed to get into. They had no equipment to move the snakes with, and it was actually the second day they had had to deal with them. Im not saying it was the right thing to do, but its what they decided was best at the time.

I will give it to these guys, these are the first snakes they have killed in the 5 years they have worked for my aunt. Normally, they leave the snake alone, or try to scare it off carefully. My aunt is actually the one who took the rattles, and that was so she could give them to me.

When it comes to butchering snakes, I think your skepticism would be better directed at the round-ups, or the people who do it for sport.


Edit: Yeah, the snakes were very large. We dont see too many huge ones, but we do see more than most folks. None of the ranches in neighboring ours allow rattlesnakes to be collected for the roundups, which is probably what accounts for the larger size. I actually saw an atrox going home last night that was a good foot longer than my hook. It was pretty neat to see live.
 

Tim Benzedrine

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Just to clarify things, that was not me. I repeat, that was not me.;P
Notice the ruby red lips. The pretty eyes. The luxurious blonde...er, what was I talking about?
 

Ted

Arachnoprince
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These people have no experience with venomous snakes, and these snakes were in a small tool shed that they needed to get into. They had no equipment to move the snakes with, and it was actually the second day they had had to deal with them. Im not saying it was the right thing to do, but its what they decided was best at the time.

I will give it to these guys, these are the first snakes they have killed in the 5 years they have worked for my aunt. Normally, they leave the snake alone, or try to scare it off carefully. My aunt is actually the one who took the rattles, and that was so she could give them to me.

When it comes to butchering snakes, I think your skepticism would be better directed at the round-ups, or the people who do it for sport.


Edit: Yeah, the snakes were very large. We dont see too many huge ones, but we do see more than most folks. None of the ranches in neighboring ours allow rattlesnakes to be collected for the roundups, which is probably what accounts for the larger size. I actually saw an atrox going home last night that was a good foot longer than my hook. It was pretty neat to see live.
ok..fair enough.:)

as far as the roundups..dont even get me started..i have caused those guys in sweetwater and freer, lots of trouble over the years;)
 

Ted

Arachnoprince
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Just to clarify things, that was not me. I repeat, that was not me.;P
Notice the ruby red lips. The pretty eyes. The luxurious blonde...er, what was I talking about?
you got pretty hair and nice lips, tim!:D
 

Ted

Arachnoprince
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Huh? I posted bloody pictures of dead rattlesnakes? When did I turn into a hot blonde from Texas?:confused: Methinks you should read more carefully.

And I wouldn't call my civil debate "hoot and hollerin'" Especially since you didn't read it all beause it was "Gay, long and boring"



He's talking about the Necessary Bloodshed" thread, Ted.
thanks tim..will reference for later.
 
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