Posted by David A. Wright on September 29, 1999 at 00:20:29:
In Reply to: for Gregg Lampf about snakes... posted by texas jess on September 28, 1999 at 15:43:46:
REPLY
Dogs and walking sticks are probably the best offense against snakes. I was born and raised in the Mojave and have yet to have a serious encounter with snakes.
Sticks give an instant of warning ahead of you. Dogs tend to orbit you and anything that you don't want to encounter will be long gone by the time your two legs make it to their territory.
And common sense in snake country is the biggest aid. Snakes tend to sun in the morning and evening, go deep by mid afternoon. Early and late in their normal season (depending on your local, elevation and lattitude), they can be found anywhere exposed during the day. Unlike us, they cannot regulate their body tempurature (like most reptiles), so tend to go where comfortable. When outside of their comfort zone, they can be sluggish or mean.
Rattlers can be moody, mean, slow, fast, aggressive, passive. Sidewinders I've found to be very aggressive. Mojave Greens -- if you're bitten, your SOL (unless they're feeling generous and didn't inject much venom into you).
Some people tend to mistake any snake for a rattler and seek to do them great bodily harm. I usually just walk the other way for a while then resume my course.