Rattled!




Coming home from the river the other day, I opened the back gate and as I was coming into the yard I saw a lizard with a bright blue tail flash by and I jumped back. Good thing too, because as I was looking around for another glimpse of the blue tail, I saw right in front of me a huge snake coiled up by the water barrel, right next to the path.


It was definitely a rattle snake but I could not see or hear a rattle. If I had not seen the lizard, I would have walked right on it. I screamed and ran into the house and looked at it through the window. It did not move or rattle but stayed coiled up. I looked it up on the Internet to make sure, as we did not want to wantonly kill such a large beautiful snake. Once we determined yes it was a poisonous snake, William was going to try and kill it with the shovel as the snake started to uncoil and slip under the back deck. William tried to pin it with a shovel and then it rattled - a really loud rattle and got out from under the shovel and disappeared into the dark.


I did not go out the back door for 2 days. There is no trace left of the snake, but I am much more careful where I step. I did some research on rattle snakes and found that they often just coil when they feel threatened and don't rattle when they are around people as if they knew that by rattling it would draw attention and put the snake in jeopardy.


The snake was not aggressive at all, and I am glad it got away, but I was rattled for several days.