RP: [Az-Geocaching] Rattlesnakes

[shadowace]

You will not normally find an indicator of a snake in the area. Snakes
can leave tracks dependant on the weather and environmental conditions
at the time, but these tend to be real faint and disappear quickly in
most places.

 Keep in mind that you will find no tracks on rocky areas. Snakes will
hide very well and the rattle is not something you should count upon.

 I have on my office door a picture of a diamondback rattlesnake that I
took from about 3 feet away. (Nobody needs to tell me how stupid this
was, I took precaution)

 The point is, in 10 minutes of watching it and even pouring water
around it to make it move, it never made a sound. It did however pay
close attention to me and I know it was ready.

Rattlesnakes are in the pit viper family. This is because of the heat
sensing pit in the head. I mention this because it is incorrect to
assume that a snake cannot see you in the dark. Darkness only makes it
harder to see them. They can detect prey that is 1/10th of a degree
warmer then the surrounding area.

 Rattlesnakes do swim, so you have to be careful in or out of water.

 Rattlesnakes have on average a strike range of 1/2 there body length.

 Rattlesnakes strike in self defense.. Leave them alone and your
normally ok. Walk, do not run away from them. (I have taught my children
to freeze, find the snake, identify a way out, move slowly in that
direction while keeping an eye on the snake. (Yes, we actually play
'where's the snake' in the backyard and on the rattlesnake bridge in
Tucson).

 They do not tolerate heat above 100 degree F very well, ie: they
overheat and die. So as it gets warmer, expect to find them on the
trails less and under those perfect 'hide your cache here' rocks even
more.

 Hope this helps..

-=ShadowAce & Crew