Second Rattlesnake of the Season

NOTE: 16 pictures are linked, but none are displayed in the post. You have to click to see the images, so if you easily scare, you're fine. Some descriptions are creepy, but there's no helping that. Pictures 1-7 are just the snake (with its head on), and I think picture 9 introduces the bloody stump of a neck (it'll warn of graphic content), and from there it only gets more graphical.



Well, I got a rude awakening today. BANG BANG BANG POW, my wall went. I had the mind about me to get up and see what was going on. My Mom informed me there was a rattlesnake. You may remember the First Rattlesnake of the Season. This was the second. Except this time, I had backup, so I was less likely to imagine a random, paranoid, fantastic thing happening. And I got pictures with the ultra zoom.


When I arrived on the scene, the snake was laying under the Little Blue Wagon. (plus zoomed). My Dad first tried to hook him with the snake rope hanger, but it broke, causing the snake to fling backward.

While my Dad was reloading (running a new rope) the snake grabber rope-hanger, the snake waited patiently. It almost fell asleep, it was so peaceful...it tried to escape, but got about 2 feet before my Pa finally roped him. (plus zoomed).

Then my Dad cut his head off with a shovel. Here is his bloody stump of a snake neck. Picture is graphic: link.

Then my Mom started being a jokepot. She moved the snakes' head (severed head) close to itself, and it...well, it bit itself. Just like the first snake.


The heads stay very alive for quite a while, just so you know. I would -never- trust a snake head, as reportedly their venom doesn't lose its potency. And when I say "alive," I mean "can still open their fangs and bite you," and they stay alive to that point for 15-20 minutes after their head is severed.
Obviously, they can still see...and obviously, they still have their other senses. They'll bite down on the first sign of warm flesh. It bit itself nearly as soon as we put it in range. Creepy thing. Or...would it be biting itself if it was severed from its body? Anyways, here's another picture. He thought he was biting one of us, and he was making sure he got us good!

Little Jihad, LJ, my Mom's dog, was the one who alerted us to it. Rhythmic barking. He is tan, as well as our old Snake Alerter, Jewel. She died. Anyway, here it is from another side. You can actually see his fangs. I'm going to make cinnamon rolls, corned beef, cabbage and potatoes for October 1st or 2nd. Oh, and carrots.

Again, they can function enough to bite you for quite a while. His body continued moving, as well. It stopped moving after...sheesh...35 minutes. It had been bitten and, I am sure, poisoned, so maybe it was causing muscle spasms.

My Dad is going to give the dead snake to his boss. His boss has a few little girls. They're...not too bright. Let me put it this way: if humans were stars, they would be charcoal. Burnt charcoal. They thought the last rattlesnake we sent them was a lollipop. Eesh.


Here is an interesting picture of the snake actually picking itself up. Heh. Heh. Heh...

Here it is afterwards. It's dying. You can tell because its face is sideways.

Here, and here. No more pictures.


My Dad took it into the house (of course, to put into a ziploc bag, all along the merry way dripping snake blood on the floor and contaminating with snake feces the kitchen), and on the way, introduced Precious to it. She did NOT like it. She kept backing up until she hit my feet, then cowered down. Poor kitty.

Tiger, on the other hand, was very interested. He went up and smelled it. Now do you see why he can't go outdoors?

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a date with some macaroni and cheese.