2008 AHS Spring Field Trip, Mount Magazine State Park and Surrounding Areas, Logan and Yell Counties, Arkansas, USA
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake Breeding Pair Series: 9 of 36.
The female seems to sense the male's behavior, perks her head back up, has kind of a "YIKES" moment when she notices three humans "right on top of her", and DARTS! The male tracks closely in tow.
(Now, the next bit of action is not photographed, so I'll just have to explain it in words...)
In anticipation that something like this would happen, Brad and I both have tongs at the ready. Only, I think our original plan was something like, "If they dart, we'll grab 'em."
So now, I find myself in the best position to take first action. "Do I grab the female and let Brad get the male?"..."Can we deal with both snakes safely at once?"...etc.
Very quickly, the female is pretty far under the ledge and I decide NOT to grab her...primarily because I don't know how soon Brad can "save me" from the male following up.
There is this moment, then, where the male is crawling by me and we kind of size each other up, literally eye-to-eye. He looks at me. I look at him. On a level beyond words, I kind of say to him, "I'm afraid of you. I don't want to hurt you." And he seems to say back at me, "I'm afraid of you. I don't want to hurt you." However brief, it was an almost *spiritual* moment. (And would you know that this male NEVER struck--not once!--during our entire dealings with him.)
Now, this is a BIG snake; easily longer than my tongs...and that makes things very, very spooky! Plus, I'm several years out of practice dealing much with crotalines, and even then, it was never on such a precarious slope. Hey, I'm not too proud to say that I am pretty scared, but I pocket my fears enough to tong him stoutly about 1 foot behind the head.
Van, I think sensing my tentativeness, volunteers for tong duty. I gladly comply! This allows me to pick back up with capturing the action.
