Mt. San Jacinto Outdoor Recreation

Okay, I admit I am no fan of rattlers. But...today I saw a "mildly venomous" little tiny ultimately cool snake. I didn't have time to take a picture and I couldn't stop him so I could set up the camera without hurting him, so I watched him disappear...

But I found his species online. Check this little guy out:

Snake

Is that one cool little snake or what? Anyway, I plan to keep a glove on my mountain bike from now on so I can take a pic with the next one. Anyone ever seen one of these before? This one was about 8" long, just a tiny little guy.

z[/url]

How cool! Ive never seen or heard of these before but would love to see one. By the looks of those pictures it must have been quite sight. I also like the term "mildly venomous"...sounds like something I'd say to my wife when the spider-count gets a little too high around the house. "Relax...they're only MILDLY venomous"

Hi Z, that is indeed a cool snake. Where were you when you saw him?

I was just out mountain biking on a dirt road in the hills. I had seen one before on a different road, but he shot off the trail so fast I wasn't sure what it was. Really interesting, though I didn't turn him over to see his underbelly. Too bad, they're really colorful. I hope to catch a little one for a few minutes to take some pics, I don't think the little guy I saw could bite through a glove, so it would be easy to snap a pic or two.

z

Hard to believe that's local. It looks so exotic!

the one playing dead, he's laying on a leaf? is he the size of a worm ?

You've been lucky to see one of those by casual encounter on the trail, let alone on two occasions. They are not out and about that much during daytime, and unless you are rummaging around in their habitat you'll not often see one.

A glove should give you plenty of comfort, but don't fret too much about venom or being bitten. They tend to be docile, and their weak venom is not injected via hollow fangs, but seeps out at the rear of the mouth along grooved teeth. Think of it more as an extra-strong digestive juice rather than a neuro-hemo-CV toxic weapon for prey or defense.

(of course *exaggerate* the venomosity of the snake when later telling the tale of your snake wrangling ;)

Good to see your concern about not hurting the little fellows, because that is far more likely than vice versa.

With a quick encounter, if you have a hat you can use that along with the other hand to guide or redirect the snake from retreat, and if so inclined can use the hat as a capture aid. You may have only a few seconds for your initial response with a chance encounter, and the hat can buy you time to fish out your glove and camera, for example.

Anyway, cool snake with colorful vivid displays; sounds like you live near an area with healthy population. Thanks for the post.

kind regards,
arocknoid