Alberta's rattlesnakes!

[Arachnodisiac]

I was just going through some photos, and thought this would be a neat thread for anyone to add photos to from rattlesnake country in Alberta.

Here are some of my favourites from over the years. I'll add more as I come across them.

Western black widow, Latrodectus hesperus. One of two species found in Canada, the other is in Ontario. Our widows are also found in Saskatchewan and B.C.



Stunning snake, Crotalus viridis viridis, the prairie rattlesnake.




See the heat-sensing facial pits? They had thermography technology long before we did.




I was pretty happy to find this massive bull snake! These are protected under Alberta law as well as rattlesnakes and western hognose snakes. Rattlesnakes are likely going to be moved from the species at risk category to the endangered category soon.




Classic threat posture.




My heart beats faster and I get butterflies in my stomach whenever I see one of these signs!




A cute little yearling that had one segment on its rattle. When they are born, (females give live birth every two or three years) neonates have just a little noiseless starter segment called a button. They won't be able to rattle until they form another segment after shedding.




Canadian cacti, one of four species.

[pikergolf]

Umm.. did that bull live, looks like you've got a "tight" grip on him.LOL

[Arachnodisiac]

Originally Posted by pikergolf

Umm.. did that bull live, looks like you've got a "tight" grip on him.LOL

Yeah, of course.
I was tailing him - you just need to keep a steady, even grip.
He was actually moved off of a road to keep him safe.

[artie]

I think I will stay in Albertas mountains snakes freak me out. But a friend was trying to tell me he saw a bull snake in Blairmore. I wonder if they go that high in the mountains.

[sunsetrider2011]

Originally Posted by artie

I think I will stay in Albertas mountains snakes freak me out. But a friend was trying to tell me he saw a bull snake in Blairmore. I wonder if they go that high in the mountains.

There are some serious timber rattlers there too lol.

[Arachnodisiac]

Originally Posted by artie

I think I will stay in Albertas mountains snakes freak me out. But a friend was trying to tell me he saw a bull snake in Blairmore. I wonder if they go that high in the mountains.

I would suspect if that's what he saw, it came up on a load of hay from the south country.

I wish they were there though, then I'd maybe see some around home!

[TomE]

You fed that grasshopper to the Spider didn't you! lol At a Private club here in Calgary there is a Huge Orb Weaver I believe..But I have never seen one as big. About an inch long and wide. It also has the strangest Web I've ever seen..It has the Classic Web which is about one and a half feet in Diameter but surrounded by many long strands of Web..Like it has "Feeler Webs surrounding the main one..Pretty cool..I'll try to get a Pic..

[Arachnodisiac]

Originally Posted by TomE

It has the Classic Web which is about one and a half feet in Diameter but surrounded by many long strands of Web..Like it has "Feeler Webs surrounding the main one..Pretty cool..I'll try to get a Pic..

I didn't feed that one, I swear!

The longer webs you're talking about are the anchor lines. They need those to secure their classic web to whatever is around to hold it there.

They get huge this time of year because they are gravid (full of eggs). I get emails all the time in the fall from people that think they've found an escaped tarantula, lol.

[hunted]

Took this pic yesterday on the South Sask River. Have heard of this before but this was the first time I witnessed it.
DSCN0876 - Copy.JPG

[Arachnodisiac]

Originally Posted by hunted

Took this pic yesterday on the South Sask River. Have heard of this before but this was the first time I witnessed it.
Attachment 58815

That's so awesome!
I've never seen it in person.

Thank you for that!

[Bushmaster]

Been seeing lots of garter snakes here in Two Hills country the last couple of days. Both dead and alive......

[Toirtis]

Originally Posted by artie

I think I will stay in Albertas mountains snakes freak me out. But a friend was trying to tell me he saw a bull snake in Blairmore. I wonder if they go that high in the mountains.

We have at least five populations right here in urban Calgary, too.

[Toirtis]

Great pics.....I do a lot of herping, and chasing bugs, but my photos never turn out that well.

[TomE]

Originally Posted by Toirtis

We have at least five populations right here in urban Calgary, too.

Where in Calgary? I've never heard of snakes here..

[lone wolf]

Originally Posted by Bushmaster

Been seeing lots of garter snakes here in Two Hills country the last couple of days. Both dead and alive......

Witnessed the same last year in mid-late September when camping around Lake Diefenbaker, wonder if they are moving back to their denning sites ?

[Arachnodisiac]

Originally Posted by Toirtis

Great pics.....I do a lot of herping, and chasing bugs, but my photos never turn out that well.

Thank you!

Originally Posted by lone wolf

Witnessed the same last year in mid-late September when camping around Lake Diefenbaker, wonder if they are moving back to their denning sites ?

Yes, precisely.

[noelb]

Timber's in Alberta. I did not know. Would love to see one. Had quite a few encounters with massassauga's in Ontario as a kid. A guest of one of my neighbors actually killed one ( yes he was one of those paranoid types), I was a little upset at seeing the waste, so I skinned it and ate it. My parent freaked out when they found a frozen coil of rattlesnake in the freezer.

[Arachnodisiac]

There are no timber rattlesnakes in Alberta.
There aren't any in Canada. The species (Crotalus horridus) used to occurr in Ontario, but they are extirpated.

[Pudelpointer]

Have shooed 3 rattlers of the road this year, and seen another 3 in the grassland.

I keep a fishing net in my truck for just such occasions.

If I get a chance I will see if I can post a couple pics.

[noelb]

I was pretty sure there were no timbers here. I have some pretty serious herp types in the family, my uncle has been a member of the cross forks reptile society for decade. I grew up around the snake scene. I do wish we had some timbers or diamond backs here. Those are some beautiful animals.

[WayneChristie]

got a 2 foot prairie at F and W with the permit ready now, and another 3 footer in the freezer at home waiting to take in. havent talked to the taxidermist yet, but I have 2 hawks ready to go to him also, hoping to get one mounted in the talons of one, if he wont do them is there a good way to preserve them without mounting, like formaldehyde? havent really seen as many as last year, but more bull snakes for sure. Ive seen a rattler swim aross the river, but that was after it got tired of me playing with it.

[WayneChristie]

a few Ive posted before





testing my snake boots. no pressure on the snake just touched it, but it totally refused to bite.

2 footer at home, not the brightest cat in the world. (roadkill not live)

I call bull on this pic, well, because it is one

little skinny garter. caught one last weekend at the forks that wasnt as big as a pencil.

bigger garter
and a good reason to take the minnows off your hook when you leave the rod for a while

[pikergolf]

Originally Posted by Arachnodisiac

Yeah, of course.
I was tailing him - you just need to keep a steady, even grip.
He was actually moved off of a road to keep him safe.

Oh, I thought you had him by the throat. LOL

[Marty S]

Why on earth do they want to list rattlers as endangered??? There's lots of them and they are not in any danger of becoming endangered anytime soon.

To win endangered status, is there not supposed to be less than 1000 of the species in the province?

[avb3]

Originally Posted by Marty S

Why on earth do they want to list rattlers as endangered??? There's lots of them and they are not in any danger of becoming endangered anytime soon.

To win endangered status, is there not supposed to be less than 1000 of the species in the province?

You may want to educate yourself and read the Status Report on Rattlesnakes. The report is only about 27 pages including references and citations.

[Toirtis]

Originally Posted by TomE

Where in Calgary? I've never heard of snakes here..

Everywhere, almost. Garters all over the place, especially along the rivers and Nose Creek, but usually near golf courses, too. Bulls are in a number of places, including the Glenmore Reservoir. We also have boreal chorus frogs, wood frogs, and tiger salamanders here in the city.

[Alberta Bigbore]

Great pics! Not one for the spider, lol. Got any other spider photos? have you found any Brown Recluse or hobo spiders?

[Arachnodisiac]

Originally Posted by Alberta Bigbore

Great pics! Not one for the spider, lol. Got any other spider photos? have you found any Brown Recluse or hobo spiders?

We don't have recluse here, although physicians commonly diagnose many mystery necrotic traumas as being so. Believe me, I wish we did. I love "hot" (venomous) stuff. Though all spiders are venomous of course.

There seem to be some hobo spiders in B.C., but how dangerous they are is hotly contested, and the documentation demonstrating the medical significance of their bite is spotty and largely unconvincing.

[TomE]

Originally Posted by Toirtis

Everywhere, almost. Garters all over the place, especially along the rivers and Nose Creek, but usually near golf courses, too. Bulls are in a number of places, including the Glenmore Reservoir. We also have boreal chorus frogs, wood frogs, and tiger salamanders here in the city.

I have seen the small climbing Frogs and the Salamanders but have never seen a snake here..Excellent..

[moosemad]

Originally Posted by Bushmaster

Been seeing lots of garter snakes here in Two Hills country the last couple of days. Both dead and alive......

Same here, the wildlife calendar says this is the week they usually den, not sure if thats the reason though.