Here's a video of a rattler I caught at my place this weekend. This is the release.

Click on the picture to see the video.

You're a lot braver than I am Matty. Snakes scare the hell out of me. Thanks for sharing the video!

Beautiful little rattler! Seeing them and holding them is fine, it's letting go of one that gets my adrenaline going. Thanks for the cool video and for not killing it.

i think buckets are their natural habitat.

Matt, good job.

I thought, oh sure a small snake...Whoa! That guy had some size. Unfortunately most peoples' instinct is to kill them, not thinking of the buckets of rodents they kill each year. Good for you!

Spooky, I haven't seen one here yet, but I know they are out there. Nice vid Bud.

"bud?" i thought he was "holmes?"

Nice Work! I'm glad to see you take the time to give him a good home were he can thrive...Good example for everyone...Thank You!

I will add to the compliments on catching and re-releasing this snake -- I know that rattlers are not safe in populated areas but very few people will take the time/care/effort to relocate them where they can (hopefully) live out their lives away from people -- EXCELLENT work!

Also, I found it very interesting that it didn't rattle (or, I assume, try to strike?) -- I caught an Eastern Diamondback many years ago at a youth summer camp that behaved in a similar manner (I almost stepped on it while taking a walk out in the woods since it didn't warn me with its rattle!). I caught it and kept it in the cabin (yep -- major "bragging rights" having a rattler stashed away in the cabin all week!) and it didn't coil, rattle, or strike at all -- when I released it at the end of the week, I purposely sort of "flopped" it out onto the ground so I could get a nice picture of it coiled up but it just took off without coiling.

After talking with some other reptile folks about this particular snake, there is a theory that this "no rattle" trait may be genetic and so the ones that don't rattle (and so avoid detection/death) are increasing in number as opposed to the standard ones that almost always get killed after they rattle. I don't know if the lack of coiling/striking/biting is related to the "no rattle" thing or not but, at least with that Eastern Diamandback I caught, it seemed that you could have handled the snake like any non-venomous one (not that I would have tried...) since it made no attempt whatsoever to bite, fight, etc.

Tim

Cool vid Matty, nice work on the catch and release, no rattle though, I want my money back.

I think he was big enough for a wallet. Maybe next time?

"bud?" i thought he was "holmes?"

Yes, bud holmes, essay

Remind me not to pull any weeds out when i get the tour of your garden !

Remind me not to pull any weeds out when i get the tour of your garden !

Don't worry Troy, there will be no weeds by the time you get here. Everything will be brown and crispy! Just don't turn any rocks over and you'll be fine. And watch out for the Chupacabras at night.

I thought, oh sure a small snake...Whoa! That guy had some size. Unfortunately most peoples' instinct is to kill them, not thinking of the buckets of rodents they kill each year. Good for you!

Hey Max- I really like your paintings...some of them have "Highwaymen" feel.

Cool! Ed