Rattlers in W.Mass now??

[jjo]

Hearing reports of fair amounts of rattlesnakes in the W Mass/Berkshire trails..Are they still there this time of the year (Sept-Oct)? Thanks. Or do I bring a nurse/doctor??

 

[jjmcgo]

Check out

the southeast side of the Alander Mt. peak, the almost grown over trail that loops downill to the main trail.
Should find a few there.

 

[bcskier]

Rattlers a non-issue

I think you can put your mind at ease about rattlesnakes in W. Mass. They are around but the only people who I've ever heard get in trouble with them are collectors and only the clumsy ones at that. Which is not to say that collecting rattlesnakes in Mass. is particularly easy or even legal.

 

[jjo]

Thanks BC I'm going to try Mt Negus one of the free times I get.. Take care...

 

[jjo]

No rattlers on my hikes up Mt Tom (holyoke range) and Mt monument (near Gr Barrington) last week. Separate report to follow...

 

[bcskier]

Possible Copperhead strike

To revive an old thread because of an article in today's Springfield Republican: Snakebite article

 

[gaiagirl]

The rattlesnake is not so very rare in Mass. A friend who is an author and researcher has been studying rattlesnakes on Mt. Tom for years. They also exist in fair numbers in the Blue Hills. Copperheads are another story. Western Mass. only, so far as I know. I'd have to consult with Tom or his book about abundance, though. The rattlers are overall known to be very tolerant, avoiding biting unless they're truly threatened, according to research.

 

[bcskier]

I'd have to consult with Tom or his book about abundance, though.

Is that Tom Tyning by any chance?

 

[Nate]

To revive an old thread because of an article in today's Springfield Republican: Snakebite article

To (mis)quote the BDB, "Hunting rattlers in Western Mass can be ripping fun!"

 

[Sebago]

Rattler sightings is great news, the sad part is collectors have decimated the Timber Rattlersnake population in the NE. One individual is personally responsible for near extirpating the species in New England. They are protected. Now lets hope to hear the wolf in North Maine Woods soon.

 

[BillDC]

Was up Alander last year the first week of July. These guys were very abundant near the summit. Saw 5 of them on that trip.

Bill

 

[gaiagirl]

Yes, Tom Tyning has been doing rattler research on Mt. Tom for a number of years now. He says their fairly docile unless really threatened or riled up. I haven't had a chance to look up the copperhead question; perhaps later today when I'm back in the office after my field trip.

 

[vegematic]

Yes, Tom Tyning ... says their fairly docile unless really threatened or riled up.

That's consistent with my encounters with Timber Rattlers. When I lived in CT and spent a lot of time on the AT in CT and southern MA I met a number of them and never even got so much as a rattle out of them. Mostly they were just stretched across a sunny part of the trail and stayed that way as I passed.

They can show up in some unexpected places, though. I was surprised to see a rattler along the side of a road in Littleton, MA when I lived there about 17 years ago. When I lived in Middletown, CT my housemate described a snake in our yard that sounded an awful lot like a rattlesnake, although I didn't see it to confirm her description.

-vegematic

 

[lattinhill]

I saw one two weeks ago a few yards from the CT. highpoint on Frissell . It was lying in the trail and slithered off into the bushes when I approached it . I also saw one on the summit of Alander a few years ago. This is the reason I won't bring my dog up there this time of the year.
I think it was last summer a thru-hiker got bit in this same area on the AT ?

Dave

 

[lattinhill]

After last Saturday's hike I'll have to revive this thread , and I was suprised to see I was the last poster . My friend Pat and I were doing a section of the Connecticut AT between Bull's Bridge and RT 341 . We were heading north when she stopped quick and said " snake ! " Of course I couldn't see it right away and when she described it I said that sounds like a rattlesnake . It was , and it was by far the largest snake either of had ever seen in the wild.
It was better than 4 feet long and about 3 inches around for most of it's lenght. It was only about a foot of the trail and never took it's eyes off us and from time to time would slither towards us resulting in a further retreat on our part ! Even though they're supposed to be fairly mellow , we had no intention of walking close by this huge snake . After a ten minute standoff and us moving further back , it finally crossed the trail alowing us to pass. Of course my camera was in the car ....and an hour later I remembered that I did have my cellphone camera with me...so no pictures !

Dave

 

[Caveman77]

It's not quite New England, but on Saturday 8/9/08, along the AT in New Jersey between Sunfish Pond and Camp Mohican (about 7 miles north of the PA/NJ crossing), I saw two copperheads and one timber rattlesnake. The copperheads were just curled up in the rocks. But the rattlesnake was in the center of the trail, in classic rattlesnake pose, rattling at full volume (-- and thankfully so, otherwise I would have tread right on it!). I had to wait a couple minutes for it to slither away. It was extremely well camouflaged; even though I was staring at it, I kept losing track of it because it blended in so well. It was 4 - 6 feet long, and suprisingly thick.

I used the following site to comfirm my identification:
http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/ensp/fieldguide_herps.htm

I guess the presence of a rattle was enough to uniquely identify it. There are some nice frog songs on that site too.