New Jersey is beautiful! Well, Sussex County along the Delaware River, as seen from Racoon Ridge about 800 feet up. I stopped several times to enjoy the view and the birdsong …
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| View from Racoon Ridge (local spelling?) |
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| Sunfish Pond - rock art by local fishers? |
On the way down I heard a loud chattering sound and was wondering what kind of bird ... wait, notabirdSTOPwhereisitTHERE … much too close ahead of me, a large vibrating black rattle at the end of a patterned serpentine body!
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| Its head was down when I took this photo |
It was not coiled to strike, so i jumped back quickly and then froze. Its narrow triangular head lifted, but did not turn in my direction; would it slither off if I stayed quiet? Nope.
The tail had stopped buzzing. The body was discolored and dull, could it be injured? I took two photos, then slowly moved by on the other side of the path, watching it watch me. Buzz off, it said, so I did.
The ranger at the Mohican Outdoor Center was eager to hear my report of the animal's behavior, and asked about a number of details I had not observed (male or female?). The timber rattlers in the area are being threatened by a fungal infection, it seems, that destroys all of their senses, sight, sound, and infrared. Poor critter.
Tomorrow's stop is a tentsite at the foot of Rattlesnake Mountain. I will count on my Maori good luck travel charm to continue to keep me unbitten.
Eep! Stay safe!!! Poor rattler
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DeleteAnother local with herpetological experience asked a number of questions that I could not answer. (I didn't do a thorough exam -- how does one tell a snake to say "ahh"?) She hypothesized that the creature may only have been suffering from the dietary indiscretion of swallowing a prey animal that was too big to digest easily.
ReplyDeleteThis would explain its bloated appearance, she said. Perhaps it should stick to a diet of bird eggs.