Rattlesnakes in MO (buy, living, dangerous)

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by retiredranger

I thought the Diamnondbacks in South Florida were big. That thing is huge

Well, on average, the eastern diamonback rattlers (Crotalus adamanteus) are the longest rattlesnakes in the states, with 9' recorded specimens.

[mongazid]

you know, they have an alligator hunting season in arkansas. They range at least 1/3 the way up into the state. If this globe warming is true we just might have something else to watch out for.

[zeldaII]

Originally Posted by mongazid

you know, they have an alligator hunting season in arkansas. They range at least 1/3 the way up into the state. If this globe warming is true we just might have something else to watch out for.

That's a good point. Armadillo's used to only be in Texas but they're here in MO now.

[calistria]

We definitely have rattlers, copperheads and cotton mouths in Missouri. As a child I lived fairly close to an old granite quarry, we had ratters and copperheads around the house all the time (not many of them survived). My mom was deadly with a hoe!

I haven't seen anything but water moccasins for years and I count myself lucky, because we love to camp and go for walks in the woods. I hate snakes and can easily relate with the comment made my mamagator54 about snakes giving her the chills.

My mom once chopped her whole patch of beets down trying to kill a copperhead in the garden! I don't think I would have gone back in the garden either after a snake slithered across my foot!

[tommyboy2112]

I just drove through Poplar Bluff from Arkansas last week. About the 1st place you pass on 67 is J & L tack. There is no doubt that the photo is REAL. Arkansas has both Eastern and Western Diamondbacks and Poplar Bluff is right on the state line. I dont care what the MO Dept of Conservation says we have are dont have. Im pretty sure snakes dont pay much attention to state lines. There are fields with high weeds around the tack store that lead to some very rugged hilly pine tree forests. Perfect place for diamondbacks.

[wishiwasuber]

There are plenty of snaked in the state if you look. Dawn, dusk and rain is when you will most likely see them. Rattle snakes are rare but herd of. What you want to watch out for is Copper Heads, they are every where and all over most of the state. Also keep an eye out for scorpions as you go furthur south west, ive seen them especially around chat piles.

[River Wood]

Fist of all what is a chat pile?

Quit honestly I'm so nervous about the rattlesnakes that I've read about, don't know if I want to move there!

From my area in MN, there is absolutely nothing dangerous...except a tornado. A few annoying bugs but that is it.

We live in the country here and love to walk through the woods and tall weeds as does the dog...

How do people raise children out in the country with rattlesnakes?

[ShadowCaver]

Originally Posted by River Wood

Fist of all what is a chat pile?

Quit honestly I'm so nervous about the rattlesnakes that I've read about, don't know if I want to move there!

From my area in MN, there is absolutely nothing dangerous...except a tornado. A few annoying bugs but that is it.

We live in the country here and love to walk through the woods and tall weeds as does the dog...

How do people raise children out in the country with rattlesnakes?

Just make more childrens...


Seriously, don't fret none about it - that's one way of teaching kids [and adults ] how to interact w/ nature; don't fear it, but respect it. What is out there, what potentials there are, how to deal with it all. Lived in the upper Ozarks for many many years, dealt with the Copperheads & Cottonmouths [never saw any rattlers, but yes, times change, critters move about; ie: armadillos] just fine, and no harm. Actually, being bit by a Black Snake can be just as bad - their mouths are full of harmful bacteria, etc. that can infect and cause problems too. Anyhow, point of this beer-induced rambling mess: be careful, don't be scared, have walking sticks handy, beat the weeds, be aware of 'special' times when snakes [and chiggers and seed ticks and... ] are more prone to be concern [when snakes are shedding skin, they may be more likely to strike at sounds, since may be partially blind then], and enjoy life in the country.

Oh,,, a "chat pile" is the tailings, such as the left over whitish grey soft chalky-like small chunkyish rock remains from clay mining [for example in central MO, in Gasconade/Franklin Counties], the somewhat similar in appearance but from the Lead mining [for example in east-central MO near Bonne Terre, Farmington, etc.], and the such. Many peoples ride 4-wheelers, 4x4's, hike, bike, etc. upon 'em. Some even manage to get a 4x4pickup stuck sooooo bad within a wet section of the clay variety that it took a motor grader to pull it out... Annnnyhow, moving right along, check out the following for more info on these byproducts of our mining endeavors: Chat Dumps of St. Francois County, Missouri

[ajf131]

Rattlesnakes definitely exist in Missouri. Copperheads are actually pretty common in the southern parts of the state, as well as pretty much throughout a lot of the Midwest to my knowledge. In fact, at one time much of the Midwest prairie to my knowledge was heavily forested but has been mostly cleared for farming purposes. The Ozarks however are probably where copperheads and rattlesnakes thrive more often because of how heavily forested the area is, since crops are much more difficult to grow due to the rocky soil and the landscape is often times much too hilly to farm on. Forests are a must I would guess for any type of snake to thrive in the Midwest, and the Ozarks are one of the few regions in the Midwest where the forests still stand (the other areas are all far north into the Upper Midwest and eastward to Southeastern Ohio). I encountered a Copperhead myself in the forests of the upper Ozarks near Sullivan, Missouri...watched as the counselor in charge of our camp decapitated it with a shovel. The thing attempted to strike beforehand....it's amazing how well those things blend into the environment....I didn't even notice it at first...Copperheads are scary snakes, I've heard though that they generally don't contain enough venom to kill a human....cottonmouths on the other hand, or water moccasins do. I was always afraid to swim in the Lake of the Ozarks for that reason..even though I kind of had to when I waterskiied on it...was also afraid of catching one on my reel when I was bass-fishing there.

[w00lyb00ger]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

That was taken in Texas. Your clue? Thats a western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox), they dont even range into Missouri. That snake was reported to measure out to be around 7' long, which is HUGE for a rattlesnake. Most average around 4' or so.

Actually, you are incorrect sir. In more ways than one. Although very rare in Missouri, people do occassionally find Western Diamondbacks in Missouri. They aren't native, just like armadillos aren't but they have been spreading out beyond their normal territory. Arkansas is a native home for Western Diamonbacks as is Oklahoma. Since both border Missouri, it stands to reason that occassionally a few are gonna find their way up to the southern part of Missouri. Snakes don't know about political boundaries and where they are or are not supposed to be.

You're also wrong to assume that it had to be from Texas. The majority of America west of the Mississippi has Western Diamondbacks. In actuality, you would probably find a lot more Western Diamondbacks in states with a lot of undeveloped open desert such as Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada than in Texas.

Finding a rattlesnake that big would not be unheard of in Missouri. It's actually fairly common to find large rattlers in certain areas. Especially in rocky areas along rivers or quarries. Poplar Bluff is near the Black, St. Francis, and Current rivers and is an ideal place to find such a snake. However, most of them are Eastern Diamondbacks which are the largest species of rattler in the United States.