Rattlesnake Bite.

[Bo_Beck]

Just talked to a friend (ER Doc at DRMC) who had treated a gentleman who was bitten on the leg yesterday as he was walking the Riverside Walk in Zion. He had stepped off the paved path just a short distance and felt what he thought was a stick poking him. Turns out that the bite was very serious. Most of his leg was very swollen all the way from ankle to thigh and EXCRUCIATING pain! Yep.....snakes are out now!

[BruteForce]

Snakes have been out for 2 weeks in my neck-of-the-woods. Last weekend, I ran over 5 rattlers 4wheeling (ATV), then last Sunday while walking the neighborhood park, we had yet another snake sunning itself on the path.

[tanya]

I was walking along that path with my kids once when they were little. There was a GIANT rattler under a bench. The tourists were standing around taking pictures of it. A ranger came and removed it before we returned. I have not seen many in the main section of Zion, but the Kolob Canyons trails, they are all over the place. The kids and I spotted at least 5 one day on the Tayler Creek hike.

[Glenn]

Jeepers, Bo! I hiked The Narrows yesterday and didn't hear about that until now. Maybe word needs to get out a little better to warn folks. I'm curious just where this happened; the Riverwalk is still under repair from the November rock fall and they've got a termporary route around it for about 300 yards that's in a grassy area.

Meanwhile, here's a guy I ran into on my way back from my south rim hike in Parunuweap...anyone know what kind he is?

[accadacca]

No fun. I'll be keeping an eye out for rattlers!

[MojaveGeek]

Meanwhile, here's a guy I ran into on my way back from my south rim hike in Parunuweap...anyone know what kind he is?

I believe the Great Basin Rattlesnake is the only rattlesnake found in Zion. Of course you were just out of Zion, but... It's now recognized as a subspecies of the Western Rattlesnake. A bit further east in Utah you might find the Faded Midget but not in Zion. For an amateur (i.e., you're not going to pick up the snake to look at its anal scales) the darkness of the cheek stripe is a good indicator. But these snakes do have rather variable coloration.

[rockgremlin]

There's no rattle on that snake pictured above --- in fact, I ran into one looking identical to it last week in Moab. The markings look similar, and it was very docile. Didn't coil up or lash out...just snaking along, minding it's own business... Searching for images online yielded the most similar match to be a harmless Gopher snake.


The Sonoran Gopher Snake...(obviously not the Sonoran variety, but there are about 8 different varieties of Gophers - all with similar markings) from Bing images:

[bigred72]

Gopher snake indeed. We ran into this one a year ago this past weekend in Subway near the ascent.

[MojaveGeek]

Thanks and good eyes! I didn't even take a close look at the snake but wasn't sure there was a rattle, just assumed the OP had gotten a better look.

[Glenn]

Thanks, all! I think it is a Great Basin Gopher Snake. He was about 30" long and very docile. The only problem I had with him was that he was blocking my way up! But he did let me shoot photos and movies, which was cool.

bigred...was he that big or is there a little perspective illusion going on there?

[bigred72]

bigred...was he that big or is there a little perspective illusion going on there?

He was well over six feet long. That's a friend in the pic who is around 5'8" and I'm 6'3" and the snake was longer than me. I have video of it as well which gives a greater perspective. He was just going about his business on the trail and we almost stepped on him trying to make it up and out.

[rockgremlin]

Thanks, all! I think it is a Great Basin Gopher Snake. He was about 30" long and very docile. The only problem I had with him was that he was blocking my way up! But he did let me shoot photos and movies, which was cool.

bigred...was he that big or is there a little perspective illusion going on there?

Gopher Snakes can get really long -- not too thick, but definitely one of the longer snakes in our neck of the woods. The one I saw in Moab was pushing 5 feet, and he snaked between my legs without a hiss nor a coil. If I wasn't so chicken I would have attempted to pick him up, as he was in no hurry, and he struck me as the most docile snake I've ever seen in the wild.

[Sandstone Addiction]

Meanwhile, here's a guy I ran into on my way back from my south rim hike in Parunuweap...anyone know what kind he is?

This is the first time I've ever heard them called anything but Bullsnakes. But then again, I'm from Uuuuu-tah

[earwig654]

ya i've pulled a cpuple out of pot holes and packed them into the sun. I like to be a superhero to them. I'm no expert but from handling them they're pretty docile. Unless you step on one i'd assume