Ever seen a rattlesnake climb a tree?

[Thumper]

Not way up in a tree, but I was clearing some cedar to hang a camera at a stand in telegraph. Probably 2’ up. But there he was. As you can see I cut the branch right in front of the snake and it didn’t move. It was mid October. Still warm.

That one has a really cool pattern on top of its head.

Its a Massasauga Rattlesnake, pretty rare find, and I think they're protected.

I've caught a lot of rattlesnakes and have never seen one climb a tree trunk like a Rat Snake, but they will climb up onto limbs/branches a couple feet. Their belly is solid yellow and does not blend in to its surroundings like its top diamond pattern, so I wouldn't classify them as tree climbers.

[Bowhica]

Its a Massasauga Rattlesnake, pretty rare find, and I think they're protected.



I've caught a lot of rattlesnakes and have never seen one climb a tree trunk like a Rat Snake, but they will climb up onto limbs/branches a couple feet. Their belly is solid yellow and does not blend in to its surroundings like its top diamond pattern, so I wouldn't classify them as tree climbers.

Oops. Even more rare now.

[golfer47]

Work in a refinery, have seen them climb up the “I” beams to get baby birds from nests.


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[stickbowcoop]

Back around 1998 in SW PA, I was fly fishing a small mountain trout stream and a snake dropped out of a tree right beside me. That was before I had an interest in snakes so I didn't pay enough attention to try to ID it, I just just stood there dumbfounded lol. But it was the first time I ever saw, or heard of, a snake dropping from a tree.

[Shinesintx]

Its a Massasauga Rattlesnake, pretty rare find, and I think they're protected.

I've caught a lot of rattlesnakes and have never seen one climb a tree trunk like a Rat Snake, but they will climb up onto limbs/branches a couple feet. Their belly is solid yellow and does not blend in to its surroundings like its top diamond pattern, so I wouldn't classify them as tree climbers.

Nope, not protected in Texas.

[chopsknives]

Does shooting one with a deer rifle and having it land on your head count? - asking for a friend!

[Ray McGaughey]

Why heck yeah they can climb trees ! Haven't y'all ever seen the Jean Claude Van Damme movie, Hard Target ? LOL

[JMEubanks]

I never knew rattlesnakes could climb trees, that picture of the one in the tree is crazy

[JeffK]

I know a timber rattler will crawl up in a tree.

[Tbar]

My cousin and I found one in a tree at the ranch. On closer inspection we found a pack rat nest right below it.



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[okrattler]

My brief times spent passing through that part of Oklahoma, told of an area punished by the elements. You could see remnants of hard work to try and make the land pay off by farming and ranching, but ultimately looked to be futile if a person stayed there for many years. At least that was my impression.

I can only imagine how tough it was for people that settled here or living through the dust bowl.

Living in a dugout like those folks way back when struggling to make it had to be rough. I've heard stories of people crawling into bed at night and having snakes crawl across them. That was back before the dirty thirties. That whole mess is another story in itself. There are whole fence rows buried under sand in some places from back then. People back in those days were tough as hell.

[okrattler]

Lol
Yep not much on trees, but plenty of wind

Yeah there's no shortage of that. It's real nice when you get that hot air blowing on you in the Summer and you're getting sand blasted.

I worked for a guy from Wisconsin and I remember him saying, on a day just like I described..."I don't know who would ever want to live here. This place shouldn't even exist."LOL

[texansfan]

My cousin and I found one in a tree at the ranch. On closer inspection we found a pack rat nest right below it.



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In harrison county???

[Thumper]

Oops. Even more rare now.

Its my oops, that's a Western Diamondback and not a Massasauga.

[jerp]

Well the guy’s story I linked to in the OP has unraveled. The friends with him said the snake did not fall out of a tree, it was swimming across the river and he decided to pick it up. Got chomped 3 times on the hand