Rattlesnake and Bison in Painted Canyon North Dakota
I was trying t get a better picture of this bison or buffalo yesterday morning and heard a rattling sound in the tall grass.
There was a rattlesnake curled up in the grass trying to soak up some sun and I was disturbing his peace.
I decided to watch my step a bit closer in the future. The snake seemed to be at peace and didn’t move so I took a few pictures. (from a distance with 200 mm telephoto)
Bison in the grasslands near the Painted Canyon in North Dakota.
The rattler was starting to get aggravated.
The buffalo didn’t seem to mind the company and grazed for a half hour or so.
I decided to leave these animals alone to enjoy their breakfast in peace.
Just a word of caution about walking through tall grass and near rock piles – Be aware of where you put your hands and feet.
These rattlers do not seem to be aggressive but they certainly would try to bite you if it felt threatened or were stepped on by accident !
Well camouflaged in the grass – often difficult to spot when they are motionless. This one did give a warning signal. It would be very easy to step right near or on one if not paying attention ! The bites are rarely fatal but rather painful – the Wikipedia page says 7-8,000 people are bitten in the US every year and of those bites around 5 are fatal . The page indicates that it is best to get anti-venom as quickly as possible (suggestion within an hour or two). It is also estimated that no venom was delivered in about 20 percent of the rattlesnake bites (one of five).
North Dakota buffalo
rattle
My favorite buffalo picture taken at sunset!
Pictures of bison and rattlesnakes with the help of a telephoto lens
Climbing Mount Apo
General Santos
Growing Orchids
Judy's Resto Bar
Logging with Motorcycles
Mount Mayon
Balabac Island
Biri Island
Calbiga Cave
Capul Island
Mangrove Swamp Palawan
Mikes's Resort
DP,
Man you come up with some unreal stories mate…this is one of your best ever yet…keep it up…but i did hear on TV one time that Rattle Snakes do kill a lot of people in the USA each year…so don’t get to close to them ok!
MG
DP come to new Zealand.. .. no snakes here mate!
Cheers Lindsay
…I hear only good things about New Zealand !
Hope that both you and Bruce are doing well and that he got that water truck in operation – pretty cool venture !
ps any work about your bike that got caught up in the Sendong / Washi typhoon? Hard to imagine how bad it must have been in Mindanao
dp
Giday DP
The water truck is operational after all the dramas one expects.
I removed the engine from the bike last June and shipped it back here to Christchurch New Zealand. Stripped it – full of silt. In the process of rebuilding it. Take a look here:
http://ttr250.activeboard.com/f532166/repairs-and-maintenance/
Scroll down to DROWNED 1 & 2
Cheers
Lindsay
Wow
big job – hope you get the bike back on the road again in the Philippines – that water really came up down there by the river
Dumaguete the days of the Sendong storm was on high ground luckily !
http://www.dutchpickle.com/stories/sendong-dumaguete-tropical-storm-washi.html
best wishes to you and Bruce for your next trip !
dp
Thanks DP.
…more snake stories
We were 3 days in the Calbiga cave in Samar Philippines and on the 3rd day I noticed one of the guys make an awkward hop when we were near the cave exit.
weird I thought …
when I shined my flashlight , I noticed a black snake about a meter in length with a footprint on its back ha ha. He didn’t get bit but maybe it was a close call. (depending upon what sort of snake that was )
I know nothing about snakes but try to avoid them if I can . My neighbor kid up in the mountains of Leyte was carrying home a sack of camote and did get bit by a snake in the grass. He ran home carrying that sack of camote. He perished shortly after making it home . Very sad (about 12 years old).