Originally published at: Man trying to remove rattlesnake with bbq tongs is predictably bitten | Boing Boing
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Not so much “dodged” as “got shot with a smaller caliber than he expected.”
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In the past when I was trying to get a poisonous snake off of a bike path for fear of children, I said to myself, “I should probably use a stick longer than the snake’s body length”.
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Around here the rattlesnakes can jump higher than the average house.
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I walk by at a respectful distance, with maybe a polite nod.
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My mother had discovered that they greatly dislike having water sprayed on their tails, so she can get them to leave her yard with a garden hose.
Rattlesnakes can choose to hold their venom and just give a warning bite.
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I’ve lived in the US West and camped most of my adult life. Rattlesnakes (and really many others) are eventually going to cross your path. Mostly, they strike because they are scared you are going to step on them. About 95% of bites are when someone is walking through tall grass (or wherever), doesn’t see a snake, and steps right next to it. Snake freaks out, strikes, and the person is not wearing long pants. It doesn’t help that they usually have exceptional camouflage in their resting environments.
I guess a portion of the other 5% would be trying to pick one up with tongs?
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Still not as stupid as the people having the picnic withe the bear.
What part of “wild animal” don’t these people understand? (both, apparently).
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I usually flip my burgers on the grille with my snake tongs
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Yup. The one below is from here in NC. Was setting up camp when I heard what sounded like a loud, revving motor. Turned around to see one of my dogs jump about 5 feet straight up. Thankfully the snake just warned everyone and went about its business a little while later after nobody messed with it anymore.
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That’s a scary looking mother fucker…
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If you don’t know how to pick up a snake, don’t pick up a snake.
You can use your bare hands if the snake knows you, but the instrument of choice in general is:
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Crotalus horridus. Was about as big around as my fist. And of course he was the guest on the first backpacking trip with my wife and kids in tow (my solo trips are never that exciting). My wife was not a fan. Oh well. My kids were. 
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Children are much easier to remove with tongs than snakes.
But in all seriousness, I’d think the key would be to stay close by and warn everyone nearby of the snake in the grass.
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My preferred method when dealing with poisonous snakes is
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Also a viable option!
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Honestly, I don’t think most rattlers will bite unless they think you are explicitly fucking with them. I say this as a desert trail runner. The free range cattle don’t ever get snake bites and those things are oblivious and fairly likely to step close to snakes. Behavior may be specific to breeds though? The ones around here are western diamondbacks.
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Indeed. Rattlers don’t have to bite to warn you. That’s what the rattle is for. Saves them the trouble of wasting venom, which is expensive, metabolically speaking. But if you’re stupid enough to keep it up, they’re happy to move to step two.
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I took the family to the beach a few weeks ago and on the way back we found a young rattlesnake had fallen onto the concrete walkway and couldn’t get over the curb to get back into the bushes. Luckily we’d brought a shovel to build sand castles with so I was able to scoop him up on the blade and chuck him out of the path of beachgoers. I would not have used tongs for that.
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