Ben FR

So on my ride today I came around a curve on a one-lane road, and right in the middle of my lane was a coiled rattlesnake. I almost crashed but luckily swerved into the other lane to circumvent the snake.

Anyone here have a run in with a rattlesnake on a bike? What happened?

This freaked me out. I can easily imagine a situation where I could be coming around and have to ride over or extremely close to a rattlesnake.

VanceMac

Seen several baby rattlers on the MTB trails recently. Buddy saw a six-footer (dead) at the top of Reseda last week.

KiddSisko

I see dead snakes (from being run over) often, but I don't recall if any of them have been rattlers. I did pass one of those large, long tailed lizards the other day. And by pass I mean I came within inches of running over it's neck.

The only time I think of animals or critters is when I'm flying down one of the local descents at 30+ and coming around a blind curve.

I had a small bird fly through my arms the other day while I was riding. I felt it's wings brush against my arm.

rallison

That is some really weird timing for your thread. While I've seen a fair number of snakes out and about riding, today was the first close call with a rattlesnake. Somehow didn't see it as I was coming up to it and only noticed it when I heard a nasty hissing sound and looked to see a coiled rattlesnake about 2 feet to the right of me with its head held up about 6 inches high. Scary. That bumped the heart rate up just a bit. I paid slightly closer attention to what was on the road/slightly off the road for the rest of the ride.

gumbii

we heard a rattler today on the lower RHRT north of washington blvd, but didn't go back to look for him... that's a good sign... that means i'm going to start carying a pillow case and my collapsible snake hook... take them over to the whittier mountains... or maybe give them a good home... last year i found a huge 6' bullsnake... it had to belong to someone... it was very taken care of and very docile... i carried him around my neck on the way home... then found a good home for him after 3 months or so...

please don't kill them or try to run them over... that's not cool...


btw... when i see dead snakes on the road i also take them home... lol... free food for my monitor or mussarrana...

cyclezealot

Long time ago I was on a trail in Florida in some state park... .. Must have been a six footer because it was half way extended across the road.. Almost as if it were napping on the road taking in the sun.. As far as I was concerned I wanted to know no more.. Luckily I was looking ahead and moving slow on a Mtn bike.. I turned around and let it claim the road.. In California , I've been lucky in that I've only seem them besides the road..
It must be common though.. Ever ask a tire changer at a tire store, one of the reasons why they wear gloves.. I was once told, it's because it's possible for bits of rattle snake fangs to be lodged in tires.

rallison

Absolutely. While my encounter with the rattlesnake today was a bit scary, I am still glad I didn't run it over and that it got to continue living. Snakes can be a bit scary, but they are also pretty cool creatures (at least in my opinion). And, of course, most of them are rather harmless. Out of curiosity, do you know what type of snake this is:



That was the other snake I saw on the ride. It was rather impressive - long and pretty fat. It looked like a common variety, just larger than normally seen. Of course, I suck at identifying snakes and could only accurately id a rattlesnake (and, even then, only if it had the rattles!)!

gumbii

golpher snake... a nice one too... something like that i would've just moved somewhere else... maybe my back yard... lol... behind my house there's a dry river bed... pretty big...



and snakes are great creatures... like the one that killed that dude last week... LOL... how can anyone let a medium sized indian python wrap around your neck...?

cyclezealot

In lieu of response number 7... ^. Maybe that snake I saw on the trail in Florida wasn't a rattler.. Don't Rattler's always have that diamond shaped head?>

rallison

Don't worry. This was on the section of 39 that is closed off to cars. The little traffic that exists is basically a few bikes a day - this guy has nothing to worry about..especially because, when the photo was taken, he was in the uphill traffic lane. Anyway, he was one of the most impressive snakes I have encountered. Good stuff.

Edit: Thank you for the id!

rallison

To clarify, the photo I posted was not of a rattler. Rattlers do generally have a distinct, diamond shape head. They also usually have a rattle section on the tale. As a general rule, it seems that snakes with a distinct, developed head pattern (a head that sticks out and is noticeable compared to the body) are more likely to be venomous. Snakes where the head is more of a smooth continuation of the body (and thus, less noticeable) are less likely to be venomous. But, I know little about snakes. I guarantee gumbii could tell you a whole lot more. Anyway, cheers!

vertical bob

Two rattler stories. Several years ago I was riding in the Oak Ridge Hills outside of Moorpark with my buddy Stan. Stan was about 50 ft. ahead of me and he doesen't see that well. As I'm looking up the road I see a coiled snake in the road. Stan never sees it and rides right by it. the snake strikes at him and misses flying just under his bottom bracket, he never saw it. I'm screaming at him but it's a non event for him.
Second story, last year I was decending on Angeles Crest near Chilao and came around a sharp corner at about 30mph. there's a 3' rattler streatched out right in my path. I had no time to react and rode right over it, felt like a stick, not soft and mushy. I stopped and rode back expecting to see a dead snake but to my surprize it slithered off the road into the brush. Creeped me out for sure. See lots of snakes this time of year in the mountains where I ride but on the road there is usually time to avoid them. Don't think I would want to be on the trails with them.

alicestrong

The Rio Hondo has many gopher snakes, some quite large...

If you ride the trails in Turnbull Canyon you are sure to see a rattlesnake eventually. They like to sun right in the middle of the trail. I saw two once in one day. I think I posted pictues here, too...it was awhile back. I've seen dead ones...I hope most people just leave the snakes alone.

KiddSisko

2 summers ago a large rattler found it's way onto our property up here in Topanga. A co-tenant found it laying along the walkway leading to her guesthouse. She told me about it, and sure enough, it was a real big one (5 feet). This was not good because at the time there was an aged deaf dog hobbling around the property, plus a blond Lab who's curiosity is bigger than her brain sometimes. So I got a big box and a long stick, and attempted to box it up to relocate it up in the hills. It did the usual coil and rattle maneuver, but was smart enough to realize a stick is just a stick and nothing to strike at, so it then went into "I'm outta here!" mode and tried to slither away. I tried my best to corral it into the box, but it proved the better of me and found a hole in a retaining wall. I could see it, but was unable to coax/force it out. Came back an hour later for attempt #2, but it was gone and we never saw it again.

calamarichris

If we're careful not to hurt the snakes, can we still run over the tattooed d00sh-goths who walk around in public with their pet snakes around their necks?

Shimagnolo

There was a great story here recently from a guy at the back of a paceline.
They passed a coiled ratter, and the rattler struck the back tire of the bike in front of him.
Then he had to take evasive maneuvers to avoid the airborne snake after the tire picked it up and flung it.
(Insert snake-bite-flat joke here).

My own personal experience has been limited to having the crap scared out of me by a 6' bullsnake coming at me out of the brush when I was taking a breather/drink at the side of the road.

Hillbasher

Surrrrre you feed them to your monitor. Tell us now, what do you REALLY do with them?

Flying Merkel

Saw a rattler years ago out by Irvine park, striking at passing cars, Being a high school kid at the time, I rode over for a closer look. Snake was curious about me. Crawled through the rear spokes, over my foot, and through the front wheel. Not until did the entire snake passed did I see the rattles. Snake was a good deal longer than the wheel base of my Royce-Union. He (or she) disappeared into a hole in the side of the road.

grrlyrida

Gopher snakes are out in Griffith Park, Mt. Hollywood area. Last month, my Wednesday ride buddy was trying to take a picture or one when another ride too busy watching her ran over it. He tried to pick it up, but it took off and went under some brush. I think he was showing my ride buddy how fearless he was.

Curbendo

A few years ago, I was coming down Big Tujunga, just past Mt. Gleason, cruising up a tiny hill when an SUV passed me. Just a few seconds after passing me, it swerved to the right, directly in my path, and back out again. That stretch is lined with a curb and no real shoulder, so I had nowhere to go, and cynic that I am, I wondered if the driver was pulling some kind of jerk move to intimidate me. But as I crested that tiny hill, I realized the truth. When the SUV swerved, it was just beyond the peak, which I hadn't reached yet, so I couldn't see his tires. If I could have seen his tires, I would have also seen that he was aiming for and running over a 4 foot rattlesnake next to the curb. If he hadn't, I would have cruised within inches of a rattler sandwiched between me and a curb. Bummer for the snake, but the alternative could have been ugly.

gumbii

true story...


mussarrana' only eat other snakes...



btw peoples... i used to have atrox as pets...

here's an albino atrox... he was my male breeder...

calamarichris

shudder Any creature that gives birth out the mouth is just plain unholy IMO.

LAriverRat

I have been hearing then on my rides up the Rio Hondo, over to San Gabriel river bed and up and over the Santa Fe Dam to Hwy 39. Usually after the Whittier Narrows dam and after the Santa Fe Dam. Have not seen any on the path, although on the path between Rosemead and the SGRB i have heard something rather large move around in the bushes. At the San Gabriel Canyon Gateway Center bathrooms are posted signs that say look for Rattle snakes on the floor upon entering. The ranger said she found two in there over a weeks time. She bags them and lets them go outside the rear fence.

Ben FR

That snake eating the other snake picture is going to give me nightmares. Thanks.

gumbii

skunks...

we've been bumping into them lately... they're pretty huge...