The courteousness of the rattlesnake

[Invisible Acropolis]

I went ahead and did a google search to see if others have already recognized this simple truth and written far more eloquent words about it than I might ever be able to come up with... here is a sample:

 

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^{(the dreaded and most highly publicized villain of our times:)}Misinformation(!!!) abounds when it comes to rattlesnakes, chief among them, that they are aggressive blood-thirsty animals that will chase people around and bite unprovoked. While it is true they are venomous and that a bite from a rattlesnake is potentially life threatening, they aren’t out there looking for people to chase. Most rattlesnakes are actually quite docile animals and, when given a chance, go to great lengths to avoid confrontations with humans.

 

Contrary to popular belief, rattling it isn’t actually a threat. Rattling is a courtesy from the snake to let you know it’s there and to leave it alone. In many cases, they only rattle when they are found out in the open or if they know their cover is blown. A rattlesnake’s first line of defense is camouflage, and the best way for them to ruin their camouflage is to move or to rattle.

 

https://www.oriannesociety.org/faces-of-the-forest/rattlesnakes-reputation-vs-reality/?v=400b9db48e62

 

[silent thunder]

In my work we are regularly on location in rattler country and always have snake handlers on the crew and on site to aid in properly dealing with them.  Mostly to prevent us from harming them and to ensure they're restored to their territory and home when we leave.  Whenever I'm on standby, I'm usually hanging out with the handlers.

 

I've seen the lengths handlers have to go to, in order to coax them out of their spots and never once has one become aggressive with them.  They want to be left to themselves.  They instinctively want solitude and to not engage, hence the warning sound.  Polite is the word for it.  It is a courtesy indeed.  Amazing beings.

Thanks for sharing.

 

 

 

 

[Nungali]

Same with our black snakes  and death adders   IME :   black snake is most interested in avoiding humans , will flee when ever possible but get very aggressive when   trapped, cornered or otherwise threatened .

 

I have been told death adders are aggressive and fast , again not in my experience ; once a bunch of the kids here where  marooned up on a trampoline as a death adder had decided to sunbake on the ground next to it .  I asked her to move along and then gently suggested which direction with a nudge from a long stick ,   she immediately amped up, so I retreated a step or two, she had a good look at me , then turned and went off in opposite direction - thank you .

 

Another time , we where way out  bush walking - down a track to a waterfall view , on the way back, up steep stone stairs, with a cliff on one side and  this steep scrub  on the other side , a huge red-bellied black snake across the track , no way around .... I wasnt going to step over it ... and then it  it arched up  getting agro .... shit , what to do ? It was a standoff for a bit until I relished how stupid I was being  , then " Excuse me Mrs. snake , I nearly didnt see you there . Would you mind if we went past please ? "  ....  she looked for a bit and then off she went , leaving the path clear .

 

Like any animal, their demeanor will change when unsure or in fear of harm ; a few weeks back I found a  python  badly entangled in  bird netting ,  hopelessly  entangled , some strands had cut into its skin - Oh man, what a mess , one look I knew it was going to take a looong time to snip all that off . Snake was very aggressive , mouth open, lunging at me , very unusual behavior for that type of snake , usually I can pick them up for a cuddle ( they like the   human warmth on a cold morning ) . The first part was very tricky, trying to hold the aggressive snake so it could not bite me , but at the same time trying to cut through the twisted and entangled netting with tiny curved surgical scissors .  But as so as I cut through the main bad bit and the snake felt the pressure release , and more so with each cut and fiddle I did , she started to relax  and stop struggling and let me do it . Took about 15 mins after that , finally free without too much damage - they are very tough anyway .  She hung around next to for a bit as I sat there on the grass , in her injured state I thought she might be in danger of an adventurous kookaburra , so I took her  into a spot under the tree ferns .

 

Here is some more misinformation;  a few times when holding a python , some person that is unfamiliar  with snakes    has touched it or stroked it  and said with surprise ;  " Oh ! They aren't slimy  at all ! "   - how did that one start ?

 

 

Red-bellied black

 

 

Diamond python - 'rainbow serpent '

 

 

 

Death adder

 

( they have a habit of hiding  under leaves and sticking that little  worm like end of tale out and wriggling it .... ummm, if you see something like sticking out the leaves or mulch   - dont grab it !  )

[Nungali]

10 minutes ago, silent thunder said:

In my work we are regularly on location in rattler country and always have snake handlers on the crew and on site to aid in properly dealing with them.  Mostly to prevent us from harming them and to ensure they're restored to their territory and home when we leave.  Whenever I'm on standby, I'm usually hanging out with the handlers.

 

I've seen the lengths handlers have to go to, in order to coax them out of their spots and never once has one become aggressive with them.  They want to be left to themselves.  They instinctively want solitude and to not engage, hence the warning sound.  Polite is the word for it.  It is a courtesy indeed.  Amazing beings.

Thanks for sharing.

 

 

 

 

 

yeah , we had one on location in Victoria  ....   errrrr .....    'Charlotte's Web '    ( gosh , these things are now in the far recesses of my memory !  *   )  I am saying to boss ' First on site again '  and he 'No, there is snake catcher . '   I had not known about that before , used to get a few at least each morning , sometimes right where we were set up .  Apparently most active just before and on dawn , which I never knew . being the first on set - and having a bit of a quite time before the madness started ,  we would chat , drink coffee , I learnt quite a bit off him .

 

*  Old man's memory joke ;

1 st old man on park bench  :  " Oh well , its Wednesday , the middle of the week . "

2nd :  " No ... it's Thursday . "

1st;  " No, its Wednesday, I know because when I got up this morning and took my pills out the pill box it was the Wednesday section .

2nd ;  " Nah , its Thursday , ya probably got your pills mixed up . "

1st ;  " Look !  At my age , I will take any extra days I  can get , as far as I am concerned it IS Wednesday , so shut up !  "

[Invisible Acropolis]

Really? 

 

Wow, thats fascinating!

 

Tell me more

[Invisible Acropolis]

On 12/10/2022 at 2:23 PM, Nungali said:

Here is some more misinformation;  a few times when holding a python , some person that is unfamiliar  with snakes    has touched it or stroked it  and said with surprise ;  " Oh ! They aren't slimy  at all ! "   - how did that one start ?

 

Good question...  (as I am predisposed to seeking the origins of things)

 

On a side note:

 

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Snake venom is made by organs that evolved from salivary glands. Ordinary saliva contains enzymes to help digest food as you chew it and natural selection has favoured snakes that include ever more toxic enzymes in their saliva.

Scientists at Bangor University recently sequenced the genome of the king cobra and found that the toxins in its venom are slight variations of ordinary proteins. As prey gradually evolved immunity, so snakes have responded with a complex mix of 50-100 different proteins to alter blood pressure, prevent blood clotting and paralyse nerves

https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/how-does-snake-venom-kill-so-quickly/

 

While plenty of animals have poisons and/or other strange chemical effluvia, for some reason snakes have been considered to be representational of wisdom or knowledge (both helpful and harmful) in many different (supposedly unconnected) ancient cultures - as well as esoteric traditions which may be considered in the realm of "alchemy" and/or "sorcery", etc.   There is a commonly held belief (and artistically represented) connection to "rebirth" or "immortality" as well as a connection to "secret knowledge" and "esotericism" and so forth, which appears in numerous traditions.

 

 

[Nungali]

On 12/12/2022 at 3:36 AM, Invisible Acropolis said:

Really? 

 

Wow, thats fascinating!

 

Tell me more

 

about old man's memory ?

 

Okay then ..... ummmm  ...... er .....

 

Wot  ?

[Nungali]

On 2/3/2023 at 1:34 AM, Invisible Acropolis said:

 

Good question...  (as I am predisposed to seeking the origins of things)

 

Snakes there as well :

 

In the beginning,   before  the Dreamtime ,  the Earth was a flat featureless disc, on it was Ungud the 'Rainbow Serpent'  - nothing else . In the sky was Wallenganda - big black snake , river in the sky  ( the dark void part of the Milk Way ) and all along that river where camped her children , you could see their camp fires twinkling up there , alongside the river . Ungud would lie on the Earth and look up to them .   Wallenganda saw this , so she " Why you staring at me ?"

 

And Ungud told her ; "  Because you look so beautiful .... up there , with all your children . But I have no children, I am down here all alone . "

 

So Wallenganda felt sorry for Ungud, she lowered her head from the heavens and spat down water on the Earth , Ungud circled around it and bought it together and dived down through the sand taking the water with him .  Where he went down, that made a big sandhill that later turned to stone - Uluru .  Down there her gathered the water together and went to sleep in it . And in that sleep he had a dream ......  " 

 

( the dream is all this - that we experience ; 'life'  ..... I had to shorten and end off there ..... it is a very long story . But it shows the primary  pairing being snakes  - )

 

in some ancient Egyptian creation myth it is two frogs . Kek   &  Kauket

 

( frogs in pond  :     "  Kek  .....   kek

 

Other frog  ;  "Kauket "

 

... and so on    )

 

 

 

On 2/3/2023 at 1:34 AM, Invisible Acropolis said:

 

On a side note:

 

 

While plenty of animals have poisons and/or other strange chemical effluvia, for some reason snakes have been considered to be representational of wisdom or knowledge (both helpful and harmful) in many different (supposedly unconnected) ancient cultures - as well as esoteric traditions which may be considered in the realm of "alchemy" and/or "sorcery", etc.   There is a commonly held belief (and artistically represented) connection to "rebirth" or "immortality" as well as a connection to "secret knowledge" and "esotericism" and so forth, which appears in numerous traditions.