Say Hello to my little friend....

elzoller

El Guac-Oh
ES-NEIK.jpg


Is it just me or are the snakes out in full force this summer????
I think I have seen more snakes in the last 6 weeks than I have seen since I started riding. Is it Global Warming ;) ?

I was rolling off some rocks and almost ran over this sucker @ Blue on Saturday.:eek: :eek: :eek:
 

SpartaBard

Well-Known Member
I saw a very similar snake at KVSP last week. I was flying down a single track and smack in the middle of the trail is the large black snake. I skidded past him to one side, praying that he wouldn't snipe me in the ankle. I didn't think to get a pic though... :mad2:

Ever see any timber rattlesnakes up there at ringwood?
 

bonefishjake

Strong like bull, smart like tractor
Team MTBNJ Halter's
brad, what trail were you on? i was going up the needle single track and a huge, i mean freakin' HUGE black snake was coming out of a hole in a tree. the kicker: the hole in the tree was at least four feet in the air, there was about a foot of snake on the ground and it still wasn't completely outta the tree.

needless to say i kept riding.
 
D

DANSPANK

Guest
Bear Grills would've smacked it on the head and cooked it up over a camp fire - now there's a real man!
 

elzoller

El Guac-Oh
I saw a very similar snake at KVSP last week. I was flying down a single track and smack in the middle of the trail is the large black snake. I skidded past him to one side, praying that he wouldn't snipe me in the ankle. I didn't think to get a pic though... :mad2:

Ever see any timber rattlesnakes up there at ringwood?

Yes I have, only once a few years ago. I saw it around Bear Swamp where I usually see Black Snakes. I always thought rattlesnakes didn't make it this far north, but boy I was wrong. It was probably about 3-4 ft. I have seen recently garter snakes as well.

I have also seen tons of this little fellas which I have never seen before. I've seen them at KSVP, Wayway and Blue. I think they are pretty cool!!
P5100031.jpg
 

SpartaBard

Well-Known Member
brad, what trail were you on? i was going up the needle single track and a huge, i mean freakin' HUGE black snake was coming out of a hole in a tree. the kicker: the hole in the tree was at least four feet in the air, there was about a foot of snake on the ground and it still wasn't completely outta the tree.

needless to say i kept riding.

I was on the trail, over in the ballpark of the needle, umm how do I explain it?

If you are going down from the needle on the trail that does not pass next to the lake, and get to the bottom you come to a T-intersection. If you make a left it takes you by a swampy area before reaching the Sussex Branch Trail. I saw the snake near the swampy area.

I hope this made sense...
 

SpartaBard

Well-Known Member
Yes I have, only once a few years ago. I saw it around Bear Swamp where I usually see Black Snakes. I always thought rattlesnakes didn't make it this far north, but boy I was wrong. It was probably about 3-4 ft. I have seen recently garter snakes as well.

I have also seen tons of this little fellas which I have never seen before. I've seen them at KSVP, Wayway and Blue. I think they are pretty cool!!

Yeah I have seen those guys too, mainly right after it rains and the ground is still moist. They are cool looking.

The only rattlesnake that I have seen in NJ was on Mine Road by the Water Gap. He was crossing the road and looked like a log. He was easily four inches thick. I have heard they also like the rocky slopes of the Lackawanna Cutoff.
 
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The Kalmyk

Well-Known Member
Timber rattlers are as far north as upstate NY....I actually saw one Minnewaska State Park a good 5 years ago...Where the heck do they go in the winter...Cold blooded and NY winters???Wierd combo if you ask me
 
Timber rattlers are as far north as upstate NY....I actually saw one Minnewaska State Park a good 5 years ago...Where the heck do they go in the winter...Cold blooded and NY winters???Wierd combo if you ask me

Timber Rattlers are listed as endangered in NJ due to loss of habitat - as the most densely populated state in the Union, that is no surprise.

They hurt when they bite, I'm told, but they are not particularly deadly. Their venom is less deadly than western rattlers. They usually bite when disturbed, and like to hang out in the piles of leaves that accumulate at the base of rocks and logs.

As far as reptiles living in cold climates, there are numerous examples of successful species that live in cool climates. Aestivation (sunbathing) is seldom done in winter. They just hibernate in holes or cracks in trees. I've seen more than a few snakes in Maine in the winter.

Sorry for the Wikipedia moment. Naturalism is a sort of hobby for me. Good thing no one has brought up Wild Edibles and Plant Identification yet...
 

SpartaBard

Well-Known Member
oh, I forgot to say that I saw another one of those big black snakes at KVSP yesterday. 3' length or so. I didn't get a picture again.
 
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